--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Ricks, Hyrum collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 2 number: 9 published: 1899-07 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Ricks, Hyrum, "Life-Influencing Maxims: Comfort to the Afflicted," *Improvement Era* 2, no. 9 (July 1899): 690.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera29unse 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: improvementera29unse start_page: 690 end_page: 690 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1899-07) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera29unse 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. --- # Life-Influencing Maxims: Comfort to the Afflicted LIFE INFLUENCING MAXIMS. COMFORT TO THE AFFLICTED. BY HON. HYRUM RICKS, PROBATE JUDGE OF FREMONT COUNTY, IDAHO. One of old has said, "God is displeased with none except those who will not acknowledge his hand in all things." This scripture came to me in the middle of the night twentyfive years ago, when I was a boy sixteen years of age, and it has had a deep and lasting effect upon my life ever since. I was born with deformed feet, and like most afflicted persons, I have always been very sensitive. I have often imagined that I was slighted and overlooked when there was no real intention to do me a wrong. I have sensed this fault in myself and have struggled hard all my life to be considerate and forgiving, and overcome it. On the night above referred to, I went to a Sunday School dance. My young companions were happy and gay; their movements were graceful. The sweet strains of music from the quadrille band thrilled me and quickened every fibre of my sensitive nature. As I looked upon the joyous faces of my young friends, I sensed deeply my affliction and my inability to take any part in the pleasures of the evening. Tears began to roll down my cheeks and before I could regain control of my feelings, a good sister of mature years noticed me, and came to me with kind and sjmipathetic words. Others joined her. I could not answer their inquiries as to why I wept, I was too full; my sorrow was too deep.