--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Rae, Eva collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 9 number: 6 published: 1906-04 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Eva Rae, "Contentment: A Poem," *Improvement Era* 9, no. 6 (April 1906): 442.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0906unse 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: improvementera0906unse start_page: 442 end_page: 442 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1906-04) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0906unse publication_year: 1906 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 1906, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Contentment: A Poem 442 IMPROVEMENT ERA. Can you paint her in the picture, All so tender, sweet and true? Can you show a barefoot urchin, Bashful, awkward, rather slim, With a face sunburnt and freckled, And a hat with ragged brim; Heart all glowing in a love-dream, — Wishing he were now a man, — Painter, can you paint this picture? Paint it for me, if you can! Payson, Utah. J. L. Townsend. CONTENTMENT. Sweetheart of my early girlhood ; Husband of my later years ; Soother of my pains and sorrows, One who wipes away my tears. What would life be, dear, without thee? Could I tread the path alone? No; thou art my star, my beacon; Till we reach our final home. Wouldst thou know how much I love thee, (Mortal words can never tell), Divine thou must mv thoughts and feelings That deeply in my bosom swell, From the morn till sunny noon- tide; Evening finds me just the same ; I love thy looks, thy words and actions. Am so proud I bear thy name. Oft I wonder how so perfect, In my sight, you can appear; When I know that all we mortals Imperfection's seal must bear; Surely, few on earth are like you, Or I more of them could see. For my true, congenial sweetheart, God of love, be thanks to thee. Layton, Arizona. Eva Rae.