---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - J. L. Townsend
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 8
number: 10
published: 1905-08
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'J. L. Townsend, "Bitter Sweet," *Improvement Era* 8, no. 10 (August 1905): 733–734.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0810unse
  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: improvementera0810unse
start_page: 733
end_page: 734
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1905-08)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0810unse
  publication_year: 1905
  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 1905, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Bitter Sweet

<!-- page:733 -->

-
    BITTER SWEET.
   (For the Improvement Era.)
Light and darkness make our days:
Opposites bound all our ways.
Right and left, and left and right,
We are swayed by day and night,
Like a pendulum swings on.
Back and forth, from eve to dawn,
Back and forth, from dawn to eve,-
'Twixt the things that   we believe.
So the mind forever swings
Twixt the choice of offerings.
Right and left, and to and fro,
'Twixt extremes of thought we go,
Choosing here and choosing there,
Knowing little how we'll fare;
Choosing that and choosing this.
Though the choice may be remiss,
So the mind forever swings
'Twixt the choice of offerings.
Faith can bring no ray of light
But our doubts obscure the sight.
Hope brings us no golden thought
But despair must come unsought.
Love in ardor can not glow
But will hate its rancor show.

<!-- page:734 -->

.
734                  IMPRO VEMENT ERA
                li^oon as   truth the mind indues,
                Error shows us other views.
                Charity gives not in vain,
                Or will avarice complain.
                Pleasure can no joy impart,
                Ere will sorrow pierce 1!he heart.
                And humility, we know,
                In the scorn of pride must grow.
                Synonym and antonym
                Fill our measure to the brim;
                So the mind forever swings
                'Twixt the choice of offerings.
                Yet in disappointments keen
                Come our blessings oft unseen,
                And success at last must crown
                All our struggles up and down,
                And our lives be made complete
                With the bitter and the sweet.
                                                     J.   L. TOWNSEND.
Payson, Utah.