---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Arthur Brooke
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 1
number: 4
published: 1898-02
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Arthur Brooke, "Forgive," *Improvement Era* 1, no. 4 (February 1898): 236.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera14unse
  transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers.
  identifier: improvementera14unse
start_page: 236
end_page: 236
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1898-02)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera14unse
  publication_year: 1898
  note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1898, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Forgive

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The thronging years in glory rise,

And as they fleet,

Drop strength and riches at thy feet.

"Thine eye, with every coming hour, Shall brighten, and thy form shall tower, And when thy sisters, older born, Would brand thy name with words of scorn- Before thine eye, Upon their lips the taunt shall die."

FORGIVE.

If a dear friend have wronged thee, even though

The stab be given in the most vital part

That throbs through Love's betrayed, defenceless heart,

Forgive! — for she that struck thee might not know

How deep the misery of her thoughtless blow:

Forgive! — for of the self same frail flesh thou art,

And might 'st have winged for her as keen a dart

If thou hadst tempted, or been tempted so.

Forgive! — for other's crime and other's shame

Are not thy hurt; thy soul being still the same,

Since its integrity hath suffered not;

Forgive! — for in a little while both must go

Into the grave where tears shall cease to flow,

And sorrow, even this be all forgot.

Arthur Brooke.