Leigh, of the
High School--she's all right every way; and Mrs. Whitehill, the
president of the Woman's Association of our church--that's the women's
missionary societies and the Ladies' Aid merged into one--she's a
regular progressive; and Harry Field, who's just getting hold of his job
in the League; and the Sunday school superintendent. That's dad, you
know; he's had the job for a couple of years now, and he's as keen about
it as Harry is over the League."

They got together, and out of that first simple discussion came all
sorts of new difficulties for Delafield Methodism to face and master.

* * * * *

Manford Conover was a preacher with a business man's training and
viewpoint. He may have mentioned his official title, when he first
appeared, but nobody remembered it. When people couldn't think of his
name he was "the man from the Board," which was all the same to him.

After that first night's meeting Conover gave several days to walks
about Delafield. J.W. had found the shacks and the tenements, and Joe
Carbrook had introduced J.W. to Main Street, but it was left to
Conover to show him Europe and Africa in Delafield.

There's a certain town in a Middle Western State, far better known than
Delafield, rich, intelligent, highly self-content. Its churches and
schools and clubs are matters for complacent satisfaction. And you would
be safe in saying that not one in five of its well-to-do people know
that the town has a Negro quarter, an Italian section, a Bohemian
settlement, a Scandinavian community, a good-sized Greek colony, and
some other centers of cultures and customs alien to what they assume is
the town's distinctive character.

They know, of course, that such people live in the town--couldn't help
knowing it. Their maids are Scandinavian or Negro. They buy vegetables
and candy from the Greeks. They hear of bootlegging and blind tigers
among certain foreign groups. The rough work of the town is done by men
who speak little or no English. But all this makes small impression. It
is a commonplace of American town life. And scarcely ever does it
present itself as something to be looked into, or needing to be
understood.

So Conover found it to be with Delafield. The "Everyday Doctrines" were
well enough, but he knew a good deal of spade work must be done before
they could take root and grow. He fronted a condition which has its
counterpart in most American towns, each of whic