This 1875 novel is the eighth and last in Alger's "Luck and Pluck" series. Here, Herbert Carter works hard to help his mother, the widow of an inventor, make ends meet, but the ruthless man who holds their mortgage on their house and his snobbish son want to oust the pair, and are close to doing it. Herbert tries farming, selling newspapers, and other jobs, but finds that nothing is ever easy. Included in this Illustrated Edition are all four original illustrations, rejuvenated.