---
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: Report of M. I. Missionary Work,\" *Improvement Era* 2, no. 5 (March 1899): 392–393."
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: 392
end_page: 393
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: Report of M. I. Missionary Work

<!-- page:392 -->

marriage, and had been recently married herself. She kissed "Massa
Edwin's" hand, shook hands cordially with Mr. Hutton, and let herself be
placed in the most comfortable rocking-chair. Then she began to talk
familiarly about her own affairs and Mr. Booth's. She could not afford to
go to the theatre "no mo'," she said, but she wanted her husband to see
"Massa Edwin play." Could she have a pass for two that night? He
wrote the pass at once, and put it into her hand. She read it, and returned
it with a shake of her head. "They was only niggers," she said. "The
do'keeper wouldn't let no niggers into the orchestra seats; a pass to the
gallery was good enough for them." A second paper she received silently,
but with another and more decided shake of her head. Glancing over
her shoulder, Mr. Hutton read, "Pass my friend Betty Blank and party to
my box this evening. Edwin Booth." And Betty occupied the box.
* * *
An excellent story is told of Lord Russell of Killowen, Lord Chief
Justice of England. When a 'young man. Lord Russell was extremely
fond of the stage, and frequently spent his evenings at one or other of
the theatres. One evening he was forced to stand, there being no vacant
seats in the pit. Just as the curtain was raised, an old gentleman who
was standing in the passage shouted out, "My watch has been stolen,
and one of these four men has it
!
"
—pointing to a small group, among
whom Russell was standing, close to the corner of the stage. Of course
there was a tremendous hubbub, every one in the pit standing up to have
a look at the daring gang. A policeman was soon on the spot, and the
whole four were led out to be examined. It immediately occurred to
young Russell that the real thief, on the alarm being raised, might have
slipped the watch into his—Russell's—pocket. Sure enough, on placing
his hand upon his tail-coat pocket, he could feel the outline and hard
surface of the watch quite distinctly. Visions of a career blasted on its
threshold by a sordid charge of pocket-picking rose before him. Just as
he was about to place his hand in his pocket Jand take out the "watch,"
in the hope that his explanation might be believed, a couple of detectives
came in. They immediately seized one of the men, and, going up to
Russell and his two fellow-suspects, said, "It's all right, gentlemen, you
can go. We've got our man here; he's one of the best-known pickpockets in London." The "bulgy" thing in the future Lord Chief
Justice's pocket was—his snuff-box!

<!-- page:393 -->

OUR WORK.
FINISH THE COURSE OF STUDY.
Before the next issue of the Era the season's Mutual Improvement
work for 1898-9 will have nearly drawn to a close. In our agricultural communities members of the associations will be called away to the pursuits
of the agriculturist and stock raiser, and the association meetings will
have adjourned. It is therefore opportune at this time to call attention
to the approaching close of the season's work and urge earnest effort to
complete the Manual course for this year, that the way may be prepared
for taking up a new course when the active work of the associations
shall be again resumed. It is to be hoped that this winter's course of
studies has resulted in the members of our associations making themselves pretty thoroughly acquainted with the New Testament outside of
the four Gospels; that is, with the Acts of the Apostles and the various
Epistles which, with the biographies of Christ, called the Gospels, make
up the New Testament. That indeed was the chief object of the Manual
course this year, and it is to be hoped that the efforts of this winter
have not failed in their chief object.
This year's course of study coupled with last ought, therefore, to
make our young men fairly well acquainted with that very important
volume of scripture, the New Testament.
It has not yet been decided by the General Board what subject
will be taken up in the next Manual, but when the importance and
desirability of instructing our young men in the things pertaining to
the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times is taken into account, in all
probability the next Manual will treat directly some phase of that dispensation; and we shall in all probability begin the study of those great
events and those great principles which are immediately connected with
the dispensation in which we are called upon to work. We urge again,