--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Haddock, Lon J. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 11 number: 5 published: 1908-03 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Lon J. Haddock, "Say a Word of Happiness: A Poem," *Improvement Era* 11, no. 5 (March 1908): 374.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1105unse 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: improvementera1105unse start_page: 374 end_page: 374 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1908-03) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1105unse 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. --- # Say a Word of Happiness: A Poem SAY A WORD OF HAPPINESS. {For the Improvement Era.) Say a word of happiness. Say it now! And chase the care lines from some troubled brow . Why should weary hearts around us, day by day, For want of friendly words, be left to pine away? Are we too hurried in this selfish strife To pause e'en for a moment to bless some life Less favored than our own, with word or smile That turns their thoughts from ill, and unto God, the while? Is life so short and selfish, pride so great, That man must sacrifice his high estate To worldly lust, to blind, unthinking greed: Nor see, nor care to hear a brother's need? 0 God, if man would only stop to think That each one of the race is an essential link In that great chain that binds mankind to thee ! Brothers and sisters all, in thy great family! With this thought e'er in mind, what love untold Would warm anew the hearts now stern and cold ! And what a world were this in which to be. If man unto his kind would cease his inhumanity! No burden then or heartache, care and pain, To mar man's peace, and rack the tired brain! But earth, rejoicing in her sweet release. Adorned as a bride would wait the "Prince of Peace." Then, say a word of happiness; e'en today Some weaker hearts are fainting by the way; Give them thy strong right hand, and bid them rise. And lift their weary visage to the skies ! And have them know that thou art e'en as they, Child of the selfsame God, made of the selfsame clay. Aye, turn but one heart to God in love and prayer. And thou wilt find the day is passing fair. LoN. J. Haddock. Salt Lake City, Utah.