Try and Trust

In Short

This novel tells the quintessential story of Herbert Mason, a virtuous but impoverished orphan who must navigate a world of cold-hearted relatives and predatory employers. After his mother’s death, Herbert is sent to live with a cruel, miserly guardian, triggering a series of trials that test his character and resolve. Through grit and unyielding integrity, he escapes his circumstances, finds work in New York City, and eventually confronts those who sought to exploit him. It remains a foundational piece of American juvenile literature, reflecting the era’s fascination with the moral mechanics of social mobility.

The Story

The narrative begins with the death of Herbert Mason’s mother, leaving the fourteen-year-old in the care of his uncle, Benjamin Stanton, a wealthy New York merchant. Stanton is a man of profound selfishness who views his nephew as an unwanted burden. Rather than welcoming the boy, he maneuvers to have Herbert placed under the guardianship of a distant, abusive connection in the country, Abner Holden. Holden is a coarse, greedy man who intends to exploit Herbert’s labor and seize what little money the boy possesses.

Life under Holden is defined by harassment. When Herbert refuses to be cowed by his employer’s threats or petty attempts at theft, Holden becomes increasingly vindictive. Herbert, however, possesses a quiet, resilient intelligence. He manages to foil Holden’s schemes, notably by disrupting an attempt to sell a dangerous, decrepit horse to a buyer, an act that earns him the enmity of his master. The conflict reaches a breaking point when Holden attempts to punish Herbert physically; the boy, realizing he can no longer remain, flees into the wilderness.

In his escape, Herbert encounters a hermit named Ralph, who assists him. During this flight, Herbert demonstrates his resourcefulness, eventually making his way toward New York City. Along the journey, his polite demeanor and inherent honesty secure him the favor of a wealthy, blind gentleman named Mr. Carroll. Herbert saves Carroll from a potential robbery, and in return, the gentleman provides him with fifty dollars and a letter of introduction to a prestigious business firm in New York.

Upon arriving in the city, Herbert secures a position at the firm of Godfrey & Lynn. His path is soon crossed by his cousin, Tom Stanton, a vain and shallow youth who resents Herbert’s presence. Tom attempts to ruin Herbert by fabricating a story of theft, leading to a temporary dismissal. However, Herbert’s reputation is salvaged when his integrity and the discovery of larger truths regarding his uncle’s past business dealings come to light.

The climax involves the revelation that Herbert’s uncle had been involved in corrupt financial practices that ruined others, including the hermit Ralph. A former clerk, David Marston, whom Stanton believed dead, returns to provide testimony that dismantles Stanton’s standing. The ending is one of dramatic reversal: the uncle falls into financial ruin, his son Tom settles into a mediocre, envious existence, and Herbert emerges as a successful merchant. He spends his later years providing for the doctor who cared for his mother and rewarding those who showed him kindness, ultimately achieving the prosperous, respectable life he earned through his early trials.

How It Unfolds

The orphan’s burden After his mother’s death, Herbert is cast off by his cold-hearted uncle and sent to live with the abusive Abner Holden. He enters this new life with nothing but his integrity and a firm resolve to be honorable.

The struggle for autonomy Herbert consistently thwarts Holden’s attempts to steal his meager savings and bully him into submission. His refusal to be broken turns his guardian’s frustration into active, dangerous malice.

The flight to freedom Forced to flee to escape physical violence, Herbert navigates the woods and secures a chance encounter with a wealthy benefactor. This pivotal moment provides the financial and social capital he needs to pursue his fortune.

The trial in the city In New York, Herbert wins the respect of his employers, only to be slandered by his jealous cousin, Tom. He endures a brief period of disgrace before his genuine character becomes impossible for the firm to ignore.

The reckoning of the past The story concludes with the exposure of his uncle’s long-standing financial corruption. As the villain’s fortunes collapse, Herbert is vindicated and finds his place in the world as a man of means and honor.

The People

Herbert Mason is the soul of the narrative. He is defined by his "independent spirit" and an unflinching honesty that anchors him even when he is hungry or homeless. Unlike the other youth in the book, he views work as a path to dignity rather than a burden.

Benjamin Stanton represents the corrupting influence of wealth. He is "cold and selfish and worldly," prioritizing his social standing over his own blood. His arc is one of steady descent; his obsession with maintaining a facade of prosperity leads to his eventual bankruptcy and social obscurity.

Abner Holden serves as the primary antagonist of Herbert’s early years. He is a small-minded, superstitious bully whose greed is only matched by his lack of courage. He ends his life as he lived it—miserable and unliked.

Tom Stanton is the foil to Herbert. Vain, entitled, and perpetually concerned with his neckties and social image, he represents the "young aristocrat" who lacks the self-reliance to succeed on his own. He ends the book looking at his cousin with envy, having lost his own path to prosperity.

In Its Own Voice

Herbert’s mentor offers a guiding principle for his life, setting the tone for the struggles to follow:

“But whether your sphere is wide or narrow, you may exert an influence for good, AND LEAVE THE WORLD BETTER FOR YOUR HAVING LIVED IN IT.”

Herbert’s resilience is tested by his guardian’s greed, leading to a direct confrontation over money:

“I prefer to keep the money for him. He has refused to give it up and this will give me a chance to get hold of it without any fuss.”

What It's Really About

The book explores the interplay between character and material success. It argues that success is not merely a matter of fortune but the result of a specific moral discipline—"trying and trusting." It posits that honesty is a tangible asset in a world populated by swindlers. Beneath the plot lies a deep-seated anxiety about the nature of the "self-made" man: the story suggests that one's social and economic standing is not merely a product of birth, but a reflection of internal worth. It asks whether a young person, stripped of all support, can survive in a cutthroat city without compromising the integrity that defines him.

Why Read It Today

This book is a fascinating artifact for those interested in the Victorian preoccupation with character-building. Reading it feels like stepping into a moral laboratory; the world is painted in stark, clear colors of good and evil, and the protagonist’s predictable victory provides a distinct, old-fashioned satisfaction. Modern readers will find the plot remarkably brisk, though the prose is occasionally interrupted by the stilted dialogue and heavy-handed moralizing common to the genre.

You should approach this with an awareness of its period attitudes. The book reflects the class-conscious anxieties of the nineteenth century, and the dialect used for the "rough" characters can feel caricatured to contemporary ears. However, there is something deeply grounding about Herbert’s unwavering calm in the face of adversity. He is a hero of steady, quiet persistence rather than grand gestures. The story lingers because it captures the fundamental human hope that, eventually, our efforts will be recognized and that those who act with malice will eventually be outpaced by those who remain true to themselves. It is a brisk, earnest, and deeply moralistic read that feels like a window into a time that believed, above all else, in the power of a boy’s character to change his destiny.