“Like the breaking of day, it flashed into my soul one morning in Ethics class, that if I could only go to work in that industry and reform it, that I should be doing a public service: that I should be following the advice of the college and giving moral service. But I realized that I should have to train myself in the science of ethics and morals; the history of economics and the deeper things of social science in order to reform the business intelligently, constructively and profitably to myself and the employees.” “Oh,” I commented, “you want to make your type of social service earn money?--is not that an unusual sort of social service?” Thurber smiled and said: “It does sound worldly, especially to a minister, Priddy, but the strange thing about it is, as I have figured it out, that if I do take an educated, intelligent, thoroughly scientific interest in my employees, and manage to clean up their tenements, their morals and their minds through welfare work, I shall, in the same stroke, be increasing their loyalty to the business, be redoubling their efficiency, be preparing a higher grade of workman: all of which will increase the earnings of my plant.” “In other words, Thurber, you are going to work on the principle that humanity and welfare work are good business policy?” “Yes,” nodded Thurber. “If you, as a minister, were phrasing it you would say, ‘Godliness is profitable in all things’--even in good industrial management--to mix in Shakspeare, it is ‘twice blessed, it blesseth him that giveth’--the employer--‘and him that receiveth’--the worker. That’s what I call ‘the glimpse’ and you may imagine how eagerly I am tugging at the strings in order to be working it out practically.” “But it may turn out to be fine theory: mere dreaming, Thurber?” “Oh no,” he protested. “Read the countless numbers of sociological works that I have and follow the countless numbers of experiments that have been made in this direction and you will agree that it is the most sane procedure.” “College has meant something very definite to you, then, Thurber?”