--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Poulsen, Ezra J. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 26 number: 12 published: 1923-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Ezra J. Poulsen, "The Call", *Improvement Era* 26, no. 12 (October 1923): 1112–1138.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera26012unse 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: improvementera26012unse start_page: 1112 end_page: 1138 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1923-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera26012unse publication_year: 1923 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 1923, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Call The Call By Ezra J. Poulsen Alice Greayson stood at the picket gate, and looked cheer- fully down the long shady side walk that bordered the street in front of her home. She was a picture of loveliness, set in the background of a June evening, with its labyrinth of sunshine and shadows. The radiance of happy anticipation was on her face; it was likewise expressed in the careful arrangement of her dark hair, and the neat beauty of her simple lavender dress. As she waited she softly hummed a tune, which blended richly with the song of robins, that floated through the trees and shrubbery. It was not long before the appearance of a tall young man coming along the walk, revealed the object of her waiting. As he approached their eyes met and their faces beamed a mutual understanding. "You old slow-poke," she said, "you're an hour late." "Oh, no; not an hour," he remonstrated. But the watch that he pulled from his pocket said that it was true. "See, I told you so," she cried playfully. "Been down to Williamson's corner, I'll bet. How many games of ten pins did you play?" She laughed lightly, and held up an accusing fore- finger. "Not this time, Dolly; you're wrong for once," he said seriously. Alice pulled the gate open, and allowed him to enter. "I'm glad I'm wrong," she affirmed, with a note of soberness. Then, plucking a pansy from its bed by the gravel walk, she deliberately drew it through his button hole. Claude Ellesby looked down at the flower, and then into the face of the girl, and his heart bounded with the joy of know- ing that her love was his. During the few delightful months of their engagement, he had learned to think that nothing could happen that would interfere with his happiness, but he was un- comfortably aware that something had happened that might endanger — even destroy it. "Well, what are you staring at? Why, you look absolutely miserable; what's the matter?" Alice laughed sweetly, but her tone became one of eager inquiry. "Oh, nobody's dead," he said drolly; "but I suppose you might as well read this letter." He took a neat, business-like envelope from his pocket and handed it to her. "The rea- son I'm late is that. I've been thinking about it so hard." While she read, they walked slowly toward the house, THE CALL 1113 which was a large, old-fashioned domicile, with a broad, front porch and three dormer windows. In keeping with the allure- ment of the summer evening, they remained on the outside, and seated themselves in a couple of comfortable wicker porch chairs. It was delightful to hear the birds sing, and to catch the passing fragrance from the rose bushes. "So you have a call to go on a mission," she commented quietly, as she handed back the letter. There was an awkward pause. "Well, what are you going to do about it?" she finally asked. Claude stirred uneasily in his chair, and let his gaze wan- der down the flower-bordered walk. He hesitated on the verge of a painful uncertainty, but presently he spoke with decision. "I'm not going." The words were uttered with a sharp, falling inflection, which carried the impression of finality. He fully expected opposition. But when Alice spoke, it was not in the spirit of combat; it was rather in the spirit of deep concern. "Will you not let me try to show you why you should go?" she asked simply. For a moment she looked at him quizzically; then her eyes fell and she toyed absently with a fold in her dress. It was one of those moments when swift, womanly intuition was taxed to the utmost. "I don't see how you can show me," he objected. "Maybe I can't. But, Claude, will you try? Will you be fair with me, and yourself? I don't know how, but there must be a way to make you understand." Her manner was pleading. He had carefully thought out a plan of explanation that he had intended to use, to make her see his negative attitude favorably, but he began to feel that, somehow, it was useless to argue; yet, there was that in his nature that prompted him to try to justify himself. "I always try to be reasonable," he said slowly; "but don't you see — " "No, I don't see," she quickly interrupted. It was just like her to change the subject. She was too eager to see him rise up to her ideal of manhood, to risk forcing the question at once. They might quarrel, which would, possibly, spoil everything, and besides, she must think. "Let's go in." He followed her into the big, airy parlor. It was the es- sence of comfort, with pictured walls, and cushioned chairs, and homey rugs. Perfectly at home, Claude threw his hat in one chair and sat in another, while Alice went to the piano and began dribbling her fingers over the keys. They were the avowed children of mirth, and were soon chatting gaily. Claude began to assure himself secretly that after all it would not make much difference to Alice whether he was as diligent in his religion as he should be or not. To 1114 IMPROVEMENT ERA him this thought was a decided encouragement; and even while they talked, his plans began to soar into the realm of air castles. Little did he know the quality of the blithe, laughing girl be- fore him. She was wracking her brain for a plan that would lead him into the light. "Play," he asked coaxingly. "Shall I?" She hesitated a moment; then with sudden inspi- ration she turned to the keyboard, and made the instrument pour out its melody. As her fingers limbered to their task, her soul responded to the spirit of the music, and the harmony arose and fell in cadences that spoke of love, and beauty, and faith. Claude Ellesby was charmed — he was always charmed by Alice. She played on, and the shadows outside deepened into the soft, mysterious robe of night. The birds out among the trees and hedges, content to cease their singing and listen, folded their heads under their wings and went to sleep. Finally, with a bang the music stopped as abruptly as it had started; and Alice, with a merry laugh, whirled around to confront her listener. "Why don't you applaud?" she cried, in the ecstasy of her achievement. The young man arose and crossed the room to her. "Really, you're wonderful, Alice," he said, with enthusiasm. "So are you," she mocked, whimsically. "That is — you will be when you come back from that mission." She indulged in a doubtful little laugh. His countenance fell. "Please now, be — " "No ; I guess we'd better not talk about it now ; I know what you'll say. Oh, I don't want you to say it." There was a note of sadness in her voice. "Just tell me one thing, would you hesi- tate if you really had a testimony of the gospel?" "Well, — I don't know; I haven't a testimony, as you call it. And really, dear, I'm honest when I say so." Alice concealed the pain in her heart, and changed the subject again as quickly as possible. She would wait, and hope. During the few days that followed, Alice's one thought was Claude, and how she could make him see his duty. She knew that his religious life had been neglected during his boyhood days. Unlike her own faithful parents, his were but indifferent members of the Church, and as a result he had been allowed to drift pretty much as he chose. A combination of circumstances had taken him away from home during much of his young life, and this had brought him in contact with influences that were not of the best. She reflected, however, that it was to his credit that he had remained clean and honorable, and had been diligent in educating himself. Her mind was thus occupied when the telephone rang. She hastened to answer, and was glad to learn that it was Claude. THE CALL iiiS He wanted to know if he might come and take her around to Casey's in the evening. "Oh, yes, I'll be delighted," she assured him, and, hanging up the receiver, returned to her work. A little spring of antici- pation welled up within her. All the requisites of a good time were at Casey's. Friends, and laughter, and music were there, and so was he. The prospect would seem good to any light- hearted girl; but to her it was especially so, for she hoped in some way to make him see his religious duty. Accordingly, at the appointed time they were lingering over banana specials at a favorite table under an artificial palm tree at Casey's. The victrola was playing a favorite mili- tary band piece; and the murmur of voices, mingled with the clinking of dishes, and the rushing steps of waiters, arose from all parts of the brilliantly lighted room. A spirit of quiescence had come upon Alice, but Claude grew talkative. "Business has been rushing lately," he declared. "Briggs told me tonight that the month has been the biggest in the history of the house. And, incidentally (Claude lowered his voice modestly to convey good news) he intimated freely that I was in line for a good promotion. "Oh, how fine," responded Alice with a show of enthusiasm, but in her heart there was a chill of disappointment. His am- bitions, which had always been like her own, seemed suddenly far away and unimportant. He felt the lack of warmth in her reply. "Alice, aren't you glad?" he said; "you know what I'm working for, and what I'm thinking of." She did not answer immediately; her eyes roved among the groups of chatting merrymakers; she felt the gloom of an impending misunderstanding. Suddenly she turned to him. "Yes, Claude, I know; and, have you forgotten what I must be thinking of?" "Yes, I know," he admitted; "but, Alice, won't you over- look this one fault in me? Why should that mission count for everything?" "Claude, I must measure you by the standard I believe to be right," she insisted. "I think the gospel is the greatest thing in life, and the greatest work is to teach it to others." "Oh, but really don't you think this missionary business is overdone?" A subtle touch of irony crept into his manner, "I've noticed that a lot of fellows who go don't amount to much when they get back; and besides, people don't take them seri- ously when they're out. Religion is all right but why try to force it on other people who don't want to hear it?" Claude unconsciously warmed up to his theme. "I presume, then," replied Alice coldly, "that you are one of those who do not want it forced on you." 1116 IMPROVEMENT ERA "No, I don't mean that; you know I don't, but I can't give up my best chance in life to go on a goose chase that I have no assurance will bring any results." "Well, if you think it a goose chase, don't think of going. I wonder that you have given it a moment's thought." Alice spoke with traces of anger, and the knowledge of this made her heart sick, for she saw in it failure. y "Because of you," he said bluntly. "Because of me?" She cast a wounded glance at him. "Claude Ellesby, if you're just thinking of some way to fool me, don't bother any more." She rose from the table. "Don't be angry," he pleaded. The music started to play in the little parlor dancing room near by. "Let us dance," he suggested, and led her on to the floor. They moved gracefully among the dancers, and found a certain satisfaction in the rhythm and movement, but each was aware of violent discord in the other. An hour later when they reached the gate in front of Alice's home, Claude broke what had been a long awkward silence. "Are you really going to throw me over because I'm not go- ing on that mission?" he asked bitterly. "I'll tell you this much," she answered; "I would never marry a man whose faith is not like my own, and who would not give some of his time and effort to teach the truth to those who are without it." "Yes, but you don't understand," he declared; "I belong to the Church as well as you, and I believe it is at least as good as any other." "That's just it, Claude; you belong and that's all. If you were a sincere believer in something else, I'd feel that you were justified. It's your careless indifference that ruins you. I've seen too many with your attitude. By all the laws of na- ture and training you ought to be different. Your pioneer an- cestors had foresight enough to follow a prophet into these mountain valleys, and their legacy to you is one of faith and service; yet you ignore it all." The moon climbed above the mountains, and looked through the entanglement of trees upon her resolute face, which was white under the stress of her feeling. With a quick move- ment she slipped the hard, metallic circle from her finger, and put it into his hand. "No, don't," he remonstrated. "Yes, I must," she insisted with regained composure. God has pointed out the way for us to find him, Claude; go and find him. I thought I could help you, but it's no use ; I can't. It seems that every one has to do his own seeking." Without trust- ing herself to say more, Alice turned and hastened along the gravel path into the house; nor did she look back to see the THE CALL 1117 pained expression on his face, before he disappeared among the shadows. In the seclusion of her own room she settled into a state of unhappiness. There were moments when she doubted the wisdom and justice of her course, and there were other moments when she felt certain that she had done right. Later, as the days began to go by, she reached the ultimate conclusion that she had been true to her best ideals; and her faith sustained her in her purpose, though it was hard to ignore the impulse of love. Always she hoped and prayed that he would be led to seek the light; and she felt sure that if he was once convinced beyond doubt of the truth, and his duty toward it, he would not hesitate. The trouble in the first place had been that he had not allowed religion to become a vital force in his life. The greatest battles are those of the human heart, and both Alice and Claude felt the truth of this as they grappled with the difficulty that was foremost in their lives. Finally came the results. Alice was in the garden picking raspberries. Clad in a bright, pink apron and a high-crowned straw hat, she was busy filling her bucket. The red juice stained her dainty fingers, and she was absently singing at her work. Hearing footsteps, she looked up and saw Claude. "Hello there!" he greeted in his old, casual manner. "Hello!" He came up and began picking berries, and putting them into her bucket. A combination of feelings swept over Alice. She smiled doubtfully and studied him. He understood the nature of her thoughts. "Well, I've come back," he announced whimsically; "I've found out the truth for myself." And there was a world of sincerity in his voice. "Claude, is it true?" She felt her heart give a great, joy- ous leap. "Oh, I knew you would; I've prayed for you every day." An expression of wonderment flitted across his face. "Have you really? Why — why I felt as if you were, though I didn't know it. Something has been struggling with me from the first, and I couldn't get rid of it. I'm going on that mission, too;" he declared. "I've been studying, and it all came to me at once." "Didn't I tell you?" she cried happily. "Alice, you're wonderful," he replied. "At the bottom of all that a fellow can do that's worth while, is the love for a girl like you." Cautiously he slipped his arm around her, and drew her to him. He looked up at the purple mountains, then out across the green valley. "By George," he exclaimed joyfully; "I fully appreciate now the birthright left by my pioneer ancestors, and I'm going to tell the world about it." PRESIDENT BRIGHAM YOUNG From a daguerrotype, probably taken at Nauvoo, Illinois, in the fall of 1844, or the spring of 1845, by L. R. Foster. It is supposedly the earliest likeness of President Young taken from life. The daguerrotype was given to him by his wife, Clara Decker Young, whose daughter has courteously allowed it to be copied. — Junius F. Wells, Assistant Chureh Historian. President Brigham Young's Mission to England (1839-1841 Age 38-40) By Preston Nibley While residing with his family "in a room in the old mil- itary barracks" at Montrose, Iowa, where he had settled after having been driven from Missouri, Brigham began preparations for his mission to England, as he, with the other members of the Twelve had been commanded in the revelation of July 8, 1838. For a time, he relates, "I was delayed by a general siege of sickness which swept over the entire community." It was a form of malaria, due to the low, wet lands along the Mississippi where the Saints had settled. "President Joseph Smith," says Brigham, "had taken the sick into his house and dooryard until his house was like a hospital, and he had attended upon them until he was taken sick himself and confined to his bed for several days." (Ms. 25:645). Finally Brigham, too, was stricken with "chills and fever," but he determined to take his depart- ure as most of the Twelve had preceded him. It is interesting here to inquire into his condition at this time when he was leading his home for England. In his Journal there is this brief mention, under date of September 14, 1839. "I started from Montrose on my mission to England. My health was so poor I was unable to go thirty rods to the river without assistance. After I had crossed the river I got Israel Barlow to carry me on his horse behind him to Heber C. Kimball's, where I remained sick till the 18th. I left my wife sick with a babe only ten days old, and all of my children sick and unable to wait upon each other." (Ms. 25:646.) All the above statements are corroborated by Brigham's friend and fellow apostle, Heber C. Kimball. His account fol- lows: "September 14th, President Brigham Young left his home at Montrose to start on the mission to England. He was so sick that he was unable to go to the Mississippi, a distance of thirty rods, without assistance. After he had crossed the river he rode behind Israel Barlow on his horse to my house, where he continued sick until the 18th. He left his wife sick with a babe only ten days old, and all his children were sick and unable to wait upon each other. Not one soul of them was able to go to the well for a pail of water, and they were without a second suit to their backs, for the mob in Missouri had taken nearly all they had." (Life of Heber C. Kimball, page 275.) While his family did not have "a second suit for their backs," Brigham scarcely had one for his. The cap he had on had been made "out of a pair of old pantaloons," and further, 1120 IMPROVEMENT ERA "I had not even an overcoat. I took a small quilt from the trun- dle bed and that served for my overcoat while I was traveling to the State of New York where I had a coarse satinette overcoat given to me." (J.D. 4-34.) Thus did Brigham Young fare forth on his mission to England, sick, penniless, in threadbare clothing, but within his breast there was the heart of a lion ; a determina- tion to do or to die. Having no means with which to pursue his journey, except what he could earn or borrow along the way, Brigham and his companion, Heber C. Kimball, were helped by their friends. The first fourteen miles out of Nauvoo they were carried in a wagon by "Brother Hubbard's boy." The following day "Brother Duel carried us twelve miles." The third day, with the help of another brother and his team and wagon they arrived at Quincy, Illinois. Here they remained a few days "and began to recover" from their protracted illness, though it did not entirely leave them for many weeks. Proceeding from Quincy, Illinois, they were carried by team and wagon from one settle- ment to another, having a few dollars given to them here and there, until they reached Pleasant Garden, Indiana, where they took account of their finances and found they had between them $13.50. On the evening of November 3, they arrived at Kirt- land, the old home of the Saints, having completed a 400 mile journey from Nauvoo. "I had a York shilling left," Brigham tersely records in his history. At Kirtland the missionaries had a pleasant visit with rel- atives and friends. Brigham's brother John and his sister Nancy Kent resided there. In the neighborhood there still remained quite a large branch of the Church and meetings were held in the Temple at which the \isiting brethren spoke. Their finances being again somewhat replenished by friends and rel- atives, they proceeded, on November 22, towards Fairport where they took boat for Buffalo, arriving on the 27th. From Buffalo, they began making their way as best they could across the state of New York. Here is a note at this time from Brigham's Jour- nal: "On arriving at Batavia we put up at the Geneses house, dedicated our room to the Lord, and had a prayer meeting, asking the Lord to open up our way." (Ms. 25:654.) Being now in the country where he had spent so many years of his boyhood, Brigham found friends and acquaintances anxious to hear from him, consequently he remained in the vicinity during the month of December, visiting and preaching. It was the 3rd of January, 1840, before he reached Utica, hav- ing been carried there in a sleigh. From Utica his funds were sufficient to take him by train to Albany, but it was not until the 30th of the month that he reached New York, in company BRIGHAM YOUNG'S MISSION 1121 with George A. Smith, having spent four and one-half months on the journey from Nauvoo. Arriving in New York, he re- lates : "We left our trunks in the baggage room of the North American House, and soon found Brother P. P. Pratt and family, who lived at number 58 Mott Street. We were heartily received by the family, and returned thanks to God for having preserved us and brought us in safety so far on our mission to the nations of the earth." (Ms. 25:696.) All the Twelve who accompanied Brigham on his mission to England were practically without money when they arrived in New York and it was necessary for them to remain in that vicinity until their finances could be replenished. They were not able to sail until the 9th of March, each doing whatever he could find to do in order to get ship money. "We engaged our passages for Liverpool on board the Patrick Henry, a packet ship of the Black Ball Line, Captain Delino, and paid eighteen dollars each for a steerage passage, furnished our own provisions and bed- ding and paid the cook one dollar each for cooking. Brother H. C. Kimball and myself occupied a lower berth, Brothers Parley and Orson Pratt, the one over us, Brother George A. Smith and R. Headlock, an upper berth at their feet; two Englishmen occupied the berth below. The brethren in New York furnished us with an ample supply of provisions by dona- tion. The sisters made us ticks and filled them with straw for our beds and filled some bags with straw for our pillows. "A large number of Saints came down to the wharf to bid us farewell. When we got into the small boat to go out to the ship, the brethren sang, 'The gallant ship is under weigh;' we joined them as long as we could hear. * * * We set sail and by sunset lost sight of our native shore. I was sick nearly all the way and confined to my berth. For eight days we had a fair wind, from the eighth to the tenth day, a very heavy gale, from the eleventh to the thirteenth day, part of our bulwarks were washed away and the water ran down the hatches in large quantities." (Ms. 25:172.) On April 6, the Patrick Henry came into dock at Liver- pool, and Brigham climbed out of his steerage berth sick and almost penniless. It took his entire capital to buy a hat and pay his fare to Preston, where the headquarters of the mission were located. At Liverpool, however, the brethren "held a meeting, partook of the sacrament, and returned thanks to God for his protection and care exercised over us while on the wa- ters, and asked that our way might be opened up before us to accomplish our mission successfully." (Ms. 25.) Six days after landing in England Brigham, with his char- acteristic energy, was delivering his message to the people. "April 12 (Sunday) I met with several of the Twelve in the Cock- pit, Preston, and bore testimony to a crowded assembly of the truth of the gospel." (Ms. 25:712.) On the 15th and 16th of the same month a general confer- ence of the Church was held at Preston. Brigham, in reporting the same to the Prophet at Nauvoo, wrote as follows: To President Joseph Smith and Counselors: Dear Brethren: — You no doubt will have the perusal of this letter 1122 IMPROVEMENT ERA and minutes of our conferences; this will give you an idea of what we are doing in this country. If you see anything in or about the whole affair that is not right, I ask, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you would make known unto us the mind of the Lord and his will concerning us. I believe that I am as willing to do the will of the Lord, and take counsel of my brethren, and be a servant of the Church as ever I was in my life; but I can tell you I would like to be with my old friends; I like new friends, but I cannot part with my old ones for them. Concerning the Hymn Book — when we arrived here, we found the brethren had laid by their old hymn books, and they wanted new ones; for the Bible, religion and all is new to them. When I came to learn more about carrying books into the States, or bringing them here, I found the duties were so high that we never should want to bring books from the States. I request one favor of you, that is, a letter from you, that I may hear from my old friends. I trust that I will remain your friend through life and in eternity. As ever, Brigham Young. I shall not attempt to enumerate the details of the great success that attended Brigham and his companions while on this English mission. It was nothing short of marvelous, how the way was opened up for them and the eagerness with which the people heard and believed their message. When one stops to contemplate that these young men had literally worked their way to England, sick and in dire circumstances, consuming more than six months' time in their journey, and arriving there were destitute strangers in a strange land, their accomplish- ments must be attributed to the Lord and his sustaining power. Brigham remained in England exactly one year and sixteen days, but never in the history of the Church was so much accom- plished by a similar group of elders. In later years he was fond of relating the experiences of his English mission. I find the following taken from a ser- mon he delivered in Salt Lake City on the 31st of August, 1856: "In company with several of the Twelve I was sent to England in 1839. We started from home without purse or scrip, and most of the Twelve were sick; and those who were not sick when they started were sick on the way to Ohio; Brother Taylor was left to die by the roadside, by old Father Coltrin, though he did not die. I was not able to walk to the river, not so far as across this block, no, not more than half as far; I had to be helped to the river in order to get into a boat to cross it. This was about our sit- uation. I had not even an overcoat; I took a small quilt from the trundle bed, and that served for my overcoat, while I was traveling to the State of New York, where I had a coarse satinette overcoat given to me. Thus we went to England, to a strange land to sojourn among strangers. "When we reached England we designed to start a paper, but we had not the first penny to do it with. I had enough to buy a hat and pay my passage to Preston, for from the time I left home I had worn an old cap which my wife made out of a pair of old pantaloons; but the most of us were entirely destitute of means to buy even any necessary article. "We went to Preston and held our conference, and decided we would publish a paper; Brother Parley P. Pratt craved the privilege of editing it, and we granted him the privilege. We also decided to print 3,000 hymn BRIGHAM YOUNG'S MISSION 1123 books, though we had not the first cent to begin with and were strangers in a strange land. We appointed Brother Woodruff to Herefordshire and I accompanied him on his journey to that place. I wrote to Brother Pratt for information about his plans, and he sent me his prospectus, which stated that when he had a sufficient number of subscribers and money enough on hand to justify his publishing the paper, he would proceed with it. How long we might have waited for that, I know not, but I wrote him to publish 2,000 papers and I would foot the bill. I borrowed two-hundred and fifty pounds of Sister Jane Benfow, one hundred of Brother Thomas Kington, and returned to Manchester where we printed three thousand hymn books and five thousand Books of Mormon, and issued two thousand Millennial Stars monthly, and in the course of the summer gave away ris- ing of sixty thousand tracts. I also paid from five to ten dollars a week for my board and hired a house for Brother Willard Richards and his wife, who came to Manchester, and sustained them; and gave sixty pounds to Brother P. P. Pratt to bring his wife from New York. I also commenced the emigration in that year. "I was there one year and sixteen days, with my brethren, the Twelve, and during that time I bought all my clothing except one pair of pantaloons, which the sisters gave me in Liverpool soon after I arrived there and which I really needed. I told the brethren in one of my discourses that there was no need of their begging, for if they needed anything the sisters could understand that. The sisters took the hint and the pantaloons were forthcoming. "I paid three hundred and eighty dollars to get the work started in London and when I arrived home in Nauvoo, I owed no person one farthing. Brother Kington received his pay from the books that were printed, and Sister Benbow, who started to America the same year, left names enough of her friends to receive two hundred and fifty pounds, which amount was paid them, notwithstanding I held her agreement that she had given it to the Church. "We left two thousand five hundred dollar's worth of books in the office, paid our passages home, and paid about six hundred dollars to emigrate the poor who were starving to death, besides giving the sixty thousand tracts; and that too though I had not a sixpence when we landed in Preston, and I do not know that one of the Twelve had." (J.D. 4:37.) Nothing could illustrate better than the abo%e President Young's leadership, his business ability and his driving power in getting things done. But great as were his personal qualities, I find that his reliance was always upon the will of his heavenly Father. On leaving Liverpool, on April 20, 1841, to return home from his mission, he records the following in his journal: "It was with a heart full of thanksgiving and gratitude to God, my heavenly Father, that I reflected upon his dealings with me and my brethren of the Twelve during the past year of my life, which was spent in Eng- land. It truly seemed a miracle to look upon the contrast between our landing and departing from Liverpool. We landed in the spring of 1840, as strangers in a strange land and penniless, but through the mercy of God we have gained many friends, established churches in almost every noted town and city in the kingdom of Great Britain, baptized between seven and eight thousand, printed 5,000 Books of Mormon, 3,000 Hymn Books, 2.500 volumes of the Millennial Star, and 60,000 tracts, and emigrated to Zion 1,000 souls, established a permanent shipping agency, which will be a great blessing to the Saints, and have left sown in the hearts of many thousands the seeds of eternal truth, which will bring forth fruit to 1124 IMPROVEMENT ERA the honor and glory of God, and yet we have lacked nothing to eat, drink or wear; in all these things I acknowledge the hand of God." (Ms. 26:7.) The return ocean voyage occupied thirty days on the sail ship Rochester, Brigham and his fellow travelers arriving in New York on the 20th of May. From there the trip homeward was made by way of Pittsburg, down the Ohio to Cincinnati by boat, and thence to Nauvoo, arriving on July 1. Under that date Brigham records in his journal: "We arrived in Nauvoo, and were cordially welcomed by the Prophet Joseph, our families and the Saints." (Ms. 26:71.) Gems of Thought V— BOOKS "It is a duty to have good books." — Henry Ward Beecher. "A home without books is like a body without a soul."— Cicero. "Any dub can leave his text books on the shelf." — Picked Up. "The reading of one good book made me what I am."— Franklin. "A wise mother and good books enabled me to succeed in life." — Henry Clay' , n "Books were written to give pleasure and to be enjoyed. — Washington Irving. w "I would not exchange my good books for all the treasures ot India. ■ — Cardinal Gibbons. "Don't starve your brain. Keep it fed with good books and facts and thoughts." — E. F. Bowers. "Choose not the book that thinks for you, but the one that makes you think. The books which help you most are those which make you think most." — Theodore Parker. "If that severe doom of Synesius be true — 'it is a greater offense to steal dead men's labors than their clothes' — what shall become of most writers?" — Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy. "One cannot go into a flour mill or a coal mine without being cov- ered with the flying dust. No more can he read an evil book without it leaving a stain on his memory and his soul." — Litt. "Books, like persons, have character, — good or bad, as the case may be. Association with them has a like effect as association with persons. Tell me, then, the kind of books a man reads and I will read his character for you." — Litt. "A man who can read, but doesn't, is actually no better off than one who cannot read. Remember this truth the next time you are on the point of saying, T haven't time to read.' " — W . R. Aldred. Books: "The scholar only knows how deur these silent, yet elo- quent, companions of pure thoughts and innocent hours become in the season of adversity. When all that is worldly turns to dross around us, these only retain their steady value." — Washington Irving, in Roscoe. Books: "When friends grow cold, and the converse of intimates lan- guishes into vapid civility and commonplace, these only continue the unaltered countenance of happier days, and cheer us with that true friend- ship which never deceived hope, nor deserted sorrow." — From Roscoe, Washington Irving. "Except a living man there is nothing more wonderful than a book! — a message to us from the dead — from human souls whom we never saw, who lived, perhaps, thousands of miles away; and yet these, in those little sheets of paper, speak to us, amuse us, terrify us, teach us, open their hearts to us like brothers." — Charles Kingsley. Cache Valley Scouts]^ Handle Big Beet Contract By George Stewart, Agronomist, Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, and Scoutmaster, Logan Ninth Ward There is nothing new under the sun — and yet there is — brand new, so new in fact that it hasn't yet been patented. It is not only new but praiseworthy for an organization of boys to handle a hundred-thousand-dol- lar business in a few weeks. The scouts of Cache Valley have furnished this season contract labor on sugar-beets amounting to about $110,000. Now, that is a good sizable business. There are few concerns in Cache Valley outside of the banks and sugar factories that have a "turn over" equal to this sum. There are still fewer that have a labor payroll equal to this amount. Altogether this year,, Cache county is growing about 23,000 acres of beets. A part of this acreage was thinned by the farmers themselves, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 15,000 acres have been handled by the boy scouts of the valley. At seven dollars an acre, this amounts to a little over a hundred thousand dollars. Though it doesn't look possible, the work is done, and done well. Moreover the farmers are satisfied. There are only about a dozen of them who say it is not one of the best contract jobs they have had in years. It is better than foreigners have done, — Japs and Mexicans. Then, most people prefer boys to laborers with whom they cannot even talk. Imported transient white labor has not been highly valuable. Too often such men get supper, bed, and breakfast and then move on. Scouting has been urged, talked up, and worked with. It has been preached a great deal and practiced in a few localities. Most notable among the places where the scout "bug" has been allowed to infect the community is Logan. Everybody could see that guided organization was good for the boy, in so far as it supplanted unorganized gang spirit. Hikes, camping trips, contests, and parties were shown to be successful. The boys learned to swim, both in water and in polite society. Some felt, however, that scouting was too strong an organization to be used only for vacation purposes. Suppose a real "live" test should come, would the organization be equal to it? Or would it dissolve into thin air, leaving the work to be done by the boys' fathers? A considerable number of representative cit- izens felt this to be the actual condition of things. Finally, the test came and scouting made good. Early last spring, it was suggested that the farmers of Cache Valley allow the scouts to do the contract labor on sugar beets, that is, thin them, hoe them and top them in the fall. Committees from the local farm bureau and the Logan Chamber of Commerce held a meeting with scout officials. Everybody was favorable, "if it could be done." Other meetings were called and many speeches were made; but talk is cheap and it takes labor to thin beets. About a third of the farmers were willing to try it, a third were hike warm, and the other third asked for their usual quota of imported labor. In May the Amalgamated Sugar Company became actively interested; two or three scoutmasters who were members of the Utah Agri- cultural Experiment Station staff began to push. The farm bureau and county agent got serious. About this time it became apparent that imported Top: Wesley Keller's group. Center: group of fellows at work. Bottom: The boys work: Leaders pose. CACHE VALLEY SCOUTS 1127 labor was going to be scarce. In other words it was time to act; beets were ready to thin while school was still in session. In the absence of scout executive Victor Lindblad, who had promoted the project, a meeting was called by Commissioner Norman Hamilton at which the county agent R. L. Wrigley and L. H. Peterson of the farm bureau brought the thing to a focus by asking for several crowds of boys. Since the public schools were now closed, there were plenty of boys, but two-thirds of them had never thinned beets. Just how to make use of these untrained boys was a conundrum. But it had to be done, and it was, — successfully. Since Troop 13 of Logan Ninth Ward furnished the plan finally adopted by the Council, let us take a look at their organization. Several older boys who had done contract work were available for leaders. After considerable discussion among these boys it was decided that a boy of experience should begin with about ten or twelve other boys under his supervision, of whom not to exceed half were to be entirely inexperienced. The leader would instruct these new boys and supervise the work of the entire group. He would also make contracts with the farmers and look after the business end of the affair. Possibly the best way to see just how the thing was handled is to take one of the many cases. Wesley Keller (age 17) took eleven other boys to Lewiston and in five weeks of thinning made contracts for about 150 acres of beets at seven dollars an acre and about 50 acres of weeding at two or three dollars depending on the condition of the field. It had been previously agreed that experienced thinners were to get $6.50 an acre for thinning and the inexperienced $6, the remainder to be used to pay the leader who devoted whatever time was necessary to super- vision and business. The leader thinned whenever he could, which turned out to be about half the time. By good management, Wesley earned four or five dollars a day throughout, and the best thinners made about four dollars, or slightly less. Wages of other boys ranged down to about two dollars. At Lewiston, the boys were quartered in a house three miles from a store. A notebook was kept in which each boy wrote out his signed order for provisions. The farmer, when he went to town, bought and turned over to Wesley the provisions, which were charged to each boy in ac- cordance with his order. Cooking and eating was done in groups of twos or threes, each choosing his own companions. The boys were assigned specified days at sweeping and washing tables and stove, but each group washed its own dishes. When all the beets in this neighborhood were thinned, Mr. Orel Hatch, the field man for the Amalgamated Sugar Company, found a new house for the boys and they moved into another area. In general the boys came home every Saturday night and went out Monday morning; a few boys stayed two weeks at a time. There were fourteen boys one week and nine another. At other periods there were either eleven or twelve. Only one boy was discharged, and eight worked throughout. After measuring the length of the field, the leader assigned about eight to twelve rows to each boy. Both leader and boy kept account of rows done and there was no dispute as to amount due. Two boys were compelled to do poorly thinned rows over again, but one lesson was sufficient. The leader banked his money and paid the boys with checks. The scoutmaster visited the boys twice and talked with the leader each week end. Mr. Lindblad visited them once and the field man for the sugar company saw them nearly every day. There were several other groups similar to the one already described, in which the boys, under the leadership of another scout, did regular contract work and in which the group paid the leader. Among these were Top: Noontime. The farmer, Mr. Smith, on seat. Bottom: A closeup of one group. CACHE VALLEY SCOUTS 1129 Wilburn Wilson, of the River Heights ward, and Leland Olsen, of Logan Third ward. Some troops, such as that from the Logan Fifth ward, were in charge by a mature young man. Some troops worked very successfully as individuals, the scoutmaster serving as an information center, as in the case of scoutmaster Leland Picot, of Providence and Lee Olsen of College ward. Hyde Park boys under scoutmaster Fred Duce were successful in small groups of four or five. North Logan also followed this plan under scoutmaster A. 9. Gardner. Many parents of smaller boys were willing they should work, but did not care to have them away from home at night, especially "batching." About one hundred such boys were carried to work in trucks in the morn- ing and back to town in the evening. Such a large number of these boys were inexperienced that full time supervision was required and conse- quently the group was not able to earn enough to make wages for the leader. The sugar company guaranteed these leaders four dollars a day and paid their deficits. Some of the very best service was done in these groups, by training entirely new boys by obtaining labor not otherwise obtainable. The Amalgamated Sugar Company officials, responsible for this co-operation, deserve commendation both from the community and from the farmers. It is one of the highest-class pieces of co-operation that has come under the writer's notice. Of course it was to their advantage, but it required vision and public-spiritedness in no ordinary degree. Besides Logan, North Logan, College ward, Providence and Hyde Park, boys were organized in Hyrum and "Wellsville. There were several cases of notably successful leadership but they have not come directly under my notice, and I am not therefore able to give either names or data. There were 475 boys under formal organized leadership and about that many more who worked for themselves, and took their own contracts. Several citizens have worked hard to encourage the movement. First and foremost among those is Victor Lindblad, Scout Executive for the Cache Valley Council. Mr. Lindblad has worked without stint and is now can- vassing the situation preparatory to organizing for beet topping, the result of which effort will be determined before this article appears in print. All summer Mr. Lindblad has handled requests for help in haying and grain harvest. About eighty boys have been placed in this work. M. R. Hovey, secretary of the Logan Chamber of Commerce; R. L Wrigley, county agricultural agent of Cache County; Mr. L. P. Peterson and W. W. Thayne, of the farm bureau; Norman Hamilton, Scout Commissioner for Cache Valley, and Scoutmasters Geo. R. Hill and Calvin Fletcher all did a great deal to help the organization succeed. Even with these men at work, the undertaking must have failed without the whole-souled support of all the scoutmasters and ward committeemen. Logan business men were no small factor in the maintenance of community spirit. Bishops, stake presidents, and mutual officers all got behind the movement. Finally, several skilled agriculturists from the Utah Agricultural College and Ex- periment Station gave encouragement and technical help. There has not been for a long time a better example of what may be accomplished by community co-operation. It requires leadership, but any good scout council can duplicate the job, for, the idea is not patented. Incidentally, foreign labor has scarcely been seen in Cache Valley this year. Japanese are a wonderful people, but we are only inviting trouble for us and them by making them an integral part of our agricultjaral system, either as contract laborers, as farm tenants, or even as farm owners. I have several good friends who are Japanese, and I am sure they agree that it is not wisdom to mix two races whose widely different physical characteristics preclude the possibility of successful marriage. The sup- planting of such labor with our own boys is not to be scoffed at. The present tensity of feelings in California is pleasant for neither Americans nor Orientals. Logan, Utah Life's Visions and Purposes A Study for the Advanced Senior Class, M. I. A., 1923-24 By President Emeritus George H. Brimhall, and Dean Harrison V. Hoyt, of the Brigham Young University Lesson 4 — The Eternal Union A. Future as Against Immediate Rewards. — Life's great ultimate vision and purpose has to do with the eternal union on the day of the resur- rection. A Latter-day Saint, worthy of the name, should, by nature and in all his institutions and efforts, choose and aim to include an element of deferred as well as present satisfaction. The ability to do this is a measure of his faith and testimony. A projective or remote reward is not sufficient motive, or satisfaction, except for the intelligent, self-disciplined, humble and faithful. The thoughts of the savage and semi-civilized are always focussed on the satisfaction of immediate wants. He has no ability to look to the future at the expense of the present. B. Family, the Most Important Social Group. — No knowledge of the hereafter is perhaps more motivating than the knowledge that we will be united with our families and friends and immediate social groups in the eternal union. (See Doc and Cov. Sec. 133:16-17). It interacts to make us realize that we are part of a great social structure which must also be saved if we are to reach the highest degree of salvation individually. Sal- vation would be impossible if all that were near and dear to us here on earth were to be damned. It would be of no moment. The ties of kin- ship arising from the unity of flesh and blood are powerful links. It is natural and desirable for such ties to be eternal. The family group is the most important social group and is needed in the hereafter if we are to progress. See "Resurrection," Compendium, page 285. C. The Eternal Family Union. — The eternal union of the family, and other closely associated social units, is a necessary condition of growth and progress in the Hereafter just as it is in this probationary state. Stu- dents of Sociology stress the idea that permanence of the family group and relationship is the most important link in social progress and de- velopment. All civil and religious laws stand for permanence and sacred- ness of the marriage vows and promote a permanent union of the family group, so far as this life is concerned. This is a feature which has char- acterized or paralleled all civilized groups. D. Must Plan Our Lives. — If the eternal union in the day of the res- urrection is to be as we desire to have it, we must first plan and shape our lives accordingly. Salvation cannot be disconnected from the acts con- tributory to it. Secondly, we must comply with the sacred ordinances and covenants. Order is a law of heaven. See "A Fulness of Ordinances Neces- sary," Compendium, pages 278 and 279. E. Some Live For the Moment. — In spite of this, there are some of us who live for the moment, some for this life only, and still others who live for nothing but the Hereafter. But blessed is that resourceful individual who lives for the immediate present, for this life and for eternity. His life-cup is filled with permanent joy. "His success and salvation is not a thing remote, not a succession of isolated stages, but each stage shades into the next." LIFE'S VISIONS AND PURPOSES 1131 Questions and Problems 1. Discuss the position that man's civilization is measured by his ability to visualize the future. 2. Why is the family the most important social group.'' 3. What is the justification for saying that we cannot gam the greatest salvation individually, without the perpetuity of the fam- ily.' 4. Compel yourself by an act of the Will to make a clear, striking mental picture of what you think a state of salvation is. 5. Discuss the desirability of living for the immediate present, for this life only, for eter- nity only, or for all three simultaneously. 6. Which are most worth-while rewards: immediate rewards: permanent rewards or ultimate rewards? 7. Faith is more than belief, more than a product of the intellect and will, it is an assurance given of God. 8. In view of this wotild you say that looking into the future and living for it is an evidence of faith. 9. Three great purposes of marriages are: a. Companionship, b. Off- spring, c. Home-making. 10. Why is mating without compatibility dangerous to the individual and the race? 11. Should the state provide by law that one prerequisite for marriage shall be a certificate of phys- ical purity? 12. Which, in the main, is more disastrous to children, di- vorce or death of the parents? 13. How is marriage for eternity related to self-control and judgment, in mating and other living? 14. Wherein does marriage for eternity call for the highest kind of thoughtfulness? 15. Which of these questions do you consider the one upon which the most time should be devoted in this lesson? Lesson 5. — The Home A. The Obligations of the Home. — The home is the recognized source of all human behavior and attainment. The home is intrusted with the obligation of taking the infant with a pure, precious spirit, encased in a delicate, plastic, human form, with but very few predeterminates, and developing the limitless possibilities of the combination of spirit and body. Upon the conduct and the management of the home depends largely the character of God's children, their advancement, and their well-being, now and hereafter. While the influence of other social units is necessary, its importance fades into insignificance in comparison with the importance of the home. This is borne out by the fact that Joseph Smith, and many of our very greatest men, received little human influence beyond the home and its background. B. Conditions of Early Homes. — Years ago the home was almost self- sufficient so far as material wants were concerned. It was an extremely versatile factory including a dressmaking shop, milliner's shop, a cotton mill, a woolen mill, a basket factory, a laundry, a dairy, a broom factory, a kindergarten, a school, a pickling and bottling works, a soap factory, a flour mill, a meat packing establishment, a tailor shop, a knitting mill, a garden and a farm. In those days the domicile absorbed most of the time and attention of all the members of the family and, in consequence, there was much more of what we call home-life, where the family was home at nights and Sundays and holidays. C. Conditions of the Present Home. — With the evolution of the di- vision of labor, the home became relieved from performing the function of a versatile factory where material wants were supplied. It is now a mere cell in a great complicated social and economic organization, and in- stead of absorbing most of the time of the members of the family and furnishing an abundance of home-life, it is absorbing less and less time as society becomes more specialized and complicated. As much as we 1132 IMPROVEMENT ERA regret the changed conditions within our homes where our family circles and the former abundance of home-life is becoming extinct, the condition can- not be corrected by going back to the old conditions which is undesirable, though it were possible. We must meet the new conditions as we find them and do our best to solve each problem by the aid of encouragement, fortitude and prayer. Unfortunately some homes have for their purposes such objectives as an aid to attaining social prominence, a visible sign of wealth and commer- cial importance, a place to minister to comfort, indolence and luxurious indulgence, or a mere boarding and lodging place. The ideal home today is essentially and primarily a place for the nurture and early training of the child, a place of rest, of privacy, of the enjoyment of the love and companionship of those bound to us by the closest ties; of physical, mental and spiritual regeneration between the periods outside the home. While it is impossible to anticipate all the details involved in maintaining an ideal home, we should strive to maintain correct funda- mentals— faith and love. Faith coming from God requires proper attitude toward God. (See Articles of Faith, by Talmage, Lee. 5, Art. 4.) Love in- cludes the following: 1. Justice, the spirit of the fair deal; not selfishness and greed. 2. A desire to serve; not a desire for indolence and the shirking of responsibility. 3. Kindliness, which beautifies and develops the finer sensibilities; not coldness, harshness, and uncouthness, which dull and stupify. 4. Self -discipline and control, which make for growth and judgment; not self-indulgence and thoughtlessness. It is not justice to expect children to grow up to be as we want them to be when we give rein to injustice, to indolence, to irritability and to lack of consideration. Justice beams with a true desire to serve, and a desire to serve is a symptom of justice. A cold, logical, exacting justice, or fair deal antagonizes and repels rather than inspires gratitude, apprecia- tion and friendliness. Justice rightly administered should be warmed by kindliness, and motivated by a true desire to serve. Such justice comes only from one who is self-disciplined and self-controlled. References: Juvenile Instructor, July, 1923, page 351. Questions and Problems 1. How does the home compare in importance as a social unit, with the school? 2. Name six great men as you can who have received little human influence beyond the home and its background. 3. Why was the home like a versatile factory before the period of the division of labor and specialization? 4. Why in the past did the members of the family group spend more time at home than they do during the present time? 5. Discuss the subject of meeting the changed conditions in the home. 6. For what unprofitable purposes do some people, who belong to the so- called upper strata of society, maintain their homes? 7. What are the various purposes for which an ideal home is used? 8. Discuss the need for (a) faith, (b) love, (c) gentle voices and courtesies, in the home. 9. What four things does love involve? 10. Wherein is justice divorced from mercy, incomplete? 11. Discuss this statement: The purposed home should be a domicile of our own, a place of comfort, of peace, and of plenty; where attitude toward industry and thrift is fostered, habits of helpfulness formed, patriotism cultivated and spiritually enjoyed. 12. Wherein do the "The Star Spangled Banner" and "America" teach that the American home must have the altar as well as the flag? 13. Discuss: Indulgences not good for the community should never find protection in the home! card playing, pool tables, wine cellars, etc. 14. Discuss LIFE'S VISIONS AND PURPOSES 1133 the value of dedicating homes and even temporary abiding places to the protection of the Lord. 15. Discuss the equal rights of the two home makers: (a) Socially, (b) Financially. Lesson 6 — My Institutional Obligations (State, Church, Society) Obligations to the State. — Our Government is man-made, but God in- spired the making. Latter-day Saint patriotism is founded and made up of love for country and reverence for God. Bad citizenship is incom- patible with good church standing. (See Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 58; also especially address, by President Anthony W. Ivins, published in the Improvement Era, Vol. 26, June, 1923, page 279.) Jesus taught loyalty to the State; "Render therefore unto Caeser that which is Ceaser's." (Matthew 22:21.) Our Obligations to the Church.— Every member of the Church should believe that he can be more and do more than he can without membership in the Church. The Church is an instrument for advancement and enjoy- ment. The permanence of the Church then is something more than the belief in, and the propaganda of doctrine. The Church like every other institution has its material side. Some vital ordinances are dependent in a measure upon edifices or buildings. Education can not be carried on without expense. Even missionaries must have money. The poor can not be fed on good intentions alone. The sick can not be properly cared for without skilled surgery and medical treatment. Good-standing membership in the Church consists of cleanliness of character, firmness of faith, generous giving, reverence for ordinances, will- ing service, and readiness to sacrifice for the Church. Our Obligations to Society. A lone individual can be something, but with society he can be vastly more. The ownership of the earth and daily acquaintance with Divinity meant much to Adam, but the Lord declared this condition insufficient for the happiness of man, and so provided for human comradeship and organized the fundamental unit of society — the family. Society gives price to treasure, it gives value to land, it makes in- dustry worth while; in fact, it makes life worth living. Each individual's duty to this great source of happiness is to give to it a self that is pure in thought, word, and action. Another duty is to see that it is progressive by giving to it a student. A real student will never be a sluggard. He will not only find out what to do but how to do it, and he will always be found doing his share. Brain industry is at the bottom of all high hand- icraft. Thoughtful people will never be an idle people. The third obli- gation to society is to contribute to freedom of society; freedom that consists in being protected in the doing of everything to help and nothing to hinder the progress of good; a freedom to live and legitimately pursue happiness by contributing to society, an individual who does not want a monopoly on liberty, one who is an exemplifier of not only the live and let-live doctrine, but the live and help-live policy. Questions diid Problems 1. Discuss: "In a representative government the quality of the gov- ernment is always equal to the quality of the governed." 2. Discuss. "Sustaining the law is more than obeying it," it is obedience plus help to enforce it. 3. Prove scripturally that the establishing of our United States government was preliminary to establishing the Church. (See Doc- trine and Covenants Sec. 101:77-80.) 4. Wherein does failure to vote show 1134 IMPROVEMENT ERA an unworthiness for our God-given government? 5. What more can a per- son be in the Church than he can be out of it? 6. What effect on character has the neglect of the Lord's law concerning income? 7. Wherein is tithe paying, meeting a debt of spiritual honor, a test of faith, and a training in thrift? 8. Discuss: My first, last, and all-the-time obligation to the Church is to show that it is a success with me. 9. Why is a foot of land in a great city of more value than many square miles of the same quality in a wilderness? 100. How may a man best show an honest interest in the purity of society? 11. Why may a man not expect to succeed in so- ciety, who will not contribute a student-self to it? 12. What does liberty mean to you? 13. Prove from the scriptures that study and freedom are inseparable. Write your definition. (See John 8:32.) 14. Name three great obligations which the individual owes to society. 15. What would happen to the race, if the reformers should cease their struggle? If I Lived in a Mountain Valley If I lived high up, in a mountain vale Where the meadowed, untilled sod, And the flowered parks and the timbered trail Are the handiwork of God; Where the elfin deer in contentment roam, Through pastures cool and sweet, And the pine hen hides in her tree-top home Away from the lowland heat. If I could build me a cabin small Where the cooling vespers blow A thrilling, comforting bugle call To the valleys far below — The days that have blinded my eyes with tears, And filled my heart with pain, The deep complaint of unhappy years Would seek for me there in vain. I could squander the rest of my life away In these valleys of the pines, Where the brooklets sing, and the tall trees sway, To the music of the winds. I could keep more in touch with the Infinite, And forget the world and its strife; If I lived up there — but I have no right To lead a selfish life. St. George, Utah. Mabel Jarvis Helps in Teacher-Training Written for the General Board of Education by L. John Nuttall, Brigham Young University STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT— INFANCY (To accompany Lesson 18, How We Learn, Teacher-Training Text, 1923-24) Good teaching depends upon three big factors: Interest, apperception, and self activity of the learner. Interest, as we have discussed, depends upon the native interests closely associated with the instincts or upon felt needs. Apperception is explained when we have had enough experience in the past to understand what is before us now. Self activity depends upon the ability to act, or on the muscular development and the nerve controls of the muscles and upon the impulses which cause activity. All three of these, therefore, depend largely upon the maturity of the indi- vidual. In the last lesson we pointed out differences to be noticed and adjusted to. In this lesson we want to note the somewhat uniform foundation on which the teacher of very small children has to build. Infancy is not necessarily a chronological period. It is a physiological period which cor- responds roughly to the first two or three years of life. The period is rather completely described in the outline of the course. Perhaps it will be worth while to enlarge somewhat on the three points mentioned in the beginning of this lesson. Sometimes we say there is no teaching in infancy. Stop and recall. The suckling instinct by which means the child first gets its food, changes to habits of eating with fingers, spoon and dish. The random wriggling and kicking and squirming develop into abilities to pick up objects, to roll them, to throw them, to strike them, and handle them in many ways. The child learns to walk. From crying as the only form of vocalization, the child learns to cry for some things and some people and not for others; learns to make various imitated sounds; and later, learns to talk. All of this is an achievement of no small amount and certainly requires the operation of the learning process in a great many ways. Conscious interests as such, have very little effect, if they appear at all. Attention is attracted largely by sensation. The bright object, the moving object, the things that make a noise are attractive and the child responds by random movements, and later, by reaching and pursuing. In- stincts care' for the early food getting but after the child begins to eat various foods, he learns the source of these and is attracted by them. Here there seems to be developing an interest as such in objects not made at- tractive by instinct or original nature. The observation of these facts is very common but it is not universally known, since many people try to control children without a knowledge of this fundamental fact of the power of original instincts and striking sense qualities to control the at- tentions of very young children. Attention here is also very transient. The child in this period is just beginning to learn meanings. The learning process is really wonderful. The young child is confronted with a confused world of sensations part of which is the babble of adult con- versation. Soon instinct selects out certain objects, for example, the mother. With a consciousness of some separate objects, the child begins the tremendous task of analyzing his environment and since language is also developing, he tries to learn the names of things. Observe the wonder of it! Mother or "Mama" is isolated. Then all women are "Mama." Gradually sister, grandma, or other ladies are isolated and the feeling of meaning grows. He associates a certain food product with eating and hears it called "bread." Then, perhaps, all food is "bread" until each part is isolated and associated with responses which give it meaning. But perception must grow in other ways. To an adult the sight of a very small part of a person serves to identify the person. Parts of objects bring 1136 IMPROVEMENT ERA forth the proper response. Children in this early period do not have the experience to do this. Mother in a new dress is often not recognized. Changing the shape of the nipple on the once very welcome nursing bot- tle causes it to be avoided. The process of analyzing these parts out goes on very gradually but very rapidly. One big problem grows out of this element in the learning of little children. They do not always isolate out the things we think they do, so we need consciously to direct them to vari- ous objects about them and not just assume that because certain things are present in the surroundings that the child will know about them. As the children grow older and enter the kindergarten class ,teachers must be careful in assuming too much of an apperceptive background- Often stories about the commonest things are absolutely meaningless. It is sur- prising how little they know and what mistakes even older children make. "Oats grow on oak trees; butter comes from the butterfly; clouds are smoke," are some of the errors due to too little analysis. Hall found that fifty-three per cent of first grade children in Boston had never seen a sunset. They had seen it but had never isolated it from the mass of their surroundings. These are some definite facts summarized by Norse- worthy and Whitley Psychology of Childhood. Differences in brightness are perceived during the first year; reds and yellows are discriminated before blue; space and distances, especially for shorter distances, develop early; perception of rhythm especially duple and quadruple time, develops during the first year. People dealing with little children in the home, nursery or kindergarten should consciously enrich and refine the sensory experiences of children so that a background of meaning will develop. The development of language is one of the great learning achievements of this period. The child has an instinct to make vocal sounds. He also has an instinct to imitate facial movements and sounds of others. These two instincts are the foundation on which he builds. Sometimes these ten- dencies express themselves in play and language develops. At times the need for something calls for vocalization and if the product resembles the word at all, the reward is sure. In it all the child finds that people give immediate attention when he makes these sounds. As these factors operate, the association of word and object proceeds as does perception, from mass to individual experience. To observe a child learn to speak new words is the best way to study what is necessary in any difficult learning. He tries at random, imitates, then finally says it. Now note the way in which he re- peats it over and over and cries for an opportunity. A little fellow just recently cried "donkey" every time he saw a magazine. He wanted to look through it for pictures of a donkey since he had recently learned the word that way. Our third big thought to keep in mind in working with very small children is their methods of self-activity. Vocalization is one of these. But much learning goes on as a result of muscular activity. After the early random movements of the little babe, the child wants to handle objects, drop them over and over again, break one glass and then cry for another because he likes the noise, rattle objects, etc. Provision for this kind of activity with safe objects means rapid learning. Objects which are too valuable, or breakable, or dangerous, should never be given to the child. He will then not destroy them and will learn to leave them alone. As soon as the child learns to creep, pursuit is always pleasant for him. This forms the basis for the most successful play of small children throughout this period. Just running, chasing, or being chased, is the greatest joy. Skill is likewise being developed. From random movement to habit is likewise a process of trial and error movement, chance or imitative suc- cess and repetition of the action. The joy is in making the successful move- ment itself. Many pages have been written on early childhood. The development during this period is the foundation on which later teaching must be built. All of the instincts and abilities are interesting. May the teachers, as they can, continue the study. w4 -'." GOVERNOR CHARLES R. MABEY Shaking hands with John Duncan, a head-man among the Utes of the Uintah Basin The Governor at Uintah By Paul V. Cardon, Editor "Utah farmer" An unusually interesting and inspiring feature of the three days' program of the Uintah Basin Industrial convention at Fort Duchesne, August 15, 16, 17, was the ceremony at which nearly 700 Ute Indians paid tribute to the Governor of Utah. Dressed in Native costumes of brilliant colors, they paraded past the bandstand from which Governor Mabey waved a cordial greeting. They then assembled in the rear of the bandstand and the Governor addressed them as follows: "I am very thankful to you for coming and giving me this welcome. I wish to congratulate you on your appearance and the fine spirit you display. As you see, the people of this state are proud of the Indian population. They are glad to number you as their brethren and friends. They are glad to be with you in loving peace and good fellowship. They appreciate most sincerely your carrying that fine old flag as your flag, and they want to go down through the centuries with you, loving and respecting that old emblem and working out their destinies together. This is your country and their country and the country of all of us. Again I thank you and wish you success and long life." Replying for the Indians, John Duncan, a head-man whose 1138 IMPROVEMENT ERA duties are similar to those of the ancient chiefs of the tribe, told the Governor that the Indians were glad to meet and mingle with the whites. They had come in native costume, he said, to show their Governor just how their ancestors used to dress before the white man came to this country, and also to show that while they have changed in some respects, they are still Indians. They will always remain Indians, he stated, and the white men will always be white; but that should not interfere with the friendly relations now existing between the two races. The Indian, according to this tribesman, is always pleased when the white man shakes his hand and gives other evidence of understanding that, despite differences in skin color, they are brothers and friends at heart. For both speakers, Mrs. Stella C. La Rose acted as interpreter. She is the grand-daughter of a former head-man of the tribe. After John Duncan had finished his speech, the Governor went down among the Indians and, as they filed by, he shook their hands, warmly. The four thousand white people who witnessed this cere- mony agreed that it was one of the most impressive ever seen in the Uintah Basin, and it undoubtedly has done much to strengthen the friendly feeling of the Utes toward the white people of Utah. Constancy In a year and a day I am going back home, To the place that I knew when a boy. The little dog, Rover, will frisk in my path With a bark and low whinings of joy. And my comrade, Jim Lawson, will come when he hears That his old chum has reached home once more, Little sweet Molly Brown will slip in at the porch, Her blue eyes lit with love as of yore. I And Old Dobin will neigh with a welcoming sound, There are loves which time cannot destroy, And dear Mother and Father will be at the gate With their arms reaching out to their boy. He hurried back home at the end of the year, Where memories rich fruitage should yield. Old Rover, grown aged, slunk back out of sight, And Old Dobin munched grass in the field. fe£8iSfflr,",;-..». 7*te*kK ■ r s - ^LZ^L^XJiA^'.^i Jim Lawson, the chum, was too busy to come, Molly Brown married Patrick Malloy; But the Father and Mother were there at the gate, Arms and hearts reaching out to their boy. Logan, Utah Alice Morrill