---
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: 7
number: 3
published: 1904-01
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "What of That?," *Improvement Era* 7, no. 3 (January 1904): 167.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0703unse
  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: improvementera0703unse
start_page: 167
end_page: 167
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1904-01)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0703unse
  publication_year: 1904
  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 1904, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# What of That?

<!-- page:167 -->

WHAT 
        OF 
        THAT 
        ?
"Tired; 
        well, 
        what 
        of 
        that?
Didst 
        fancy 
        life 
        was 
        spent 
        on 
        beds 
        of 
        ease,
Fluttering 
        the 
        rose 
        leaves 
        scattered 
        by 
        the 
        breeze?
Come, 
        rouse 
        thee, 
        work 
        while 
        it 
        is 
        called 
        today.
Coward, 
        arise! 
        go 
        forth 
        upon 
        thy 
        way.
"Lonely; 
        well 
        what 
        of 
        that?
Someone 
        must 
        be 
        lonely; 
        'tis 
        not 
        given 
        to 
        all
To 
        feel 
        a 
        heart 
        responsive 
        rise 
        and 
        fall
        —
To 
        blend 
        another 
        life 
        into 
        its 
        own.
Work 
        may 
        be 
        done 
        in 
        loneliness; 
        work 
        on!
"Dark; 
        well, 
        what 
        of 
        that?
Didst 
        fondly 
        dream 
        the 
        sun 
        would 
        never 
        set?
Didst 
        fear 
        to 
        lose 
        thy 
        way?   
        Take 
        courage 
        yet.
Learn 
        thou 
        to 
        walk 
        by 
        faith, 
        and 
        not 
        by 
        sight,
Thy 
        steps 
        will 
        guided 
        be, 
        and 
        guided 
        right.
"Hard; 
        well, 
        what 
        of 
        that?
Didst 
        fancy 
        life 
        one 
        summer 
        holiday.
With 
        lessons 
        none 
        to 
        learn 
        and 
        naught 
        but 
        play?
Go, 
        get 
        thee 
        to 
        thy 
        task; 
        conquer 
        or 
        die 
        !
It 
        must 
        be 
        learned, 
        learn 
        it 
        then 
        patiently.
"No 
        help; 
        nay, 
        'tis 
        not 
        so.
Though 
        human 
        help 
        be 
        far, 
        thy 
        God 
        is 
        nigh;
Who 
        feeds 
        the 
        raven, 
        hears 
        his 
        children's 
        cry;
He's 
        near 
        thee 
        wheresoe'er 
        thy 
        footsteps 
        roam,
And 
        he 
        will 
        guide 
        thee, 
        light 
        thee, 
        help 
        thee 
        home."
—
        Goethe.