--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Curtis, Theodore E. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 21 number: 1 published: 1917-11 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Theodore E. Curtis, "To a White Carnation," *Improvement Era* 21, no. 1 (November 1917): 28.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2101unse 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: improvementera2101unse start_page: 28 end_page: 28 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1917-11) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2101unse 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 White Carnation 28 IMPROVEMENT ERA in all the avenues of industry, but to Church workers — and you — are primarily church workers there is the greatest call, to save the souls of men, morally, socially, physically, intellectually, and spiritually. Then how shall you answer the call to arms? to work on the farm and in the shops? and to save the souls of men? When shall you answer, and why, and how? These are living ques- tions, which the superintendents of the associations should thor- oughly study and be prepared to give counsel and advice upon, to the young men who are in their charge. And what will your answer be? As long as there is room for self or mutual im- provement, so long as there is a wayward boy, or one outside the M. I. A. at home, or a sinful man in the world, while there are farms to till, mouths to feed, the weak to defend, principles to uphold and souls to save, shall it not be a united, mutual, valiant acclamation in the premortal words of the Redeemer, "Here am I, send me, and the glory be thine forever?" To a White Carnation One year ago, sweet, faded flower, I plucked you in a garden rare, And set you, like an evening star, Afloat in mother's silver hair. T'was mother's day; and all the flowers In gentle rivalry unfurled; They seemed to know that one would crown The sweetest mother in the world. Then, with a sorrow all my own, That only through its tears could speak, I saw the glory of the rose Fade silently upon her cheek. Then death put forth his eager hand And tore her from my life apart, And plucked away the sweetest flower In all the garden of my heart. Now, as I view your withered bloom Here on this page of ancient lore, I take the book of mem'ry down And turn its sacred pages o'er. Through all that Time has written there, Her gentle spirit interweaves, And sends a breath of sweetness out Like odor from your faded leaves. Theodore E. Curtis