---
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: 6
number: 6
published: 1903-04
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* 6, no. 6 (April 1903): 475.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0606unse
  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: improvementera0606unse
start_page: 475
end_page: 475
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1903-04)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0606unse
  publication_year: 1903
  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 1903, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# In Lighter Mood

<!-- page:475 -->

IN  LIGHTER MOOD.
It is said that a young officer at the front recently wrote to his
father: "Dear Father —Kindly send me £50 at once; lost another leg
in a stiff engagement, and am in hospital without means." The answer
was: "My dear Son—As this is the fourth leg you have lost, according
to your letters, you ought to be accustomed to it by this time. Try
and wobble along on any others you may have left."—Tit Bits.
"This is my son Frederick, Mr. Stephens," said Mrs. Saunders,
introducing her five-year-old  son.
"Well, Frederick," said the visitor, "do you always obey your
mama like a good boy?"
"Yes, sir," replied Frederick promptly, "and so does papa."—Stray
Stories.
A story is told of a canny Scot who dealt in old horses, alternating his
spells of labor with heavy sprees. During the period of depression which
followed each overindulgence, John habitually took to bed, and there
diligenty studied the family Bible. During one of these fits of attempted
reformation his conditon prompted his wife to call in the Rev. Mr,
Wallace, the parish minister,  who at the time happened to be passing.
"Oh, Maister Wallace, come in and see oor John,  he's rale bad."
"What's  wrang  wi' him?"
"He's feart to meet his  Makker," said  Mrs.  John.
Quick  as fire  came the crushing reply:
"Humph; tell'm he needna be feart for that; "he'll never see'm."—New
York   Tribune.
Ella—Bella told me that you told her that secret that I told you not
to tell her.
Stella—She's a mean thing—I told her not to tell you I told her.
Ella—Well! I told her I wouldn't tell you she told me—so don't
tell her I did.
What is the difference between a sewing machine and a kiss? One
sews seams nice, and the other seems so nice.