---
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: 11
published: 1917-09
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Grace Ingles Frost, "To a Meadow Lark," *Improvement Era* 20, no. 11 (September 1917): 986.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera20011unse
  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: improvementera20011unse
start_page: 986
end_page: 986
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1917-09)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera20011unse
  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.
---

# To a Meadow Lark

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IMPROVEMENT ERA

be drawn upon, and where our destiny as a free people may
depend upon our ability to sacrifice. To be sure there may be
circumstances not now known to us which may cause an early
termination of the struggle. There are those who believe that
the average American citizen, surfeited with comparative wealth
and after years of ample and easy living is incapable of bending
his energies to the hard task ahead.    Those who know even a
little of American history have read into that history as high
a quality of idealism and of fortitude as the world possesses.
We will measure up to the exactions of the present, and the
immediate future no doubt, but in the meantime, until the
awful spectre of war reaches into our homes, it is the part of
wisdom to adopt such measures of economy as will insure a hur-
ried establishment of justice and liberty in the world-
Logan, Utah




                     To a Meadow Lark

              Ere the gates of dawn are opened wide,
                To let the day slip through,
                  Your voice you raise,
                  In matin praise,
                Unwavering and true.

              Your breast no gorgeous plumage boasts,
                But with each flutt'ring beat
                  Of your glad heart,
                  There seems to start
                A strength for faltering feet.
              For while the world of weary man
                Wrapped deep in slumber lies,
                  The wondrous note
                  Born of your throat,
                Turns heavenward mine eyes.

                bird that shuns the busy mart,
                And unsequestered road,
                  Your blithesome song,
                  The whole day long,
                Hath eased full oft my load.

              Sing, little creature of the air,
                From morn 'til eve abide;
                  Know naught of fear,
                  While I am near
                No ill shall you betide.
                                                  Grace Ingles Frost.