---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Smith, Francis
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 18
number: 10
published: 1915-08
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Francis Smith, "Snappy Sketches from Life—Satisfaction, or Money Refunded," *Improvement Era* 18, no. 10 (August 1915): 901–902.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera18010unse
  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: improvementera18010unse
start_page: 901
end_page: 902
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1915-08)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera18010unse
  publication_year: 1915
  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 1915, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Snappy Sketches from Life—Satisfaction, or Money Refunded

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Snappy Sketches From Life
           BY STUDENTS OF THE BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY

                                      II
                   Satisfaction, or   Money Refunded

                              BY FRANCIS SMITH

       The smallest pig sometimes squeals the loudest.          How forci-
bly this thought was impressed upon me in a recent incident con-
nected with Mr. Tightwad's first, last, and only contribution to a
charity fund
     Mrs. O'Hooligan's husband had died recently, leaving her
nothing in the world but a family of eight ever-hungry Irish boys
and girls, a mortgage on her home, and the memory of Tim's love
for a "dhrop o' the crature."
     For some time people had discussed means of helping the
unfortunate woman but nothing came of it until the chairman
                         ;

of the Good Fellows Lodge suggested that each member be
                                                                re-

quired to visit the citizens for contributions.       The resolution was
carried and the work was soon under way.
       Two weeks later the report showed a total of fifteen hundred
dollars.    The secretary, having been appointed to take the money
to Mrs. O'Hooligan, walked over to the shack
                                                which the O'Hooh-
gans called home.
     "Come in," called Mrs. O'Hooligan, cheerfully,             m response
to his knock.        "Oh,    Mr. Graham, I— er—thought— have a
                             it's

chair," she continued,     wiping the dripping soap-suds from her
arms   with  her  apron,   and dusting  a dilapidated^ chair with the
same garment. "It's a purty warm day, isn't it?"
                                                             proffered
     "Yes it is," agreed the secretary, ignoring the
         "Mrs. O'Hooligan, the Good Fellows Lodge has
                                                                  been
chair
aware of your circumstances     for some  time  and
                                                 ;
                                                     we  took up a  lit-

               of  fifteen hundred  dollars, which  we  hope you will
tle collection
                                                  "
be able to use."                           .
                                                              ,        .

     "Fifteen hundred dollars! Oh, Mr.
                                        Graham, it s so good of
                                        got a letter from some
you but I can't take it, because I just
                           that Tim's uncle has died an left us
lawyers in Chicago, sayin'
five thousand dollars."                                 .   .   _
                                            certainly is fine, Mrs.
     "Five thousand dollars! Well, that
                                             Take good care of it,
 O'Hooligan, I am heartily glad to hear it.

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:

and you won't have to wash any more," responded the secretary,
as he started back to the lodge.
     The next question was what to do with the money. It would
take a long time to refund it to the contributors. The committee
finally decided to give it to the public library for some much-
needed books.
     A notice was published in the newspaper, stating the decision
of the committee. The contributors were told that if anyone had
an objection to the arrangement, his money would be refunded.
     No one called for a refund except Mr. Tightwad, who said
he had never used the public library, and never intended to do so,
that books only made educated fools out of people; and that,
therefore, he wanted his money back.
     "Very well," said the chairman. "What is the amount of
Jonah Tightwad's contribution, Mr. Graham?"
     The secretary turned over a few leaves, ran his fingers down
the page, paused, smiled, and replied
        "fen cents."