"The real turning point, Mr. Robertson, if we can put our finger on one, is where the majority of the people recognized the folly and evil of poverty--and saw it to be a thing of our own making. We saw that our worst poverty was poverty in the stock--that we raised a terrible percentage of poor people. Then we established a temporary Commission on Human Efficiency, away back in 1913 or 14----" "Thirteen," put in Mr. Pike, who sat back listening to Dr. Harkness with an air of repressed superiority. "Thank you," said the eminent sociologist courteously. "These young fellows have it all at their fingers' ends, Mr. Robertson. Better methods in education nowadays, far better! As I was saying, we established a Commission on Human Efficiency." "You will remember the dawning notions of 'scientific management' we began to have in the first decade of the new century," Mrs. Allerton quietly suggested. "It occurred to us later to apply it to ourselves--and we did." "The Commission found that the majority of human beings were not properly reared," Dr. Harkness resumed, "with a resultant low standard of efficiency--shockingly low; and that the loss was not merely to the individual but to the community. Then Society stretched out a long arm and took charge of the work of humaniculture--began to lift the human standard. "I won't burden you with details on that line at present; it touched but one cause of poverty after all. The false theory of industry was next to be changed. A few farseeing persons were already writing and talking about work as an organic social function, but the sudden spread of it came through the new religion." "_And_ the new voters, Dr. Harkness," my sister added. He smiled at her benevolently. A large, comfortable, full-bearded, rosy old gentleman was Dr. Harkness, and evidently in full enjoyment of his present task. "Let us never forget the new voters, of course. They have ceased to be thought of as new, Mr. Robertson--so easily does the human mind accept established conditions. The new religion urged work--normal, well-adapted work--as _the_ duty of life--as life itself; and the new voters accepted this idea as one woman. "They were, as a class, used to doing their duty in patient industry, generally distasteful to them; and the opportunity of doing work they liked--with a sense of higher duty added--was universally welcomed." "I certainly remember a large class of women who practiced no industry at all--no duty, either, unless what they called 'social duties,'" I rather sourly remarked. Mrs. Allerton took me up with sudden heat: