{"product_id":"the-man-that-corrupted-hadleyburg-and-other-stories","title":"The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg, and Other Stories","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow honest is a town when a sack of gold puts its proudest claim to the test?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Mark Twain's The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg, and Other Stories, a stranger brings temptation to a town proud of its honesty. He leaves gold and a letter at the home of bank cashier Edward Richards and his wife, Mary. A fortune awaits the person who once helped him. As news spreads, Hadleyburg's good name faces a test it cannot simply avoid.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe title story anchors this collection of short fiction and sketches, where sharp satire meets tenderness, humor, and plain argument. Edward and Mary share hopes and fears about the gold, while Reverend Burgess is drawn into a public meeting about who deserves it. Beyond Hadleyburg, Twain's shorter pieces move between the comic and the serious, asking uncomfortable questions about human nature.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eInside this book\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHonesty under pressure\u003c\/strong\u003e – Watch a town's cherished reputation meet the temptation it has never learned to resist.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA fortune at home\u003c\/strong\u003e – Follow Edward and Mary as sudden wealth brings hope, fear, and difficult choices.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLaughter with an edge\u003c\/strong\u003e – Enjoy Twain's dry, mock-serious voice as he probes greed and hypocrisy.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLighter and stranger turns\u003c\/strong\u003e – Explore shorter tales and sketches that mingle humor, tenderness, satire, and serious questions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVirtue beyond reputation\u003c\/strong\u003e – Consider the unsettling difference between avoiding temptation and standing firm when it arrives.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect for readers who love sharp satire, short fiction, and moral puzzles with a sting, or want Twain's darker side.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOpen the first page now and meet a town certain that its honesty is beyond question.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Library of Alexandria Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59534681145692,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1027\/9442\/8764\/files\/10338_en_ebook-front_c04.jpg?v=1792175080","url":"https:\/\/libraryofalexandria.com\/products\/the-man-that-corrupted-hadleyburg-and-other-stories","provider":"The Library of Alexandria","version":"1.0","type":"link"}