Typed document. Page 170: It has a brief inscription and is signed “John”.] Reports arriving at the hermitage in the early evening where a meal was prepared for him in his cabin which now has had thermostatically controlled heating added and is comfortable. He went to bed at eight, as soon as everyone left, but couldn’t sleep. Got up at 11:30 and had a snack. He found after typing this that he was too sore from the trip to sit up and type so he went back to bed. Admires the beauty of the pre-dawn morning and prepares to begin his day. Includes the names and addresses of two new photo magazines: Terra and Impressions. Page 170-172: Had dinner the evening before with his old friend, Father Stan. Reports feeling well and unharried early in the morning. Describes his day and work, reading galleys and writing reviews. Page 173-175: Reports that Charlayne Hayes is bringing him some letters Tom [Merton] wrote to his grandmother. Tells of making crepes to serve to some of the monks who are coming in the afternoon for tea and he gives his recipe for the crepes. Appreciates the deep silence and the serenity which seem to him like a spiritual gift. Page 175-176: Says that he will have four guests for supper after the mass so he is roasting a leg of lamb and making some garlicked white beans. There will be Father Stan, Father Tarcisius, Father Timothy, and their old friend, the philosopher John Ford who is coming for mass and supper. Griffin reports having pain in his legs when he gets up so he has worked from bed a lot, but says he is still filled with silent jubilation. Says his blood sugar is very high which is why he feels so weak. Everything is in readiness for his guests. Page 176-177: Says he feels better and his sugar is down to normal. Talks about all the work he is doing, about feeling weak after lunch, a nap and a walk, but he continued to work in the cabin filled with music [a recording of Bach] he has put on - even while regretting the loss of the silence. Includes journal note from Christmas 1965 from Ledger 295 in which he says how much he likes the storms that day and says he has had a wonderful Christmas day and others before here with this kind of winter weather. Says it speaks to him of his vocation. Says he feels “shot” again, so he turns off the music and the lights and sits before the fire. References Merton frequently speaking of the birds that come there (1965, Ledger 207, April 17) and a pine warbler (April 23, 1965, ledger 209) Page 178: Describes a beautiful, soft, rainy day, his preparations for his bath in the cold bathroom, and his plans for his solitary dinner of crepes and lamb stew.

Nell Dorr Papers, Amon Carter Museum of American Art Archives, Fort Worth, Texas

Nell Dorr Papers, Amon Carter Museum of American Art Archives, Fort Worth, Texas.