---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Geldard, Hattie
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 20
number: 5
published: 1917-03
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Hattie Geldard, "Hope: A Poem," *Improvement Era* 20, no. 5 (March 1917): 400.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2005unse
  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: improvementera2005unse
start_page: 400
end_page: 400
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1917-03)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2005unse
  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.
---

# Hope: A Poem

<!-- page:400 -->

loo                         IMPROVEMENT ERA

night climbed rapidly to the top.  Concealing himself in some
undergrowth, he waited until   the Mexican officer and his orderly had approached to within thirty yards, when he stepped
out in the open and demanded that they surrender.     Instead,
the two  men turned their horses and plunging the spurs into
their sides dashed up the ridge.  Graham fired four shots in
quick succession, and both men fell from their horses, three
shots had taken effect in the back of the officer, and one in
his orderly.        The officer was Captain Manuel Silvas, who had
participated in the       Columbus raid, the other man was a private.
     The Americans learned that Villa was among the horsemen
who rode out from the church. He could never have escaped
had the troopers known this, but their orders had been to fire
upon no one unless attacked, or known to be in contact with
Yillistas, consequently the man they so much desired to apprehend again gave them the slip.

                                   Hope

      Isthen thy heart o'erburdened with dull sorrow?
        0, foolish heart, to sink beneath the pain!
      After the night comes in the smiling morrow.
        Look! O'er the hills, the sun rides forth again.

      Season of joy, and season of despairing,
        Shadow and shine we meet along our way;
      And still the old green earth rolls onward, bearing
        Our faltering hopes towards the perfect day.

      And still the more should we who know the fulness
        Of the true Gospel, watch with patient eyes;
      Climbing the steeps with feet that never falter,
        Sending our hymns of hope toward the skies;

      Knowing full well that in the glorious dawning
           That soon shall come, all earth shall ring with praise,
      And Love shall reign, and harmony and gladness,
       And holy peace be ours through endless days.
                                                   Hettie Geldard.
Bradford, England