Harry Walton was the oldest son of a poor New Hampshire farmer, who found great difficulty is wresting from his few sterile acres a living for his family.  Nearly a year before, he had lost his only cow by a prevalent disease, and being without money, was compelled to buy another of Squire Green, a rich but mean neighbor, on a six months’ note, on very unfavorable terms.  As it required great economy to make both ends meet, there seemed no possible chance of his being able to meet the note at maturity.  Beside, Mr. Walton was to forfeit ten dollars if he did not have the principal and interest ready for Squire Green.  The hard-hearted creditor was mean enough to take advantage of his poor neighbor’s necessities, and there was not the slightest chance of his receding from his unreasonable demand.  Under these circumstances Harry, the oldest boy, asked his father’s permission to go out into the world and earn his own living.  He hoped not only to do this, but to save something toward paying his father’s note.  His ambition had been kindled by reading the life of Benjamin Franklin, which had been awarded to him as a school prize.  He did not expect to emulate Franklin, but he thought that by imitating him he might attain an honorable position in the community.

Harry’s request was not at first favorably received.  To send a boy out into the world to earn his own living is a hazardous experiment, and fathers are less sanguine than their sons.  Their experience suggests difficulties and obstacles of which the inexperienced youth knows and possesses nothing.  But in the present case Mr. Walton reflected that the little farming town in which he lived offered small inducements for a boy to remain there, unless he was content to be a farmer, and this required capital.  His farm was too small for himself, and of course he could not give Harry a part when be came of age.  On the whole, therefore, Harry’s plan of becoming a mechanic seemed not so bad a one after all.  So permission was accorded, and our hero, with his little bundle of clothes, left the paternal roof, and went out in quest of employment.

After some adventures Harry obtained employment in a shoe-shop as pegger.  A few weeks sufficed to make him a good workman, and he was then able to earn three dollars a week and board.  Out of this sum be hoped to save enough to pay the note held by Squire Green against his father, but there were two unforeseen obstacles.  He had the misfortune to lose his pocket-book, which was picked up by an unprincipled young man, by name Luke Harrison, also a shoemaker, who was always in pecuniary difficulties, though he earned much higher wages than Harry.  Luke was unable to resist the temptation, and appropriated the money to his own use.  This Harry ascertained after a while, but thus far had succeeded in obtaining the restitution of but a small portion of his hard-earned savings.  The second obstacle was a sudden depression