--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Retsloff, D. C. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 23 number: 11 published: 1920-09 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Retsloff, D. C., "The Driver of Truck No. 7," *Improvement Era* 23, no. 11 (September 1920): 994–995.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera23011unse 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: improvementera23011unse start_page: 994 end_page: 995 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1920-09) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera23011unse publication_year: 1920 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 1920, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Driver of Truck No. 7 998 IMPROVEMENT ERA the chair on my windward side and kindly allowed me to help him smoke his cigar. His generosity, however, was not equally courteous; he forced me to take all my smoke second-handed. When bedtime came, I felt that I was at last to be delivered. I climbed tomy upper berth and was taking a few deep breaths before going to sleep when the fellow in the upper next to mine lighted a cigarette which he was also generous enough to allow me to share. This was repeated several times during the night. I refrained from reporting him because I do like to see people have their liberties! Not long ago, on a visit to a high school in a small town, I remarked to the principal that I had noticed many of the young boys smoking on the streets. "Yes," he said, "every boy in town of high school age smokes cigarettes." How is that for a community founded by men who gave their all for the opportunity to live clean lives according to principles dictated by their own consciences? There was a law against the selling of tobacco to minors, yet no effective measures were taken to enforce this law. Does it not seem time to do something? Should not this epidemic be put on the same basis as contagious disease, and completely eliminated from the community? Fireside Dreams Alone by my fire, a dark, stormy night, I had visions and dreams of you, I dreamed that you gave me the precious right To make my world happy with you. I dreamed of the hope, the pleasure and joy To be ours in truth with our love, — Where none might intrude none dare to annoy, Our happiness built from above. You came to me, as I gazed on the fire, A vision of beauty and grace, Awakening love and a noble desire That nothing shall ever efface. Your eyes are as blue as the summer skies, Your curls are of rich, golden hair; And gazing with longing into those eyes, I saw that my love rested there. Salt Lake City. Guide for M. I. A. Studies and Activities for 1920-21 Officers of the Mutual Improvement Associations should note the following items in regard to the studies and activities of the Mutual Improvement Associations for the coming season Conventions The convention programs, both for the fifty-two stakes where group-conventions are to be held and for the remainder of the stakes where separate meetings are to be held were published in the Era for August to which the officers of the M. I. A. are directed. M. I. A. Calendar, 1920-21 The General Boards of the Mutual Improvement Associations are desirous of having, as far as possible, year-round programs. For this purpose, work is provided adaptable to the different seasons and extending from the opening evening in October to the June conference and during the summer. Suggestions for lessons, month by month, for the eight months of regular meetings, beginning with October and ending with May, inclusive, are here given: OCTOBER Tuesday evenings. Sunday evenings. 1 Opening social. 1. An opening social, to be given 2. Lessons one and two in all de- on Tuesday evening. partments. 2. Lessons one, two, three and four. 3. Joint program. NOVEMBER Tuesday evenings. Sunday evenings. 1. Lessons three, four, five and six. 1. Joint program. 2, Harvest festival. 2. Lessons five and six. 3. Thanksgiving program. 4. Harvest festival, which should be given on a week-night. DECEMBER Tuesday evenings. Sunday evenings. 1. Lessons seven and eight. 1. Joint program. 2. Testimony or lesson-review 2. Lesson seven and eight, meeting. 3. Musical festival, to be given week 3. Musical festival. night.