Horatio Alger

“ Daniel used to say that he gained his bet and the widow's custom at ONE BLOW."
They were now descending a little hill at the foot of which stood a country tavern. Here Mr. Stubbs declared his intention of spending the night. He drove into the barn, the large door of which stood invitingly open, and unharnessed his horse, taking especial care to rub him down and set before him an ample supply of provender.
"I always take care of Goliah myself," said he. "He's a good friend to me, and it's no more than right that I should take good care of him. ”

“ Already a sense of freedom gave his spirits unwonted elasticity, and encouraged him to hope for the best. Had his knowledge of the future been greater, his confidence might have been less. But would he have been any happier? ”

“ Stubbs, on being interrogated, "I make it a p'int to sell something, if it's no more than a tin dipper. I find some hard cases sometimes, and sometimes I have to give it up altogether. I can't quite come up to a friend of mine, Daniel Watson, who used to be in the same line of business. I never knew him to stop at a place without selling something. He had a good deal of judgment, Daniel had, and knew just when to use `soft sodder,' and when not to. On the road that he traveled there lived a widow woman, who had the reputation of being as ugly, cross- grained a critter as ever lived. ”