---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Gardner, George
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 12
number: 12
published: 1909-10
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'George Gardner, "Misery," *Improvement Era* 12, no. 12 (October 1909): 984.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera12012unse
  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: improvementera12012unse
start_page: 984
end_page: 984
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1909-10)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera12012unse
  publication_year: 1909
  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 1909, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Misery

<!-- page:984 -->

MISERY.
                          BY GEORGE GARDNER.


        There are men on whose heads we see the stamp of misery.
Among such are men who wear the cold and rigid armor of appear-
ance.
        Who are they that freeze their own blood and smother their
own life?
        They are "grafters."
        Those who go among friends to swindle.      Those who deceive
people    who   trusted them.    Those who cheat people who have
clothed and fed them.
        Such people wear a shield, and try to appear just. Evil thirsts
for respect. To see this respect drying up is terrible to them; just
as terrible as it is for those who are choking to see their         water
fail.     The evil envy the innocent who are respected.   They cannot
be innocent, so they steal the garments of innocence; but find
them ill-fitting and burdensome. They are in misery wearing them;
but are afraid to take them off.        They live a life of perpetual
falsehood and suffer unknown torture.      To think evil and speak
good is indeed a burden.     Such a life of contradiction is the fate
of "grafters."     They have to serve a good exterior, to be always
presentable, while they foam in secret.      They have to smile while
grinding their teeth— such an armor smothers them,        it is   stifling.
It is a place they long to leave, but dare not.
    To have to appear honest, while premeditating a wicked act;
to brood over secret infamy seasoned with outward respect; to
have continually to be telling falsehoods to make former state-
ments seem true; to always deceive and never be one's self, is        —
misery.