Joe's Luck; Or, Always Wide Awake

"Joe's Luck; Or, Always Wide Awake" by Horatio Alger, Jr. is a tale from the turn of the century about a young orphan named Joe Mason whose life takes a turn when he's forced to work for the miserly Major Norton, battling both hardship and the Major's resentful son, Oscar; armed with only his wits and a strong sense of self-respect, Joe discovers an unexpected inheritance that fuels his ambition to escape his difficult circumstances and venture out to California, seeking a better destiny filled with wealth and opportunity.