Ormond; Or, The Secret Witness. Volume 1 (of 3)

"Ormond; Or, The Secret Witness. Volume 1" by Charles Brockden Brown is an early 19th-century story about how one man's life goes from good to bad because of sadness and tough choices about what's right and wrong. The main guy, Stephen Dudley, has a rough time when bad things keep happening, turning his once bright future into a gloomy one. The story shows how Dudley and his family deal with money problems and society issues. At the start, we see Dudley, who used to paint but now sells medicine, struggling with his dad's death and feeling unsure about his new job. He feels uneasy and has money worries because he has to take care of his family and his dad's stuff. He meets a young man named Craig, and they become partners, but this partnership later brings trouble and lies to Dudley's doorstep,. The beginning of the book is full of stress, showing how Dudley's fights are about more than just keeping afloat; they're also about figuring out who he is and staying strong when things get hard.