Seek and Find; or, The Adventures of a Smart Boy — Story, Setting & Ideas

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In Category - Fantasy Juvenile Worlds

Authors: Optic, Oliver, 1822-1897 Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2008 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Children -- Conduct of life -- Fiction; Inheritance and succession -- Juvenile fiction Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 64,418

Reading time 281 min

Text sections 9

The source record for Seek and Find; or, The Adventures of a Smart Boy — Story, Setting & Ideas measures this digital text at 64,418 words, 4 hr 41 min estimated reading time, and 9 detected text sections.

The text analysis averages about 14.6 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #27666

Oliver Optic's 1867 serial follows smart boy Ernest Thornton as he aids Kate Loraine, outwits his uncle Tom, and pursues a hidden will. The excerpts reveal a first-person narrator who uses quick perception, moral resolve, and physical daring—climbing paddle-boxes and eavesdropping—to advance his cause.

Editorial Edition Score 4.7/5

★★★★★ ★★★★★

Calculated from edition completeness, EPUB availability, text structure and catalogue metadata. Not a user rating.

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Description quality20 pts
Title & short description10 pts
Source metadata20 pts
Text length15 pts
Chapters / structure15 pts
EPUB file integrity20 pts

Total of 100 points, scaled to a 2.5-5.0 range. Editions with an empty description or a missing EPUB file are not scored.

Edition quality

File: pg27666

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CHAPTER I. PAGE IN WHICH ERNEST THORNTON BECOMES ACQUAINTED WITH MISS KATE LORAINE 11

CHAPTER II. IN WHICH ERNEST LISTENS TO THE STORY OF MISS KATE LORAINE 22

CHAPTER III. IN WHICH ERNEST CALLS UPON MRS. LORAINE 33

CHAPTER IV. IN WHICH ERNEST RELEASES THE CAPTIVE MAIDEN FROM HER PRISON 44

CHAPTER V. IN WHICH ERNEST IS AWAKENED BY A LOUD KNOCKING 56

CHAPTER VI. IN WHICH ERNEST GETS AN IDEA 67

CHAPTER VII. IN WHICH ERNEST HAS AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. TOM THORNTON 78

CHAPTER VIII. IN WHICH ERNEST VISITS HIS UNCLE'S LIBRARY 89

CHAPTER IX. IN WHICH ERNEST, AFTER A SUCCESSFUL RETREAT, FALLS INTO A TRAP 100

CHAPTER X. IN WHICH ERNEST STRIKES A HEAVY BLOW FOR LIBERTY 111

CHAPTER XI. IN WHICH ERNEST MAKES GOOD HIS RETREAT FROM THE COTTAGE 122

CHAPTER XII. IN WHICH ERNEST OBTAINS SOME VALUABLE LETTERS 132

CHAPTER XIII. IN WHICH ERNEST LEAVES PARKVILLE, AND TAKES THE TRAIN FOR THE EASTWARD 144

CHAPTER XIV. IN WHICH ERNEST WONDERS WHAT TOM THORNTON WILL DO, AND FINDS OUT 155

CHAPTER XV. IN WHICH ERNEST FACES THE ENEMY 166

CHAPTER XVI. IN WHICH ERNEST MAKES A LANDING ON THE HUDSON 177

CHAPTER XVII. IN WHICH ERNEST OUTFLANKS TOM THORNTON 189

CHAPTER XVIII. IN WHICH ERNEST CALLS ON SEVERAL LORAINES 200

CHAPTER XIX. IN WHICH ERNEST STARTS FOR MADISON PLACE WITH KATE 211

CHAPTER XX. IN WHICH ERNEST STRIKES A HEAVY BLOW, AND TOM THORNTON HAS A BAD FALL 221

CHAPTER XXI. IN WHICH ERNEST VISITS MADISON PLACE 232

CHAPTER XXII. IN WHICH ERNEST MAKES THE ACQUAINTANCE OF E. DUNKSWELL 243

CHAPTER XXIII. IN WHICH ERNEST FINDS THAT E. DUNKSWELL IS A DISAGREEABLE ROOM-MATE 254

CHAPTER XXIV. IN WHICH ERNEST LANDS AT CROOKHAVEN, AND PROCEEDS TO LONDON 265

CHAPTER XXV. IN WHICH ERNEST VISITS STONY STRATFORD, AND E. DUNKSWELL COMES TO GRIEF 276

CHAPTER XXVI. IN WHICH ERNEST RETURNS TO PARKVILLE WITH HIS MOTHER, AND THE STORY ENDS ON THE SHORES OF LAKE ADIENO 289

THE ADVENTURES OF A SMART BOY.

IN WHICH ERNEST THORNTON BECOMES ACQUAINTED WITH MISS KATE LORAINE.

"WE are getting a capital breeze over here," said my friend Bob Hale, who was seated at my side in the Splash.

"There is always plenty of wind over here when it comes from the north-west," I replied.

It was one of the last days of May, and the weather, which had been chilly and disagreeable during the preceding week, was warm and pleasant. I had been to school, as usual, in my boat, and was taking Bob out for a sail, intending to land him at Parkville before dark, and return to the cottage of my uncle beyond the town. I had made one long stretch with the wind on the beam, nearly over to Cannondale; in fact, the water was beginning to shoal off the point half a mile to the northward and eastward of that town.

Along the shore of the lake for two or three miles, on each side of Cannondale, were many beautiful residences, occupied by wealthy people, who were attracted to the locality by the pleasant but not picturesque scenery. It was a delightful region for a summer sojourn, though many of the people were permanent residents.

"Well, Bob, we must come about or get aground," I continued. "Where shall we go now?"

"Anywhere you please, Ernest. I enjoy sailing wherever you go, though I like running along the shore, where you can enjoy these fine gardens, and occasionally look in upon a pleasant party, especially if they happen to be singing, or playing a lively game."

"That's just my idea; and we will follow the shore round to Parkville. The wind will favor us all the way."

I put the Splash about, and with the wind on the quarter, laid a course which kept the boat within a few rods of the shore. From the beach in the rear of many of the houses, little piers, not more than three or four feet wide, were extended into the lake, for the convenience of embarking and landing in the boats, with which nearly every dwelling was supplied. We were approaching one of these piers belonging to the first house beyond the Point, when Bob and myself were startled by a shrill scream, which caused both of us to spring to our feet.

"What does that mean?" demanded Bob.

"I don't know. I can't see anything," I replied.

"Is it somebody overboard?"

"I don't see any one. It came from the garden beyond that first pier."

"There it is again," said Bob, greatly excited, as the scream was repeated.

Continue Reading →

From the first chapter, Ernest Thornton introduces himself as a boy who acts on principle even when his methods are unconventional. The preface warns that his "smartness is not worldly cunning" but a blend of judgment, decision, and moral aim—a framing that colors every episode in the excerpts. Readers encounter a narrator who speaks directly, assesses his own motives, and treats adults as equals in argument. The story unfolds through a series of tense confrontations and physical escapes, each revealing Ernest's resourcefulness and his commitment to a hidden will that he believes is rightfully his.

A First-Person Voice That Judges as It Acts

Ernest narrates in the past tense, but his commentary is immediate and evaluative. After outwitting his uncle Tom, he declares, "I had won the victory. He was afraid to arrest me." This self-assessment is typical: Ernest measures his own success and his opponent's weakness. He also reflects on his motives, noting that "the greatest crime against the moral law is to be without a high aim"—a line from the preface that echoes in his internal reasoning. The voice is confident, sometimes dismissive of adults: "Tom tried all sorts of persuasion... he was so weak that I began to despise him." This directness gives the reader a clear window into Ernest's mind, making his decisions feel both calculated and principled.

Physical Action as a Test of Resolve

The excerpts are punctuated by scenes of physical daring that test Ernest's nerve. At Poughkeepsie, he leads Kate up the paddle-box of a steamer, ignoring a sign that "interdicted passengers from ascending," and calculates the gap between the paddle-box and a storehouse roof as "not more than three or four feet." Earlier, he climbs onto the eaves of a bay window to eavesdrop on his uncle—a move that later becomes evidence in their confrontation. These actions are not reckless; Ernest sizes up distances, risks, and timing. The illustrations referenced in the text—"Ernest Swims for the Despatch Barrel" and "The Escape Defeated"—confirm that physical feats are central to the plot. For a first reader, these set pieces signal that Ernest's intelligence is matched by his willingness to move through space with precision.

The Hidden Will as a Lever of Power

Ernest's possession of a document he believes to be his father's will drives the conflict with his uncle Tom. He refuses to show it, telling Tom, "I have put it where, the moment you take your first step against me, you will find it lying like a big snake in your path." The will is never described in detail, but its existence gives Ernest leverage: Tom cannot arrest him or take decisive action because he fears the document's appearance. Ernest uses this uncertainty to control their interactions, leaving Tom "fidgeted about in his seat." The excerpts do not reveal the will's contents or validity, but they establish it as a narrative engine—a secret that Ernest guards with verbal deflections and strategic silence. Readers must watch for how this leverage shifts as the story progresses.

Kate Loraine as a Partner in Flight

Kate Loraine is introduced as a girl in need of rescue—Ernest releases her from a "prison" and later helps her escape the steamer—but she is not passive. When Ernest proposes leaping from the paddle-box to the storehouse roof, he judges that "a girl as resolute as Kate Loraine would leap across the gulf without difficulty." Her resolve is assumed, not tested in the excerpt, but it shapes Ernest's planning. He gives her "four raps" as a signal, and she follows without hesitation. The dedication to "Alice Lee Gookin" suggests a young female readership, and Kate's role may offer those readers a figure of courage. For a first reader, Kate's presence complicates Ernest's solo-adventure narrative, introducing a partnership that requires trust and coordination.

As you read, note how Ernest's first-person judgments—of his own actions, of Tom's weakness, of Kate's character—build a portrait of a boy who is both narrator and strategist. The excerpts leave key questions open: What does the will actually say? Will Tom retaliate? How far will Ernest's "high aims" carry him? Pay attention to the physical details—the paddle-box, the eaves, the steamer's schedule—because they are not decoration; they are the terrain on which Ernest wins or loses.

That old Seek and Find stayed with me because Ernest’s quiet persistence never felt showy—just a boy paying attention when nobody else did. It reminded me of how gently Dorothy Dainty at the Mountains — Text and Context lingers, too, in that soft way some stories have of trusting small kindnesses to matter most. I keep thinking about both of them that way.