---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Carroll, Elsie C.
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 20
number: 9
published: 1917-07
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Elsie C. Carroll, "A Mood," *Improvement Era* 20, no. 9 (July 1917): 799.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2009unse
  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: improvementera2009unse
start_page: 799
end_page: 799
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1917-07)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2009unse
  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 Mood

<!-- page:799 -->

<!-- Source heading: A Mood. -->



Mood
I'm  sick  of  the  dirt  and  the  strife  and  the  din
Of  political  scandals;  of  rumors  of  sin;
Of  the  pomp  of  the  rich;  of  the  wail  of  the  poor;
Of  the  incessant  grafting ;  the  glitter  and  lure ;
And  I'm  sick  of  the  faces  I  see  without  end—
The  faces  of  strangers  with  never  a  friend;
I'm  sick  of  the  tumult  of  passions  that  play
Such  a  havoc  with  peace  in  my  heart  every  day,—
The  passions  of  hate,  of  envy  and  pity, —
O,  I'm  sick  of  it  all!     I'm  sick  of  the  city!
And  I  long  for  a  glimpse  of  a  mountain  so  high
That  its  6now-covered  summit  is  kissed  by  the  sky.
For  the  glint  of  a  sunbeam,  unsullied  by  smoke ;
For  the  calm  of  a  silence  that's  never  been  broke ;
For  the  flash  of  a  bird's  wing  high  over  green  trees;
For  the  smell  of  the  woods  wafted  by  on  the  breeze.
For  the  deep  sense  of  homage  that  bids  me  to  kneel
And  pour  out  my  love  for  all  that  I  feel.
Yes,  I  long  once  again  to  sip  from  those  fountains
Of  courage  and  faith  to  be  found  in  the  mountains.
Elsie  C.  Carroll
Chicago,  III.