Now or Never by Oliver Optic — Read

A great idea was born in Bobby's brain. His mother's weakness and the / insecurity of her position were more apparent to him than they had ever / been before. She was in the power of her creditor, who might turn her / out of the little black house, sell the place at auction, and thus, / perhaps, deprive her of the whole or a large part of his father's and / her own hard earnings.

But this was not the peculiar hardship of her situation, as her devoted / son understood it. It was not the hard work alone which she was called / upon to perform, not the coarseness of the fare upon which they lived, / not the danger even of being turned out of doors, that distressed / Bobby; it was that a wretch like Mr. Hardhand could insult and trample / upon his mother. He had just heard him use language to her that made / his blood boil with indignation, and he did not, on cool, sober, second / thought, regret that he had taken such a decided stand against it.