--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Perrins, Glen collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 29 number: 7 published: 1926-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Perrins, Glen, “A Speeding Cure,” *Improvement Era* 29, no. 7 (May 1926): 642–643." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2907unse 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: improvementera2907unse start_page: 642 end_page: 643 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1926-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2907unse publication_year: 1926 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 1926, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # A Speeding Cure A "SPEEDING" CURE By Glen Perrins Probably the same spirit that causes the modern youth to "step on the gas," existed years ago in the breast of Jimmy. Jimmy, a young lad on the farm, was always in a hurry. He was a person who was on the go, always rushing somewhere. Then, when he got there, he did not know what to do, so he went on again. His father had cautioned him against driving the horses so fast, but the advice did not seem to "take" — Jimmy often gave the horses the rein, that is, before his cure. The bad habit was stopped one Summer afternoon when Jimmy was driving a team hitched to a load of hay. From that day to this he has "slowed down." "Well," said Jimmy, on that eventful day, "this* is the last load of hay that we'll drive to the barn today. "Giddap, Bess. Giddap, Prince." And with this, Jimmy slapped the long reins upon the backs of the horses and started for the barn. The breeze was cool. Jimmy was in a hurry. How much better, he thought, to himself, it would be to go faster and get even more cool. "Faster!" he cried to the horses. "Faster!" and he brought the reins down on their backs again. Bess and Prince knew they were not supposed to break into a run. They1 had been obedient horses up to this time. But they had worked hard all day, and were nervous. Taking their bits in their mouths, they galloped toward the barn. They would show their young master! "We'll give him speed enough this time," they thought asi they galloped along. At first Jimmy was thrilled at the speed. He shouted and waved his hat. The load of hay was a fine spring, a soft rest for his feet. He enjoyed being bounced along. He felt as safe as he had at home years ago when as a youngster he had bounced on his mother's feather bed. Soon, however, his face took on a serious frown. He did not mind the hayrack swaying dangerously from one side to the other. It reminded him of a rocking deck of a ship during a storm. Jimmy would have been a brave sailor. What had frightened him was the distant "too-too-toot" of the express train that was coming down the track. Jimmy must cross the rails a mile or so ahead. Bess and Prince did not realize their danger, or, if they did. A "SPEEDING" CURE 643 they could not stop the lumbering hayrack. They were running down sort of an incline and perhaps the load had the best of them. How the young driver wished that he might slow down! "Why, O why!" cried Jimmy, "was I in such a hurry? This is the last load of hay. I had plenty of time * * I know I will be punished for whipping up the horses. * * " As the galloping team neared the railroad crossing, Jimmy could hear the bell ringing. The whistle of the express sounded out, shrill and full of warning. But it was too late. Jimmy could not stop the team. He had been in too big a hurry. * * Now they had the best of him. Jimmy's first thought was to jump. "I'm going too fast for that," he cried, half aloud. Again he tried to stop the horses, but he could not. He knew the train was going to hit them; he felt it in his bones. On came the express. When within about fifteen feet from the track Jimmy put his hands over his eyes. The next instant he felt himself skidding through space at a terrific rate. There was a grinding of the brakes and the giant wheels of tht express came to a stop * * just a few yards away from where Jimmy lay. Jimmy had escaped. He lit on the load of hay which had jarred off as the hayrack hit a bump just before the railroad crossing. Luckily, too, Bess and Prince got safely across the track, and were by that time almost to the barn. $ ♦ + ~ ' - ♦ *N ♦ It was a sad and repentant Jimmy who walked slowly to the barn that evening. "Lucky for me I'm still alive!" he said half to himself. "No more speeding, being in a hurry. I'm cured!" BltS Of PhiloSOphy- Explanation is more effective than declamation. The simple. joys are the great enduring joys. We are perfect when we are doing all we can to become perfect. It is when we serve someone more than self that we develop our better self. Argument; is what we resort to when we have nothing to say and still insist on saying it. Philosophy is what we think about God; religion is what we feel and know about him. Opportunity is a mysterious something which can be found in a proper mixture of knack, tact and brain sweat. — Nephi Jensen.