--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Curtis, Theo. E. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 11 number: 4 published: 1908-02 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Theo. E. Curtis, "The Visitors: A Poem," *Improvement Era* 11, no. 4 (February 1908): 256.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1104unse 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: improvementera1104unse start_page: 256 end_page: 256 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1908-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1104unse publication_year: 1908 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 1908, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Visitors: A Poem 256 IMPROVEMENT ERA. with me to the end. I was finally given over to some strange ana powerful influence that I could not resist. It led me hither and thither, and finally landed me in the roughest and toughest part of Arizona without money and without friends. My mission there, under this influence, was to reap the wild oats I had so bountifully sown during the nine years previous to this time. I remained a prisoner under this influence for another nine years, and was not allowed to return home until I thought I had paid the uttermost farthing for every evil act of my life. In this instance it seemed to me that my sins had been ''open beforehand, and had gone before to judgment," on conditions that I continued to do right. When I had almost completed my fourth article, my afflicted limb had so far recovered that I was able to hobble down to the Improvement Era office where the spirit had directed me. The associate editor was a stranger to me. I presented to him my first and third articles to be passed upon. He read them through, and put his seal of approval on them, which was a great relief to me. It was a new experience to me, and a valuable one, and shows how the Lord can make us publish our own sins upon the housetops, when there is benefit to others to be derived from so doing. Salt Lake City. THE VISITORS. (For the Improvement Era.) A knock! who seeks an entrance, pray? Oh! Happiness and Sorrow. I'll entertain but Joy today; Grief, you may call tomorrow. Theo. E. Curtis. Salt I ake City, Utah.