Book Description
Word count: 1655. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.Download Description
I suspect he had come out into the strange world of the North with large, loose notions that the fortune he needed might be speedily amassed. Such tales had been told him in his Southland, where he had not learned to question or doubt. If so, his disappointment was not to be seen in his bearing. That look of patient endurance may have eaten a little deeper the lines about his inky eyes, but I am sure his purpose had never wavered, nor his faith that he would win at last. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.Download Description
He played with disordered motors and unerringly put them right. But he seemed to lack steadiness of purpose. He would leave an ailing car to help out Sam Pickering, or he would leave for a round of golf with Sharon Whipple, Sharon complaining that other people were nothing but doggoned golf lawyers; and he would insist upon time off at three o'clock each afternoon to give Spike Brennon his work-out. Spike had laboured to develop other talent in Newbern, but with ill success. When you got 'em learned a little about the game they acted like a lot of sissies over a broken nose or a couple of front teeth out or something. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.Download Description
Bill is stalling--he knows darned well the Judge is a mixer, broke in Cousin Egbert, somewhat to my embarrassment, nor did any reply occur to me. There was a moment's awkward silence during which I became sensitive to a radical change in the attitude which these people bore to Cousin Egbert. They shot him looks of furtive but unmistakable respect, and Mrs. Effie remarked almost with tenderness: "We must admit that Cousin Egbert has a certain way with him." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A trip back
I found an original copy of this book in a Deerfield, Massachusetts, bookstore and bought it for $2.00 (a steal).Reading it is like returning to those glorious days when novels were light, sophisticated, and enriching.The language is a bit dated but perfect for the character (Ruggles) and the time.It is a great lesson in the pretentions of our democracy.The satire cannot be lost on anyone who reads it.After reading it I picked up a modern day paperback and the difference was shocking.Maybe I'll limit myself to reading only early-twentieth century books for a time.Pick it up and return to those glorious days when society was literate and sat by the fire on cold nights to read about Ruggles's adventures in the Great West.

This comedy of manners is undeservedly obscure!
It's probably no mistake that you are here reading this review as I can't imagine finding it without knowing something about either the book or the author.I came across the book quite by accident from a lot of old paperbacks from the 1960's.Apparently, the author was quite well-known in his time and even collaborated with Booth Tarkington on some work.This story, published in 1915 might best be described as an American version of a Jeeves and Bertram Wooster novel (P.G. Wodehouse) only with Bertie turning the tables on Jeeves.The premise is that an English manservant is won in a hand of cards by a wealthy family of the American West from the second in line to an English Earldom:The heir needs money and the Americans need polish, or so thinks its matriarch.Of course, nothing goes to plan and we soon find that the butler, his former 'charge' and the Earl himself are all easily won over to the American way of seeing things, much to the consternation and despair of those Americans back homestriving to be blue bloods in their own right.The comedy, of course, is in the events which bring about this conversion and finally to the ironic and humorous 'crowning' event.For fear of ruining the plot and the outcome, suffice it to say that parts of this book will doubtless have youlaughing aloud as the author throws every possible twist and turn he can into the road that leads to our erstwhile butler becoming a successful entrepreneur and one of Red Gap's ("the fastest growing city in the state if not the entire country") finest, and a true blue American citizen.
This story is especially interesting in light of recent world-wide events, what with the new climate of distrust and fear here in the United States and our recent pre-emptive military invasions of foreign countries, because the point the author makes in his story is a moral one:That it is the traditional American values of egalitarianism, hospitality, unpretentiousness, hardwork, friendship and friendliness which make America great and these are what cause foreigners to strive to adopt American ways and even to wish to become American.Fortunately, this comedy of manners come morality play doesn't become preachy or self-righteous as it exalts America to the world; however, it does have a somewhat disturbing amount of racially charged language which, although perhaps common to the time, is a bit unnerving to the modern, non-bigot reader.Furthermore, about one fifth of the book drags in places where the plot contrivances become a bit much but, having said that, the many delightful passages in the book which have the reader laughing out loud for prolonged periods more than make up for the rough edges and dodgy bits.This book is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys a good, smart farce and even more to those who are fascinated by snap shot literary glimpses into a bygone civilization and culture as certainly turn-of-the-century America is. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more