--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - J. M. Lauritzen collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 3 number: 12 published: 1900-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'J. M. Lauritzen, "Whisperings of Nature," *Improvement Era* 3, no. 12 (October 1900): 895.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera312unse 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: improvementera312unse start_page: 895 end_page: 895 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1900-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera312unse 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. --- # Whisperings of Nature LEARNING TO SING. 895 playing the lead part of each piece; this can be learned in a very few hours, and, while it will be somewhat slow at first, like learning to manipulate a typewriter, it will soon become very easy. Of course, I would recommend, instead of a partial accompaniment, or playing but one note at a time, that the young people learn to play upon the organ or piano, but where a person is between forty and fifty years of age, as in my case, and his time is fully occupied, it might not be worth while to take the time to learn instrumental music. I say to ''our boys," I have learned to sing; you can do the same; will you make the effort? WHISPERINGS OF NATURE. Standing on Norway's snow-clad island hills, Viewing her icy peaks and crystal fjords; Her pine-clad slopes and laughing babbling brooks And peaceful hamlets, 'neath the forest shade. Sweet nature seems to beckon me to say: "Come join with me, rejoice, and be made glad, Bask in the light, of my eternal day; Inhale the breezes of my northern clime, And sip the nectar that my bosom yields; Sit in the shadow of my ancient pines, And view thy image in my crystal lakes; Stand on the shore and view the mighty deep Where vikings sailed their fearless barks of old. And when at length thy feet shall fail and tire. And eyes grow weary with the wondrous sight, Go seek repose upon some mossy bank, And dream the dream of childhood and of love. Securely sleep, for thou art not alone, A mighty sentinel shall guard thy couch — The midnight sun, with rich and mellow light, Shall banish every dark and evil power. J. M. Lauritzen. Tromso, Norway, July, 1899.