---
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: 5
number: 12
published: 1902-10
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—Grading the Associations," *Improvement Era* 5, no. 12 (October 1902): 993–994.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0512unse
  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: improvementera0512unse
start_page: 993
end_page: 994
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1902-10)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0512unse
  publication_year: 1902
  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 1902, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Our Work—Grading the Associations
<!-- page:993 -->

EDITOR'S TABLE.                             991

names with address of the writer; three competent judges here-
after to be named will decide upon its merits; if no story submitted
shall be deemed of sufficient merit, the Era reserves the right to
reject      all;   unaccepted manuscripts   will   be held subject to     the
writers' order.

                                   NOTES.

       "What has been done can be done again.        Many a   noble   work at
first setms impossible."

       "Only those who have faced life honestly, and with understanding,
can look undismayed into the darker chambers of the soul."

     The greatest friend of truth is time; her greatest enemy is pre-
judice, and her constant companion is humility. Colton.

       Sin is only misdirected energy, and sometimes I think that bad folks
are good people     who have expressed themselves wrongly: that's all.
Elbert Hubbard.

     Let none account the mourning for a lost infant slight or soon for-
gotten.   Sorrow for the departed is not always graduated by the valu e
that the community  may have affixed to their lives. The heart has other
gold than that which men weigh in a
                                       balance.      He who marks in the
                                             carelessly passing on, says, "It
cemetery a mound of a span's length, and,
was but a babe," has never been a parent—
                                          Mrs. Sigourney.

                                               to keep, but not good
    One of those men who are good enough
          promote, once remonstrated with Mr. Armour because another
enough to
                                             "I like you, Will," the packer
clerkhad been passed up over his head.
                           smart,  and  you   should have the making of a
replied frankly; "you are
                             merchant   in you;   but we don't know just
big strong, broad-gauged
              you all the time.  You may    be at your desk on the dot and
where to find
                                  We never know.       And we are not sure
you may be ten minutes late.
                                           done.    You generally do it, but
when we tell you to do a thing that
                                     it is

you are not sure pop."

<!-- page:994 -->

IN   LIGHTER MOOD.

I guess my health is gittin' poor,
   Er somep'n er the kin',
Fer every mornin', jist as sure
   (Espechully if it's fine),
I   git sich offul shootin, pains,
    And ma says:      "It's jes' cru'l
Ter make 'at poor boy study, with
  Sech headaches jes' 'fore school."

Ma thinks my mind is breakin' down
  From learnin' of so much.
She puts wet towels on my head,
  An' chopped up ice, an' such,
An' tries ter git me off ter bed;
  But pa says, he's no fool.
He thinks birch oil's the only stuff
    Fer headaches jes' 'for school.

An' teacher, too, don't symp'thize
  'Ith boys wot's feelin' bad,
Fer, soon's she sees me mopin in,
   She says: "Now, ain't 'at sad
Ter make them suff'rin' children work!
   Young man, set on 'at stool
An' do them sums." Huh! she makes fun
   Of headaches jes' 'fore school.

'Tis kind'r funny,   though, how soon
  I'm over bein' sick,
An' me an' Jim, (Jim, he gits cramps),
  We sneak off down t' the crick
An' go in swimmin.'        Gee!      We got
    A bully divin' pool
An' spring board. Gosh! you bet they cure
  Them headaches jes' 'fore school.

An' fishin' too. We got a raft
  An' dandy hooks an' lines;
                          —
Ketch bullheads, lots an' sunfish. Say
 Down underneath them pines
They bite like thunder! Settin' there,
     Feet swashin', nice an' cool,
Pain's nothin'!     Say, d'you ever git
    Them headaches jes' 'fore school?
                                         Chicago Chronicle.
