---
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: 5
published: 1899-03
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: "Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations, \"Our Work: Finish the Course of Study,\" *Improvement Era* 2, no. 5 (March 1899): 389."
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera25unse
  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: improvementera25unse
start_page: 389
end_page: 389
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1899-03)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera25unse
  publication_year: 1899
  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 1899, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Our Work: Finish the Course of Study

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his nurse is in pain. Certainly no thought of self intrudes there; it is
natural, sincere, and instinctive. The reason why the former impulse is
generally so strong and the latter comparatively so weak is chiefly
because the one is called so continually into action, and the latter so
seldom. It is true that even at birth the tendency to one or the other
may be extremely disproportionate. One child will be naturally warm
and loving, another cold and self-centered. But if the sympathetic
impulse exist ever so faintly it is capable of cultivation, and will richly
reward the effort by its growth.
IN LIGHTER MOOD.
It is not always safe or wise to rebuke too strictly or too openly the
shortcomings of others. The danger of such procedure is well illustrated
by the following incident:
A Catholic priest was displeased with what he considered the backsliding of a young girl in his parish. He met her one day in a crowd,
and thought it well to rebuke her for neglected duty. Looking at her
severely, he said:
"Good morning, child of the evil one."
"Good morning, father," she answered sweetly.
* * *
Here is a good story of Mark Twain's first and second meetings with
President Grant. At their first interview Mr. Clemens was a negligeable
literary quantity, and, when the introducing senator said, "Mr. President,
may I have the privilege of introducing Mr. Clemens?" "the President,"
relates Mr. Clemens, "gave my hand an unsympathetic wag and dropped
it. He did not say a word, but just stood. In my trouble I could not
think of anything to say; I merely wanted to resign. There was an
awkward pause, a dreary pause, a horrible pause. Then I thought of
something, and looked up into that unyielding face and said timidly,
'Mr. President, I—I am embarrassed. Are you?'
"His face broke, just a little—a wee glimmer—the momentary flicker
of a summer-lightning smile seven years ahead of time; and I was out
and gone as soon as it was."