Page Layout ⇒ Vertical justification not working

[editorjack]

Esteemed TeXperts:

If I process a LaTeX file (using pdflatex) in MikTeX 2.4, vertical justification works fine. In other words, space between lines of text is stretched or compressed to avoid widows. Here's the kind of thing I'm doing (with extraneous stuff removed for clarity):

-----------------------------------

\documentclass[10pt]{memoir}

\flushbottom
\widowpenalty=9999

\newcommand{\basepointsize}{10pt}
\newcommand{\baseleading}{13pt plus1pt minus1pt}
\newcommand{\baseparaindent}{10pt}

\newenvironment{styleStandard}{%
\setlength\leftskip{0pt}
\setlength\rightskip{0pt}
\setlength\parindent{\baseparaindent}
\setlength\parfillskip{0pt plus 1fil}
\setlength\parskip{0cm}
\selectlanguage{english}\leavevmode
\normalfont\fontsize{\basepointsize}{\baseleading}\selectfont
\ignorespaces}
{\unskip\vspace{0cm}\par}

\begin{document}

\chapter{Jake and Yekl}

\begin{styleStandard}
The operatives of the cloak shop in which Jake was employed had been
idle all the morning. It was after twelve o'clock and the ``boss'' had
not yet returned from Broadway, whither he had betaken himself two or
three hours before in quest of work. [Followed by a whole chapter's worth of text.]
\end{styleStandard}

-----------------------------------


HOWEVER, if I process the same file using MikTeX 2.7 or 2.8, there is no vertical justification. Space between lines of text remains uniform, and widows abound.

I'd really like to move up to using 2.8 as my regular TeX distribution, but I *need* that vertical justification.

I'd be grateful for any insights any of you may have about how to solve this problem.

Thanks--very much!

Best wishes,
Jack Lyon