But Edward Norman had not yet faced his most serious problem.  When he came down to the office Friday morning he was confronted with the usual program for the Sunday morning edition.  The news was one one of the few evening papers in Raymond to issue a Sunday edition, and it had always been remarkably successful financially.  There was an average of one page of literary and religious items to thirty or forty pages of sport, theatre, gossip, fashion, society and political material.  This made a very interesting magazine of all sorts of reading matter, and had always been welcomed by all the subscribers, church members and all, as a Sunday morning necessity.  Edward Norman now faced this fact and put to himself the question:  “What would Jesus do?” If He was editor of a paper, would he deliberately plan to put into the homes of all the church people and Christians of Raymond such a collection of reading matter on the one day in the week which ought to be given up to something better holier?  He was of course familiar with the regular arguments of the Sunday paper, that the public needed something of the sort; and the working man especially, who would not go to church any way, ought to have something entertaining and instructive on Sunday, his only day of rest.  But suppose the Sunday morning paper did not pay?  Suppose there was no money in it?  How eager would the editor or publisher be then to supply this crying need of the poor workman?  Edward Norman communed honestly with himself over the subject.

Taking everything into account, would Jesus probably edit a Sunday morning paper?  No matter whether it paid.  That was not the question.  As a matter of fact, the Sunday news paid so well that it would be a direct loss of thousands of dollars to discontinue it.  Besides, the regular subscribers had paid for a seven-day paper.  Had he any right now to give them less than they supposed they had paid for?

He was honestly perplexed by the question.  So much was involved in the discontinuance of the Sunday edition that for the first time he almost decided to refuse to be guided by the standard of Jesus’ probable action.  He was sole proprietor of the paper; it was his to shape as he chose.  He had no board of directors to consult as to policy.  But as he sat there surrounded by the usual quantity of material for the Sunday edition he reached some definite conclusions.  And among them was a determination to call in the force of the paper and frankly state his motive and purpose.  He sent word for Clark and the other men it the office, including the few reporters who were in the building and the foreman, with what men were in the composing room (it was early in the morning and they were not all in) to come into the mailing room.  This was a large room, and the men came in curiously and perched around on the tables and counters.  It was a very unusual proceeding, but they all agreed that the paper was being run on new principles anyhow, and they all watched Mr. Norman carefully as he spoke.