The Young Salesman

1896. Alger is the original rags-to-riches guy, often credited with inventing the strive-and-succeed spirit that inspired boys to work hard and advance themselves in order to achieve the American Dream. This theme resonates throughout his numerous writings. When Scott Walton's father dies, he leaves him with the names of two relatives in America. Penniless, Scott must travel to New York City to meet his uncle, Ezra Little. Mr. Little grudgingly hires Scott, paying him only room and board. While he is staying with his uncle, he meets an older relative of the family, the kind Seth Lawton, who comes to visit. When Mr. Little's son, a spoiled young boy, steals his mother's pocketbook and implicates Scott. Anxious to be rid of Scott, Mr. Little fires him and asks him to leave his house. Luckily, Scott is soon able to get a job as a traveling salesman. When Scott is sent to Buffalo on business he is able to buy a bankrupt wholesale firm's goods for his company at a discount. For this, the company gives him a commission and a promotion. Now able to support himself, Scott is even more ecstatic when he learns Lawton's secret that cements his future. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.