1897. A story of simple country life giving a humorous and entertaining picture of every day life and incidents in the rural districts, with Uncle Ben's trip to the city of Chicago and to California, and his experience with the shams and sharpers of the Metropolitan World. The book begins: The showers of April had cleared away and brought in a lovely May, with peace and green grass spread all around. The sweet scent of apple blows was floating through the air, inspiring new life and new ambition. I was getting tired of the hard work that had ever been my lot through life thus far. I had finished the chores and was going into the house for breakfast, when I met Clarissa at the gate with a pail of fresh water she had just brought from the spring down at the foot of the hill. (Clarissa is my wife, and one of the smartest and best wives ever married to a ignorant but honest man.)