---
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: 6
published: 1904-04
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Can and Do," *Improvement Era* 7, no. 6 (April 1904): 441.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0706unse
  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: improvementera0706unse
start_page: 441
end_page: 441
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1904-04)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0706unse
  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.
---

# Can and Do

<!-- page:441 -->

THE 
        CELTIC 
        MAIDEN. 
        441
the 
        unselfishness 
        which 
        he 
        had 
        found 
        in 
        the 
        new 
        creed, 
        was 
        exert-
ing its 
        influence 
        upon 
        him, 
        and 
        it 
        was 
        destined 
        to 
        become 
        a 
        con-
trolling factor 
        in 
        his 
        future 
        life. 
        Gradually 
        he 
        grew 
        out 
        of 
        the
despondency 
        caused 
        by 
        his 
        great 
        sorrow. 
        The 
        religion 
        of 
        hope 
        and
of 
        active 
        effort 
        urged 
        him 
        to 
        cheerful 
        exertion, 
        and 
        brought 
        new
zest 
        to 
        his 
        life. 
        By 
        means 
        of 
        his 
        great 
        wealth, 
        and 
        his 
        influence
among 
        the 
        patrician 
        class, 
        he 
        was 
        able 
        to 
        spread 
        and 
        help 
        estab-
lish the 
        religion 
        of 
        Christ. 
        And 
        when, 
        a 
        few 
        years 
        after 
        his 
        con-
version, a 
        lady 
        of 
        patrician 
        rank, 
        long 
        a 
        convert 
        to 
        Christianity,
blessed 
        him 
        with 
        her 
        love, 
        he 
        took 
        her 
        as 
        a 
        fulfilment 
        of 
        the 
        prom-
ise that 
        all 
        sorrows 
        shall 
        have 
        their 
        ending, 
        and 
        the 
        reward 
        of 
        the
truly 
        penitent 
        is 
        sure.
As 
        for 
        Kenneth 
        and 
        Genevra, 
        they 
        found, 
        in 
        spreading 
        the
gospel 
        of 
        peace 
        among 
        their 
        warlike 
        people, 
        "the 
        joy 
        that 
        passeth
understanding,"
        —
        a 
        foretaste 
        of 
        heaven, 
        "the 
        treasury 
        of 
        everlast-
ing joy."
(the 
        end).
CAN 
        AND 
        DO.
It's 
        all 
        very 
        well 
        to 
        say 
        that 
        you 
        can,
As 
        you 
        journey 
        this 
        big 
        world 
        through;
But 
        the 
        things 
        that 
        will 
        count, 
        my 
        little 
        man,
Are 
        only 
        the 
        things 
        that 
        you 
        do.
It 
        is 
        easy 
        enough 
        to 
        sit 
        on 
        the 
        fence,
As 
        the 
        workers 
        go 
        bravely 
        their 
        way,
And 
        boast 
        of 
        our 
        money 
        or 
        muscle 
        or 
        sense,
And 
        think 
        we 
        are 
        worthier 
        than 
        they;
But 
        only 
        the 
        muscles 
        we 
        use, 
        little 
        man,
Are 
        the 
        muscles 
        that 
        really 
        count,
And 
        the 
        money 
        that's 
        hidden 
        away, 
        little 
        man,
Never 
        helps 
        in 
        the 
        final 
        amount.
The 
        boy 
        or 
        girl 
        who 
        stops 
        with 
        "I 
        can,"
And 
        never 
        translates 
        it 
        to 
        '"do,"
A 
        dreamer 
        and 
        drone 
        will 
        be, 
        while 
        the 
        van
Of 
        doers 
        win 
        victories 
        new.
        —
        Selected.