Paul the Peddler

A young boy supports his family through earnest labor and honesty. Unlike most Alger novels, the plot keeps the unlikely circumstances to a minimum. The one strange event being the affair of the valuable ring, which occupies the last half of the book. This device eliminates the usual rescue by an influential rich man, but it does still require a reputable rich man to vouch for Paul honesty in circumstances that would never occur in the real world.