Garland in His Own Time: A Biographical Chronicle of His Life, Drawn from Recollections, Interviews, and Memoirs by Family, Friends, and Associates

[Journal Comments on Garland in 1936]

[149] X [Journal Comments on Garland in 1936] Eldon Hill In July 1936 Eldon Hill, accompanied by his wife, Mary, arrived in Hollywood for a month-long visit with Garland, and during his visit he examined Garland ’s extensive correspondence and conducted several interviews, all with the aim of gathering material for his dissertation. While Garland was initially pleased with the attention, he soon became weary of Hill’s questions. “I began to feel the burden of Hills observation,” he confided to his diary on 18 July 1936. “He is so ceaselessly alert to catch something important falling from my lips that I dislike his eagerness.” Worn out by the Hills’ visit, Garland complained the next day, “He eyed me so closely and asked so many questions that I grew restless under it. It bored me. The longer he stayed, the harder it was to talk with him. I felt that I was being perpetually interviewed, and worst of all I lost confidence in the little man. I doubt if he ever does anything worth while with the material” (qtd. in Keith Newlin, Hamlin Garland, A Life, 385). Hollywood California, 16 July 1936 We are visiting the Hamlin Garlands. After having heard many times of what a rare hostess Mrs. Garland is, we are now enjoying it. She is a most gracious lady, thoughtful of her guests’ happiness without ceasing. Mr. Garland too is generous and considerate beyond measure. Especially is he absorbed in kindly acts towards his wife who is suffering from paralysis agitans. She is his main concern at all times. As she is compelled to spend much of her time in her room, he saw to it that this was built with an eye to her utmost comfort and convenience. It is a charming and restful room. Mrs. Garland is particularly pleased at what he calls an “accidental beauty” in this room. The metal trellis surrounding the windows on the outside forms a perfect frame for a lovely picture on moonlit nights. The house as a whole is of surpassing attractiveness. Of Monterey architecture it fits admirably into its setting high in the hills of western Holly- garland in his own time [150] wood. The exterior is white, with grass-green shutters at the windows. A portico runs from the second story rooms the entire length of the front side of the house. This is glass enclosed and framed with metal work in the form of a grape arbor. Our host was much pleased to show it to us. 17 July 1936 The “Son of the Middle Border” is feeling the blight of old age. “There isn’t much left for a man of 76,” he laments. “It is hard for a man of my age to realize that one of these fine mornings things will go on as they are and I won’t be here.” When I assured him that many persons live to be eighty or more, he demurred , “Yes, but they are the exception. I am living on ‘borrowed time.’” Our talk turned to religion. He said his mother and her people were Second [sic] Day Adventists and his Grandfather Garland a Methodist deacon. Hamlin Garland himself disclaimed any religion at all, a fact for which I tried to worm out the reason. “My Grandfather Garland who was with us a number of years during my boyhood (even going to Dakota with us) was a devout man. He frequently read the Bible to us and offered most eloquent prayers by our fireside. My mother read the Bible too & was religious in her quiet way.” Here Mr. G. spoke of his admiration for the King James version of the Scriptures. “It is incomparable,” he said. “I was for a time a regular attendant at Sunday School and Church. I went because the other young people were there and because I enjoyed singing in the choir. “Religion itself,” he averred, “never touched me. I listened to the preachers , but never took their words seriously as a way to truth. “When I got to Boston, I had access to the world’s literature much of which I had been unable to find in the West. I read all the great evolutionists —Darwin, Huxley, Herbert Spencer, Haeckel—with great eagerness. They opened for me a new world of thought.” “Before leaving for the East,” he interpolated, “I had discovered in 1881 a copy of Henry George’s Progress and Poverty.” Garland Study—23 July 1936 It...