--- 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: 9 number: 7 published: 1906-05 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* 9, no. 7 (May 1906): 574.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0907unse 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: improvementera0907unse start_page: 574 end_page: 574 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1906-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0907unse 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. --- # In Lighter Mood LIGHTER MOOD. Uncle Jerry was looking over the list of ' 'amended spellings" recommended' by the reformers. "Good land!" he exclaimed. "I don't see nothing strange^in them words. That is the way I've alius spelled 'em."—Chicago Tribune. A man from the North who recently visited Washington became possessed of the desirelto visit Mount Vernon. Boarding the electric train that runs from the capital to the home of Washington, via Alexandria, the visitor had comfortably ensconced himself in one of the rear seats of a compartment, when the conductor tapped him'on the shoulder, saying, "Excuse me, but this compartment is for colored men.'' This was the Northerner's first experience in a "Jim Crow" car. "Why," said he, surprised, ' 'the seats forward are all occupied.'' "Can't help that, sir," was the reply; "you mustn't sit here." The Northerner smiled. "See here, conductor," said he, "I'm from the North, and haven't the prejudice of you people in the South. I don't mind sitting here with'a negro.'' "Maybe you don't," replied the conductor, "but the nigger might object." —Harper's Weekly A party of men, among whom was William J. Bryan, were one night waiting for a train in a depot hotel in a small Missouri town. The landlady was the only woman present, says Lippincott's Magazine, which relates the story. ' 'The talk turning upon the alleged inability of women to see the point of a joke as readily as do the men, Mr. Bryan took the ground that a sense of humor was as much a part of the feminine make-up as it was that of man, but that it merely lacked opportunity for development. '' 'To illustrate,' he said, take the story of the party of excursionists in the ^gean sea. When approaching the Grecian coast the party assembled about the rails to enjoy the beautiful scenery. One lady turned inquiringly to a gentleman at her right and said: " 'What is that white off there on the horizon?' '' 'That is the snow on the mountains,' replied the gentleman addressed. " 'Well, that's funny,' she replied. 'My husband said it was grease.' "All the men in the group laughed noisily at Mr. Bryan's story, but the landlady looked puzzled. Finally she said: " 'But, Mr. Bryan, how did the grease get on the mountain?' "Mr. Bryan at once dropped the defense of women as born humorists."