or country boy with a strong desire to better his
condition. Life on the farm was unusually hard for him, and after a
quarrel with his miserly uncle, with whom he resided, he resolved to
strike out for himself.

Nat was poor and it was a struggle to reach the great city, where the
youth trusted that fame and fortune awaited him.

The boy obtained, by accident, a fair sum of money and with this he
resolved to go into a business of some kind. But a sharper quickly
relieved him of his wealth, and opened Nat's eyes to the fact that he
was not as shrewd as he had thought himself to be.

The lesson proved a valuable one, and from that moment the country boy
did his best to not alone win success but to deserve it. He worked hard,
often in the midst of great difficulties, and what the outcome of his
struggle was, will be found in the pages which follow.

In penning this tale the author has endeavored to show the difference
between life in a quiet country place and in a great bustling city, and
especially as that difference shows itself to the eyes of a country boy.
Many country lads imagine that to go to the city and win success there
is easy; perhaps they will not think it so easy after they have read of
what happened to Nat Nason. More than once, in spite of his grit and
courage, Nat came close to making a complete failure of what he had
started out to do, and his success in the end was perhaps after all not
as great as he had anticipated when first striking out.

FROM FARM TO FORTUNE

CHAPTER I

NAT ON THE FARM

"Nat, where have you been?"

"Been fishing," answered the boy addressed, a sturdy youth of sixteen,
with clear blue eyes and sandy hair.

"Fishin'? And who said you could go fishin'?" demanded Abner Balberry,
in his high, nervous voice.

"Nobody said I could go," answered the boy, firmly. "But I thought you'd
all like to have some fish for supper, so I went."

"Humph! I suppose you thought as how them taters would hoe themselves,
eh?" sneered Abner Balberry, who was not only Nat's uncle, but also his
guardian.

"I hoed the potatoes," was the boy's answer. "Got through at half-past
two o'clock."

"If you got through so soon you didn't half do the job," grumbled the
man. "I ain't goin' to have you wastin' your time on no fishin',
understand?"

"Can't I go fishing at all?"

"Not when there is work to do on this farm."

"But I did my work, Uncle Abner."

"An' I say it couldn't have