--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 2 number: 2 published: 1898-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Notes", *Improvement Era* 2, no. 2 (December 1898): 145–148.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera22unse 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: improvementera22unse start_page: 145 end_page: 148 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1898-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera22unse 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. --- # Notes AOTES. 145 tion is apt, as it comes joyously to the front, to look down with a slight condescension on the one which is withdrawing from the active scene; but the looking down should be looking up, for the old have borne and suffered, endured and triumphed, in order that the path for their successors may be easier. We can brood upon our troubles until they become unbearable, or we can dwell upon our blessings until our hearts are melted into thankfulness. We can ponder the faults of our neighbors until we are imbued with disapproval and contempt, or we can muse upon their redeeming qualities till the kindly sympathies of our nature assert themselves. There are times when silence is golden, and there are times when it is the basest alloy. There are times when it stands for truth and generosity; and there are times when it stands for a mean and selfish lie. When justice calls us to proclaim a fine performance, a noble deed, an heroic achievement, and to reveal to the world the man who has fairly earned the forthcoming meed of honor and gratitude, then silence is a sin. Perform a kind action, and you will find a kind feeling growing within you even if it was not there before. As you increase the number of your kind and charitable interests, you find that the more you do for others the more you love them. Serve them, not because they are your friends, not because they are interesting, not because they are grateful —serve them for the simple reason that they are your brethren, and then you will very soon find that a fervent heart keeps time with charitable hands. "The repentance of the understanding" is seldom enjoined and seldom felt,but it would often be a most salutary and beneficial experience. Let a man, for example, on discovering that he has decided unwisely in some more or less important matter, instead of consoling himself with the reflection that he acted up to the best light that he then had, and is therefore blameless, reflect upon the mental obligations that must have accompanied the decision, and ask himself whether he might not have trained his judgment to a better degree of sagacity, so as to have ren- dered the error impossible. It will be strange indeed if in such an investigation he finds nothing of which to repent. "That boy must be born in very unfortunate circumstances," says a sensible writer, "whose father and mother could not, if they chose, do more for his moral training than a schoolmaster, who has perhaps fifty to attend to, without the parental interest in any of them." It is just this moral education that belongs specially to the home, and that, if neglected there, can never be obtained elsewhere, which is the only trustworthy safeguard that society can have against much of the vice and crime which corrupt and demoralize her. Parents who trust to the schools to inculcate this are shirking their own most solemn obligations, and have no right to expect their sons and daughters to grow up into upright and honorable men and women. Porto Rico, the fourth in size of the Greater Antilles, and now one of the many provinces possessed by the United States, lies 70 miles west of Hayti, and it is about 1,000 miles, as the crow flies, from Havana to the harbor of San Juan (Porto Rico). It forms an irregular parallelo- gram, 108 miles long and 37 miles broad; its area is 3,550 miles, which is less than that of the island of Jamaica. The inhabitants of Porto . Rico numbered, in 1877, 813,937, the negroes being over 300,000. San Juan, the capital, has about 28,000 inhabitants. . It is on the north-east shore of the island. The harbor is one of the finest in the West Indies, being large, sheltered, and capable of accommodating any number of the largest ships, having anchorage in it from three to seven fathoms. Some European countries have huge standing armies even in time of peace. Russia heads the list with 858,000 men, or nine per 1,000 of her population. Next comes Germany, with 580,000, which is 13 per 1,000; while France has 512,000, or 14 per 1,000. The Austrian army is 380,- 000, or 10 per 1,000; Italy, 300,000, also 10 in the 1,000; England, 230,000, six per 1,000; Spain, 100,000, equally six per 1,000. Belgium's army comprises 31,000 men, or eight in the 1,000; and little Switzer- land musters actually 131,000, or 45 per 1,000. France and Russia united can muster in time of peace between them 1,400,000 men, in time of war 9,700,000. The Triple Alliance in time of peace can bring together 1,192,000, or 7,700,000 in war-time. The huge European armaments called armies on a peace footing cost about $1,100,000,000 a year to keep up. The following statistics on marriages, births and deaths in some leading European countries can scarcely fail to be of interest: For 1,000 marriageable persons of both sexes, there are in France 45 marriages; in Holland, 49; in Italy, 50; in Austria, 51; in England and Denmark, 52; and in Germany, 53. On an average in France there are 163 births per 1,000 married women from 26 to 50 years of age; whereas NOTES. 147 there are 270 in Germany, 269 in Scotland, 261 in Belgium, 251 in Italy, 250 in England and Austria, 240 in Sweden and Ireland, and 236 in Switzerland. The average mortality in France is lower than in any other country. It is put at 22J per 1,000, whereas it is 35 per 1,000 in Russia, 28 in Italy, a little over 22i in Sweden, and close on 23 in Germany. In all true education the amount of knowledge communicated, however important it may be, is an entirely subordinate matter compared with the mental desires that are aroused and the mental power that is stored up. Could there- be a youth who found no difficulty in the tasks assigned him he would miss the grandest opportunity which education has to offer— that of strengthening the mind by the continual stress and strain of effort. Perhaps one reason why dull and backward boys sometimes develop into distinguished men is that they have had so many difficulties to overcome that the discipline has intensified their powers and deepened their natures. The quick-witted child, to whom study is easy, often loses this opportunity; and possibly this fact may afford a partial answer to the oft-repeated query, "What becomes of all the promising children?" At any rate, it should be an encouragement to those who have the training of dull minds to know that the very efforts their possessors are obliged to make beyond their companions may enable them to overtake, and perhaps even eventually to surpass them. In all the armies of the world, says a writer in a contemporary, musical war signals are considered not only useful, but absolutely indispensable. Every one is familiar with such expressions as "drumming up recruits," "drumming out deserters," and so on. ZoUer, the African traveler, says that "among all savage and half-civilized races song and dance are considered as indispensable aids to military training as drilling and drumming in our armies." The marvelous precision with which these primitive races execute their war songs and dances has been commented upon by many admiring explorers; and, as the value of perfect drilland co-operation are well understood, music, which supplies the regularity of rhythm, is seen to be of paramount importance. When our armies parade, they always do so to the measured beat of military band or drum and fife. A military writer says that the drum in the army is used "especially for inspiring the soldiers under the fatigue of march or in battle." This function of military music reminds one of the is recognized primitive custom of singing in order to facilitate work. It forjnstance, wrote not long by the greatest authorities. Lord Wolseley, 148 ' ago that "troops that sing as they march will not only reach their destination more quickly and in better fighting condition than those who march in silence, but, inspired by the music and words of national songs, will feel that self-confidence which is the mother of victory." IN LIGHTER MOOD. A workman, who was repairing the roof of one of the highest buildings in Dublin, lost his footing and fell, but, striking a telegraph line, he managed to grasp it. "Hang on for your life!" shouted a fellow-workman, while some of the spectators rushed off to procure a mattress on which he could drop. He held on for a few seconds, when suddenly, with a cry, "Sthand from undher," he dropped and lay senseless in the street. He was brought to the hospital, and on his recovery was asked why he did not hold out longer. "Shure, I was afraid the wire wud break," he replied feebly. They were at a picnic. "You see," he explained, as he showed her the wish-bone of a chicken at luncheon, "you take hold here and I'll take hold here. Then we must both wish a wish and pull, and, when it breaks, the one who has the bigger part of it will have his or her wish gratified.'' "But I don't know what to wish for," she protested. "Oh, you can think of something," he said. "No, I can't," she replied; "I can't think of anything I want very much." "Well, I'll wish for you!" he exclaimed. "Will you really?" she asked. "Yes." "Well, then there's no use fussing with the old wish-bone," she interrupted, with a glad smile. "You can have me!" * * * The following anecdote bears witness that from of old Spain has been more or less foolish on the subject of "honor:" When the Duke of Wellington was co-operating with the Spanish army in the Peninsula against Napoleon, he was desirous on one occasion during a general engagement, that the general commanding the Spanish contingent should execute a certain movement on the field. He communicated the wish to the Spaniard personally, and was somewhat taken aback on being told that the honor of the king of Spain and his army