--- 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: 3 number: 3 published: 1900-01 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Why Don’t You Laugh? A Poem," *Improvement Era* 3, no. 3 (January 1900): 217.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera33unse 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: improvementera33unse start_page: 217 end_page: 217 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1900-01) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera33unse publication_year: 1900 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 1900, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Why Don’t You Laugh? A Poem SOUTH AFRICAN WAR. 217 land expects to put eighty thousand men in the field, and at present it is doubtful whether the Boers will be able to resist this with a country, however, is moungreater force than fifty thousand. The largely on the defense; and if they tainous and the Boers must act is likely to result in a terrimaintain a stubborn resistance, the war ble loss of life and treasure. WHY DON'T YOU LAUGH? troubles come, Why don't you laugh, young man, when and glum? Instead of sitting 'round so sour You cannot have all play, And sunshine every day; you laugh? When troubles come, I say, why don't 'Twill ever help to soothe Why don't you laugh? The aches and pains. No road of life is smooth; There's many an unseen hump, And manv a hidden stump to jump. Why don't you laugh? O'er which you'll have Don't let your spirits wilt; Why don't you laugh? because the milk you've spilt; Don't sit and cry If you would mend it now, Pray let me tell you how: Just milk another cow! Why don't you laugh? all laugh, too, Why don't you laugh, and make us all from getting blue? And keep us mortals A laugh will always win; — If you can't laugh, just grin Why don't you laugh? Come on-let's all join in! — Independent.