--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Alldredge, Ida R. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 25 number: 8 published: 1922-06 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Ida R. Alldredge, "Only a Picture," *Improvement Era* 25, no. 8 (June 1922): 669.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2508unse 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: improvementera2508unse start_page: 669 end_page: 669 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1922-06) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2508unse publication_year: 1922 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 1922, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Only a Picture Only a Picture It was only a picture that hung on the wall, It was only a picture, you see, That changed my poor, wretched life to some good, Just the picture of mother of me. I was headed straight on the same downward road That rough fellows travel, you see; A poor reckless lad when I happened to find The dear picture of mother of me. For years I had gambled and drunk a good deal, And done other bad things for a fee, When I spied one night, in the house of a friend, The sweet picture of mother of me. At first I could scarcely believe my own eyes, And I felt as ashamed as could be, For I knew I wasn't half worthy to gaze On the picture of mother of me. Her eyes seemed so sad, and her lips seemed to move, As if pleading more worthy I'd be, And right there I swore that I'd change my rough course, By the picture of mother of me. It hasn't always been easy to stand So true by that vow, you'll agree, But when I was tempted I'd only to think Of the picture of mother of me. And years now have passed, and I've not worked in vain, — But, dear mother, 'twas only through thee That my life has been changed to real usefulness — Through your picture, oh, mother of me! Mesa, Arizona. Mrs. Ida. R. Alldredge \