---
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: 11
number: 1
published: 1907-11
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* 11, no. 1 (November 1907): 62.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1101unse
  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: improvementera1101unse
start_page: 62
end_page: 62
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1907-11)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1101unse
  publication_year: 1907
  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 1907, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# In Lighter Mood

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IN LIGHTER MOOD.
A southern negro was brought into the court-room accused of stealing a
neighbor's chickens.
"Mister George Washington Shinetop, did you steal those chickens?" asked
the Judge pointedly.
"No, sah, jedge; Ah is to 'spectable fo' dat."
'
'But it is stated on good authority that a bundle of feathers was found in
your back yard the day before Christmas."
'
'That 'sinneration, jedge, des proves mah innocence, co'z' how could de fedders
be found in mah back yard de day befo' Chris'mus, when mah wife didn't pluck
dose chickens until de day after Chri.'mus?"
What Harper's Weekly pronounces the meanest man in the world is
described in the following story:
A Southerner went into the store of one of his neighbors, and asked him if he
didn't want to trade.
"Whatchergot?" asked the storekeeper.
The man ran his hand down into his coat pocket and pulled out an egg.
"This," said he.
"One aig!" said the storekeeper. "And what you want for that?"
"Waall, " drawled the man, "you can gimme a couple knittin'-needles for it,
can't ye?"
"Ef that's all," said the storekeeper, "I reckon I kin."
The man received the knitting-needles, and looking up at the storekeeper, he
said:
"Aren't you goin' to treat?" (The custom South demands a treat when-
ever a swap of any kind is made.
"Well," said the storekeeper, "what you want?"
"Oh! I'm not perticilar," said tin man. "Gi' me a drink o' sherry."
So the storekeeper handed out a bottle of sherry and a glass.
"Help yourself."
The man thought a moment, and then said, solemnly: "I never drink sherry
'
without breakin' an aig in it.
"Well, upon mah soul," thought the storekeeper. But he handed him the egg
he had just received and said: "Here's yoh aig; you kin have it."
The man broke t'ae egg into the glass of sherry, and in doing so discovered
that the egg had two yolks. He drained the glass, smacked his lips, and pro.
nounced it a fine drink, and then said to the storekeeper: "You know you ought
to give me two more knittin'-needles, don't you?"
"Why? '
asked the storekeeper, perplexed.
"Because," said the man, "that aig o' mine had two yolks!"