---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Frost, Grace Ingles
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 20
number: 3
published: 1917-01
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: "Grace Ingles Frost, \"A New Year's Reverie: A Poem,\" *Improvement Era* 20, no. 3 (January 1917): 214."
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2003unse
  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: improvementera2003unse
start_page: 214
end_page: 214
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1917-01)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2003unse
  publication_year: 1917
  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 1917, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# A New Year's Reverie: A Poem

<!-- page:214 -->

2i4                         IMPROVEMENT ERA

     Hilo, situated on the eastern coast of the Island, has a
vicious member of the volcano family to contend with, however,
in the volcano Mauna Loa which lies far up on the mountain
that bears the same name. A recent eruption of this member
took place in 1880. The first evidence of its activity was the
appearance of a light in the crater. The following day a stream
of lava made its appearance at a point eleven thousand feet
above sea level, on the eastern or Hilo side of the mountain. It
continued to flow for nine months, and finally stopped three
quarters of a mile from the town. The last eruption of Mauna
Loa was in 1886, following some severe and very frequent earth
quakes.   As before, a light was first seen in the crater as a
warning, this time on the western side of the Island. The outbreak was this time but twenty miles from the sea, and the
stream of lava reached the sea at noon of the next day. It continued to flow for some time.
Luie, Oahu, II. I.

                      A New Year's Reverie
           Great fire-tongues flame up the chimney tonight,
           And to the strains of gay music young feet trip light,
           In welcome to him who will reign in your stead,
           Hut, Old Year, 'tween us there is much to he said.

           Draw near, then, more near, and as heart speaks to heart,
           Hold converse ere your life from mine shall depart!
           Although cherished dreams you have failed to bring true,
           Oh, many the thanks that I owe unto you!

           For blessings your bounty has given unsought,
           For lessons, though hard, that your wisdom has taught.
           Rut what of the hopes that meet withering blight?
           Like worn, tangled skeins they appear to my sight.

           Old Year, I am weary, ah, fain would I rest,
           Would fain, like a child, lay my head on your breast,
           Till your each ebbing breath, with slow pulsing lay,
           Rear me up on soft wings of slumber away.

           You flee, and a stranger bids me to arise
           And gird me with courage. He views with surprise
           My wavering will. "Come, awaken," says he,
           "You had faith in the Old Year; have faith in me."
                                                      Grace Ingles Frost.
Salt   Lake City