--- 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: 4 number: 4 published: 1901-02 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "In Lighter Mood," *Improvement Era* 4, no. 4 (February 1901): 310–312.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0404unse 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: improvementera0404unse start_page: 310 end_page: 312 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1901-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0404unse publication_year: 1901 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 1901, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # In Lighter Mood NOTES.. Elbert Hubbard thus defines it: "Success is the realization of the estimate which you place upon yourself." There is truth in that, and young men should place their estimates accordingly. The Southern Star closed with its 53rd number, Volume 2, December 1, 1900. For two years, it has been a welcome weekly visitor to our table. It was^a true exponent ofthe gospel in its field which was ths Southern States. Here it entered the homes of many Saints and strangers, and cheered^hundreds of elders in their labors of love. The reason assigned by its founder, Elder Ben. E. Rich, president of the Southern States Mission, for its discontinuance at this time, is the withdrawal from the mission of ja great many elders. There were five hundred in the field when the^first number was issued, late in October, 1898, while at the time of closing there were only about three hundred, which number will continue to^decrease. The publication was a financial success. Its contents are composed of many noble truths, telling testimonies, and important historical]facts, that will long be treasured by those who have read its pages. The Star will appear as a pleasant page in the great literary volume ofj Church publications. We regret its hiding. There is a growing recognition of the value of moral and religious culture and training which should be steadily encouraged. It is seldom, however, that the need of such culture is advocated for the common schools. But that there are educators who see the need for it is witnessed by the following excerpt from the recent speech of a leading eastern professor: "If we wish to train the highest and best part of the nature of the child, if we wish to prepare him for the greatest enjoyment and the highest achievements in life, if we desire to purify and elevate society and strengthen and perpetuate the state, we should recognize the imperative need of moral and religious education in our public schools. In endeavoring to build up the temple of the new education, while we may lay the foundations in manual training, rear its walls with thorough intellectual culture, adorn its interior with the refinements of artistic training and skill, we should not forget to round the dome and complete the edifice by a scheme of broad and thorough moral education. And if we wish to give greatest beauty and strength NOTES. 309 to the structure we'should let the light divine illuminate our work by adding to moral education the higher element of religious culture." '"Grandma," said a little boy, "what makes your silver teapot and * sugar bowl so black?" "They have been standing in the cupboard ten years," was the reply, "I have n't thought it worth while to bring them out for any common person's use, and there hasn't been any great occasion in our family." Ah! how much sunshine and soul health and help are withheld from the world because people dam up the kindness and cheeriness and love; the best ware of the heart closet, because they are not called out by uncommon people, and great occasions, until the luster and shine are replaced by blackness and deadness, where beauty and charm and heart warmth might have been! "Archie, did you thank the lady for her gift?" "Yes, mama," replied the child, "but I didn't tell her so." Many people are admiring others, loving others, thanking others, but "do not tell them so." Dammed-up feeling is the stagnant pool, the uncirculated currency, the hidden silver. It blesses not those whom it should bless, and by inaction grows turbid and dull and unlovely even to him who harbors it. Open the floodgates, bring forth choice wares in fitting high commendation, sweet expressions; circulate your praise, soul coins from heart to heart. Life, vibration, use, are the law of a satisfactory existence. Stagnation is always death, or rust and decay. — Success. The newsboy on the corner shouted: "Evening papers —Stevenson nominated for vice-president!" and the people passed on satisfied. In the next street another newsboy shouted: "Evening papers— Democrats nominate a vice-president!" and the people were curious and bought. "Who's nominated, sonny?" asked a dry old fellow eagerly. "Have a paper, sir?" was the answer. This boywas selling the news; the first boy was giving it away. It is easy to pick the winner between the two. A distinguished theological professor once said: "If I had a son I should tell him many times a day to make himself as big a man on the inside as possible." Young men, too often, want to be big men on the outside. IN LIGHTER MOOD. "What!" exclaimed a lord at whose door a young man had announced his name as John Curran; "You are not Curran? You couldn't say 'boo' to a goose!" "Boo, my lord," replied the wit, coolly. "Yes, yes!" stammered the lord, "you are the man; come in at once!' — Waters. In a recent hunting expedition in Great Britain, Lord Binning was accidentally shot. The noble lord is a bit of a wag, and even when half his leg was perforated with shot from his own gun and he was sitting against a hedge, waiting for a stretcher to be brought, his wit did not desert him, for, as the doctor was binding up his wounds, he remarked: "I came out to kill grouse —but 'pon my soul, I seem to have bagged a calf." The professor, according to a London newspaper, had taken a few of his pupils to the Zoo. While the lions were being fed he remarked to the keeper, with a view to his pupils' instruction at first hand: "If one of these gigantic and ferocious carnivora should contrive to emancipate itself and should hurl its prodigious strength into our midst, what steps would you take?" "Bloomin' long uns, sir," said the man; whereat the boys tittered. * * * There is a New York physician, says the New York Tribune, who takes an active interest in politics and is popular with the "boys," In spite of his jolly disposition he is an extremely thin man, so thin that many a joke is aimed at him. Here is the latest story they are telling about him: A grocer's boy entered the doctor's office the other day with a basket of fine fruit which some grateful patient had sent him. The doctor told the boy to place the basket in a cabinet which stood against the wall. At the same instant he stepped out of the room, and, going into an adjoining one, manipulated a contrivance which caused an articulated