Philip sighed, and his visitor soon after took his leave.
So it came about that Philip Strong plunged into a work which from the time he stepped into the dingy little hall and faced the crowd peculiar to it, had a growing influence on all his strange career, grew in strangeness rapidly as days came on.
He was invited again and again to address the men in that part of Milton.

They were almost all of them mill-employes.

They had a simple organization for debate and discussion of questions of the day.
Gradually the crowds increased as Philip continued to come, and developed a series of talks on Christian Socialism.

There was standing room only.

He was beginning to know a number of the men and a strong affection was growing up in their hearts for him.
That was just before the time the trouble at the mills broke out.