A Son of the American Revolution

Jacobus Swartwout

    The Rev. Edmund R. Laine of Stockbridge, Mass., was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, having been a descendant of Private Jacob Laine, a Minute Man in Colonel Jacobus Swartwout's Dutchess County Regiment of the New York Militia. Following are the entries from the week of Jan. 12-18, 1942, from Edmund Laine's diary:

Jan. 12, 1942

    Monday, Jan. 12, 1942: Very cold, sunny from 10 a.m. Up 12:30, shaved. E. [Edward L. Forrest] not feeling well. Has same attack I had - home from Bank - 4 & to bed. Miss F. [Jessica French, Laine's housekeeper] phoned Mrs. Eddie Pilling about supper tonight. Read "Times" & "Eagle" [the Berkshire Eagle] & dusted desk in study. 5 - changed clothes. Read in "S.A.R. Mag."   Rev. E.H. Nichols arrived - 5:35. 6 - over to Parish House with him - supper to organize a Galahad Club - he spoke & E. Sedgwick also - back to Rectory - 9:30. Talked with him in study till 10:45. He to bed. I had tomato juice & junket & bran muffins. To bed - 12:15.

Jan. 13, 1942

   Tuesday, Jan. 13, 1942: Cold, but not so bad as last few days. Up 7:15. Breakfast - 8 with Rev. E.J.H. Nichols - to see church with him - he left 9:05. 10 - in car with C.M. to Pittsfield (haircut, got watch at Whitings, Bank, Denno's - got pen - to House of Mercy to see Mrs. Geo. Hall) - back 1. Had sandwiches and tomato juice. Read "Times." 2:30 - news. Read "Eagle" 3:10 - Rev. J.V. Butler phoned from Springfield about a Mr. Fallon & Riggs Foundation. To Kimberly's - saw Tommy & called on Miss Canning (out), saw D. Braman - home & then to Library. Read in "Eagle." Grown very cold. 8 - news. E. to First Aid class at Foundation Shop. Read in Wellman's "Enquiries." 9 - Quincy Howe. 10 - Raymond Gram Swing. Had lamb sandwiches & junket. 11 - news.

 

The House of Mercy

January 14, 1942

   Wednesday, Jan. 14, 1942: Cold, but milder, sunny, windy. Up 12:10. Wrote note to Brentano's. 2:30 - news. Read "Times." Rec'd Galahad material. Read "Eagle." 4:30 - "Lorenzo Jones." 4:45 - "Young Widder Brown." Miss Elliston phoned about Galahad card party. 5 - "When a Man Marries." Read some stories in "Pushkin." 6 - news. Read on Crusades in Milman's History. Radio music. Miss F. home. E. working in study in Parish House. Wrote press notices for Sunday. Packed my brief case for tomorrow. Wrote note to Arthur Monroe (5th anniv. of Baptism). 9:20 - E. came & studied in study. 9:55 - news. 10 - Raymond Gram Swing. Had tomato juice, junket & custard. Shower bath.

 

January 15, 1942

   Thursday, Jan. 15, 1942: Cold, sunny. Up 7:45, shaved. Breakfast 9. 10:15 - left in car with C.M. [Carlyn Markham] for Springfield - arrivedDiocesan House 11:35. 11:45 - meeting of Department of Christian Education - over 12:55. To Bishop's house for lunch. Back to Diocesan House - 2:30 - meeting of Diocesan Council, over 4:20. Meeting of Scholarship Committee. 4:40 - meeting of Exam. chaplains - over 6:30. Sent C.M. home 5. Back with Rev. G.L. Monks - had dinner at Woronoco Inn - home 9:20. Read "Eagle." Bishop gave me Lawrence Testament. 10 - Raymond Gram Swing. Had tomato juice. 10:45 - news. 11 - to bed.

 

January 16, 1942

    Friday, Jan. 16, 1942: Very cold, sunny. Up 8:15, shaved. 9:20 - breakfast. 11 - Laurel Hill meeting in Library - Father Finn spoke - back 12:55. Had roast beef sandwiches & milk. Read "Times." 3:10 - to Library - from there in car to St. Edmund's School - to thank Fr. Jones for taking service on Sunday (out), on to Lenox, got bottle at Peter's - stopped at Dr. Corsen's to say Good Bye to him (he goes into Army tomorrow) - he was not home, 4:55. 5:10 - walked to Mrs. Merwyn's (terribly cold) to talk to her about Galahad Mothers - home 6:20. Eve - E. to Air Raid Center. Fr. Jones phoned, told me of sickness of Dr. Campbell & children. Read in "Amazon Throne." Had junket. Very cold.

January 17, 1942

     Saturday, Jan. 17, 1942: Very cold, sunny (5 below zero 8 a.m.). Up 11:10. Paid light bill. Read "Liv. Ch." & "Times." Sorted out old copies of "Liv. Ch." & made pile of "Joint Ordination" material. Listened to Act. 2 of "Lohengrin" from Met. Opera. 3:40 - Frank Punderson phoned. Read "Eagle." 4:30 - to church, acolyte rehearsal (M. Hoffmann, A. McCann, R. Hidens, J. Yovin, L. Yovin, B. Pitney) - Mrs. Derrick & Mrs. Merwyn helped - then to Parish House for outfitting, back 5:45. 6 - news. Eleanor Dusenbury in for hymns. E. to Occ. Club. [Occidental Club]. Read in "Amazon Throne." Worked on sermon till 9:45. Had junket & tomato juice. Shower bath.

 

January 18, 1942

Sunday, Jan. 18, 1942 (Epiphany 2): Fairly cold, sunny. Up 7:10, shaved. 8 - Holy Com. (2) 9:15 - S. Lee - Gospel of day - back 10. Indo Sunday School. 11 - Stockbridge - "Overcoming Discouragement" (21 min.) Quite mild. 1:30 - to S. Lee - took flowers to & prayed with Mrs. Dora Fenn (dying), left jelly at Miss Ball's - home - then on to Mrs. Merwin's (about Galahad mothers) - home 2:10. E. to MacLaren's for First Aid practice. Read "Times." Radio music. Thawing. 3 - N.Y. Symphony Orch. 5 - Met. Opera auditions. 5:45 - Wm. L. Shirer. E. listened too. Wrote letter to Mr. Nobbs. 6 - news. E. to lecture by Vincent Scheen in Pittsfield with Bramans. 7:25 - Mrs. Merwin phoned. 7:30 - news. 8:30 - "One Man's Family." Wrote letter to Miss E. Rice. 9 - Ford Hour (Rose Brosanti*, soprano). Had junket & orange ice. Shower bath. 10:45 - phone Mrs. D. Fenn of S. Lee dead.

*This is obviously wrong, but I can't make out the name. If anybody knows who the soprano was, please let me know via comment or email!

earlier diary entries (from Dec. 1, 1941 - Jan. 11, 1942.

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The stuff that dreams are made of

More from the diary of the Rev. Edmund Randolph Laine of Stockbridge, Mass. From Jan. 5-11, 1942. When I began transcribing the diary entries, from Laine's handwriting into something a bit more legible, more than a decade ago, many of the Internet resources were not available, and with a couple of exceptions, such as his mention on April 3, 1945, of Philip Bonsal's book "When the French Were Here," I didn't research the books or radio shows he mentions.

Now, with resources such as Project Gutenberg (which already was around when I started doing this), the Internet Archive and Old Time Radio Classics, I'm able to put sounds and images that bring the diary to life. That said, the radio excerpts are generic in nature, rather than the broadcasts of the date they were mentioned, although some of the shows have the air dates of the recordings, and I hope to get lucky in future entries. I'll point it out when I do.


Previous entries from the diary of the Rev. Edmund Randolph Laine:


December 29, 1941-Jan. 4, 1942

December 22-December 28, 1941

December 15-December 21, 1941

December 8-December 14, 1941

December 1-December 7, 1941

January 5, 1942

Monday, Jan. 5, 1942: Gray, cold, snowing a.m., some sun at 3. Up 12:15, shaved. Radio - news. Eleanor Dusenbury phoned about tea at annual W. Aux. meeting. Phoned Mrs. Davidson about press notices for meeting. 1:10 - to bank. Cut nails. Read "Eagle" & in Hammett's "Maltese Falcon." Read "Times" & "Converted Catholic." 4:15 - to call on Mrs. Stinson at the Actons - back 4. Read in Maltese Falcon in study. E - read "Eagle" there. 6 - news. Eve - E. to First Aid Class. Destroyed some old receipts. Mrs. Kimberly phoned names of sponsors for baptism tomorrow. Finished "Maltese Falcon." Radio music. 9 - Quincy Howe. Had sandwiches & oranges. Wrote book review. 11 - News. Shower bath.

January 6, 1942

 Tuesday, Jan. 6, 1942: (Tuesday - Epiphany) Very cold (coldest of winter so far), sunny. Up 9:15, shaved. Radio news. 11 - Holy Com. (9). Sent Mrs. Derrick some medals. Mrs. Kimberly phoned. Read "Times."Made out baptismal certificates. 1:30 - "Vic & Sade." 1:45 - "Road of Life." 2:30 - had tomato soup & liverwurst sandwiches. Dozed in chair in study till 4:15. Read "Eagle." Fr. Jones phoned. 4:30 - changed clothes. 4:50 - to church. 5 - Baptism of Kimberly children - then to Kimberlys - back 6:30. 7:15 - to dinner at the Kimberlys (Mr. & Mrs. Dwight, Mrs. & Mrs. Raphael[?], Dr. & Mrs. Schroeder, Mrs. Schermerhorn) - home 10:15. Very cold. Made entries in Parish Register. Ate two oranges. E. to Lodge. 11 - News.

 

January 7, 1942

Wednesday, Jan. 7, 1942: Very cold, sunny. Up 11:15, shaved. Wrote 3 letters (Mrs. Frelinghuysen, Jr., Dr. Kimberly & Rev. Dr. Stowe). Read "Times." 3 - "Against the Storm." 3:15 - "MaPerkins." To church - C.M. clearing out Christmas decorations - then to Library - on to call on Mrs. Drake & Mrs. James at Buck's - back 6:10. 6:15 - news. Wrote letter to Mr. Hans Johnson for Sir Galahad literature. 8 - Donald Wood came to see about being a leader in the Galahad Order - went 9:40. 10 - Raymond Gram Swing. Wrote note to Mr. Steve Burghardt about his receiving Masonic medal. Had corn beef sandwiches & oranges. Wrote 2 letters (Mrs. Acton & Mrs. Stinson). 11 - news.

January 8, 1942

  Thursday, Jan. 8, 1942: Very cold (12 below zero), sunny. Up 11:15, shaved, shower bath. Had creamed corn beef for breakfast. Read "Times." Wrote press notices. 2:45 - dressed. 3 - annual meeting of Woman's Auxiliary - Miss Canning elected Pres. - arranged for Galahad Supper - Mon. eve. 5 - walked & called on Father Finn - then to Shaw's Garage - saw Jimmie about Galahad - walked home 5:45. 6 - news. Very cold - 2 below zero. Fr. Finn phoned. E. to Lodge installation. Wrote 2 letters (Mrs. H. M. Parsons & Rev. E.H. Nichols). 8 - Fannie Brice. 8:30 - Henry Aldrich. 9 - Quincy Howe. Had oranges. Terribly cold. 10 - R.G. Swing. Ate oranges. 10:30 - to bed.

Fanny Brice

January 9, 1942

  Friday, Jan. 9, 1942: Was very sick all night, vomited at 2 a.m. & 6 a.m. Ate nothing all day. Dr. Campbell came - 4 - I have intestinal grippe. Slept much - in bed all day. Miss F. & E. made my bed at 9:30 & I slept for night. Very cold.

January 10, 1942

 Saturday, Jan. 10, 1942: Still sick in bed - very cold - 6 below zero at 9 a.m. Slept hard most of a.m. Dr. Campbell came noon. 1:30 - had some milk and crackers. Slept. Read "Times" & "Liv. Ch." in bed. 7 - had dropped eggs & toast. E. to Occ. Club. Very cold. Got up & sat in Study, wrapped up. Miss F. got Fr. Jones & Mr. Barnes to take services for tomorrow. Read in Sir Philip Gibbs' "Since Then." (pretty terrible.) 10 - had junket, eggs & toast. Miss F. made bed. 10:30 - back to bed.

January 11, 1942

  Sunday, Jan. 11, 1942: (Epiphany I) Very cold, snowed at times, very bleak, gray, below zero. Feeling better. Stayed in bed till 3:45. Had some breakfast -- 11. Fr. Jones of St. Edmund's took Stockbridge service. Read "Times" in bed, Miss F. sick with same malady, Nellie French in to see her. Up 3:45, shaved, shower bath - dressed -downstairs - first time since Thurs. night. 5:45 - Wm. L. Shirer. 6 - news. Helped Miss F. make my bed. E. took 3/4 hour at Air Raid Station. Wrote letter of congratulation to Bp. (5th Cons. ann. - Tues.) Miss F. to bed 8 - sick. E. studied first aid book in kitchen. I sat in study & read in Girard's "Face to Face WithKaiserism." 9 - Ford Hour (pianist). 10 - had junket, milk & crackers. Not feeling too well. Cold is very excessive. 10:30 - to bed.