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The Boy Who Does Not Have To Be Told

Improvement Era, vol. 12, no. 12, October 1909, p. 959

Associations, Young Men’s Mutual Improvement

THE LAST WITNESS. 959

Nobility was stamped upon her face, Like royal signet of her father's race; And David's lineaments were plainly there, But moulded, it may be, with greater care.

She talked of thrilling scenes of early life, When Oliver and she were man and wife; When youthful prophets strove with all their might To spread abroad the Gospel's glorious light.

"I know," she said, "this work will never fail, Though all the nations may its friends assail, 'Tis come, as I have heard the prophets say, To ever stand, though earth may pass away."

Such is the substance of an interview That tends to show this mighty work is true; And being true, 'tis folly to oppose The unseen power by which the Kingdom grows.

Some states have spent against it rage and fury, Despoiled its people without judge or jury; And forced them in the mountain vales to hide, And trust in Him who doth his people guide.

'Tvvas not the province of poor, erring man To formulate this great and glorious plan, Nor is it in the power of man to stay Its onward progress, or block up its way. James H. Hart. Bbomington, Idaho.

THE BOY WHO DOES NOT HAVE TO BE TOLD.

A tool is left out on the lawn; there is a rail off the fence; there is a lock broken from a door; there is a window pane gone somewhere. The boy who tends to these things because they need attending to without spe- cific directions, is is going to be in demand the boy who, other things being equal, when he gets out into the great world; and it is the attention to little things and the habit of observation, which sees what needs to be done, and then does it, which makes exceedingly useful men and women. There will always be a posi- tion for such persons. There will always be a call to come up higher. It is in

one sense a small thing to do little things without orders, but it is the doing of them that makes great captains, great engineers, great artists, great architects, great workers in any department, and it is the absence of this quality that makes commonplace men and women, who will always have to live under the dominion of petty orders, men and women who do nothing unless they are told to do it.