Mark Manning's Mission

Mark Manning's Mission is a brisk Horatio Alger tale of poverty, pride, and hard-won advancement, centered on a shoe factory boy whose courage and decency set him apart. Mark Manning lives with his poor mother and works to support her, yet he carries himself with quiet self-respect, even when confronted by boys of higher station who sneer at his station in life. When he proves his skill in the woods by bringing down a hawk the others miss, he emerges as both capable and admirable. His path soon leads him to the lonely cabin of Old Anthony, a sick and isolated hermit whose trust Mark wins through simple kindness. That trust deepens when Anthony is threatened by his rough nephew, Lyman Taylor, a greedy man with a criminal past who comes demanding money. Mark's timely intervention forces Taylor back and reveals the boy's instinct to defend the weak. As Anthony shares the sorrowful history behind his seclusion, hidden wealth, and family losses, Mark becomes his helper and confidant. But Taylor is not finished, and his growing interest in Anthony's fortune promises further trouble and adventure. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.