O Henry

Heart of the West, a 1907 collection of short stories by O. Henry, A collection of 19 short stories from the West.

Heart of the West Annotated

"David Marsh (Bowers), an inventor, is in love with Ann Hardy (Novak), but his brother Lewis also loves her. Lewis previously loved Rose Merritt (Frederick), but betrayed her and has cast her off. When he sees the success of David with Ann, Lewis reproaches his brother and threatens to end his own life unless he can marry Ann. David, overcome with these events, sinks into an armchair and falls asleep. In his dreams, the figure of Fate (George) appears and tells him that no matter which road he takes, he will find happiness with Ann and will marry her only. Then follow three dreams, one taking place in the North, one in the West, and one in his home town. When he awakes, he finds that Lewis was greeted with the same apparition and has decided to marry Rose, while David marries Ann."

Roads of Destiny Original Edition Illustrated

The song was over. The words were David's; the air, one of the countryside. Thecompany about the inn table applauded heartily, for the young poet paid for the wine. Onlythe notary, M. Papineau, shook his head a little at the lines, for he was a man of books, andhe had not drunk with the rest.David went out into the village street, where the night air drove the wine vapour fromhis head. And then he remembered that he and Yvonne had quarrelled that day, and that hehad resolved to leave his home that night to seek fame and honour in the great worldoutside."When my poems are on every man's tongue," he told himself, in a fine exhilaration,"she will, perhaps, think of the hard words she spoke this day."Except the roisterers in the tavern, the village folk were abed. David crept softly into hisroom in the shed of his father's cottage and made a bundle of his small store of clothing.With this upon a staff, he set his face outward upon the road that ran from Vernoy.He passed his father's herd of sheep, huddled in their nightly pen-the sheep he herdeddaily, leaving them to scatter while he wrote verses on scraps of paper. He saw a light yetshining in Yvonne's window, and a weakness shook his purpose of a sudden. Perhaps thatlight meant that she rued, sleepless, her anger, and that morning might-But, no! Hisdecision was made. Vernoy was no place for him. Not one soul there could share histhoughts. Out along that road lay his fate and his future.

Original Text

Roads of Destiny

David Marsh (Bowers), an inventor, is in love with Ann Hardy (Novak), but his brother Lewis also loves her. Lewis previously loved Rose Merritt (Frederick), but betrayed her and has cast her off. When he sees the success of David with Ann, Lewis reproaches his brother and threatens to end his own life unless he can marry Ann. David, overcome with these events, sinks into an armchair and falls asleep. In his dreams, the figure of Fate (George) appears and tells him that no matter which road he takes, he will find happiness with Ann and will marry her only. Then follow three dreams, one taking place in the North, one in the West, and one in his home town. When he awakes, he finds that Lewis was greeted with the same apparition and has decided to marry Rose, while David marries Ann.

Roads of Destiny Illustrated

"A collection of 22 short stories: Roads of Destiny, The Guardian of the Accolade, The Discounters of Money, The Enchanted Profile, ""Next to Reading Matter"", Art and the Bronco, Phoebe, A Double-dyed Deceiver, The Passing of Black Eagle, A Retrieved Reformation, Cherchez la Femme, Friends in San Rosario, The Fourth in Salvador, The Emancipation of Billy, The Enchanted Kiss, A Departmental Case, The Renaissance at Charleroi, On Behalf of the Management, Whistling Dick's Christmas Stocking, The Halberdier of the Little Rheinschloss, Two Renegades & The Lonesome Road"

O. Henry (Short Stories, Classics, Literature) [Annotated]

Roads of Destiny (Collection of 22 Short Stories)

Roads of Destiny is a story collection by O. Henry, published in 1909. There are twenty-two stories

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Mark Twain

Edgar Allan Poe

Edward Everett Hale

Alexander Jessup

Richard Malcolm Johnston

Eliza Leslie

George William Curtis

Frank Richard Stockton

Oliver Wendell Holmes

George Pope Morris

Harry Stillwell Edwards

Grace MacGowan Cooke

George R. Chester

Wells Hastings

Harte Harte

H. C. Bunner

William James Lampton

Caroline M. Kirkland

This brief collection of 18 short stories is an interesting collection from the late 19th and early 20th century, featuring great authors and some of their more interesting brief works. There are familiar pieces from Henry, Bierce and others as well as some lesser know pieces from authors like Poe. Those who enjoy the tongue in cheek, ironic and observant will enjoy these playful and sometimes biting pieces. This Collection Includes: INTRODUCTION Alexander Jessup THE LITTLE FRENCHMAN AND HIS WATER LOTS (1839) George Pope Morris THE ANGEL OF THE ODD (1844) Edgar Allan Poe THE SCHOOLMASTER'S PROGRESS (1844) Caroline M.S. Kirkland THE WATKINSON EVENING (1846) Eliza Leslie TITBOTTOM'S SPECTACLES (1854) George William Curtis MY DOUBLE; AND HOW HE UNDID ME (1859) Edward Everett Hale A VISIT TO THE ASYLUM FOR AGED AND DECAYED PUNSTERS (1861) Oliver Wendell Holmes THE CELEBRATED JUMPING FROG OF CALAVERAS COUNTY (1865) Mark Twain ELDER BROWN'S BACKSLIDE (1885) Harry Stillwell Edwards THE HOTEL EXPERIENCE OF MR. PINK FLUKER (1886) Richard Malcolm Johnston THE NICE PEOPLE (1890) Henry Cuyler Bunner THE BULLER-PODINGTON COMPACT (1897) Frank Richard Stockton COLONEL STARBOTTLE FOR THE PLAINTIFF (1901) Bret Harte THE DUPLICITY OF HARGRAVES (1902) O. Henry BARGAIN DAY AT TUTT HOUSE (1905) George Randolph Chester A CALL (1906) Grace MacGowan Cooke HOW THE WIDOW WON THE DEACON (1911) William James Lampton GIDEON (1914) Wells Hastings

The Best American Humorous Short Stories

Baldy Woods reached for the bottle, and got it. Whenever Baldy went for anything he usually-but this is not Baldy's story. He poured out a third drink that was larger by a finger than the first and second. Baldy was in consultation; and the consultee is worthy of his hire."I'd be king if I was you," said Baldy, so positively that his holster creaked and his spurs rattled.Webb Yeager pushed back his flat-brimmed Stetson, and made further disorder in his straw-coloured hair. The tonsorial recourse being without avail, he followed the liquid example of the more resourceful Baldy."If a man marries a queen, it oughtn't to make him a two-spot," declared Webb, epitomising his grievances."Sure not," said Baldy, sympathetic, still thirsty, and genuinely solicitous concerning the relative value of the cards. "By rights you're a king. If I was you, I'd call for a new deal. The cards have been stacked on you-I'll tell you what you are, Webb Yeager."

Heart of the West

Baldy Woods reached for the bottle, and got it. Whenever Baldy went for anything he usually-but this is not Baldy's story. He poured out a third drink that was larger by a finger than the first and second. Baldy was in consultation; and the consultee is worthy of his hire."I'd be king if I was you," said Baldy, so positively that his holster creaked and his spurs rattled.Webb Yeager pushed back his flat-brimmed Stetson, and made further disorder in his straw-coloured hair. The tonsorial recourse being without avail, he followed the liquid example of the more resourceful Baldy."If a man marries a queen, it oughtn't to make him a two-spot," declared Webb, epitomising his grievances."Sure not," said Baldy, sympathetic, still thirsty, and genuinely solicitous concerning the relative value of the cards. "By rights you're a king. If I was you, I'd call for a new deal. The cards have been stacked on you-I'll tell you what you are, Webb Yeager.""What?" asked Webb, with a hopeful look in his pale-blue eyes."You're a prince-consort.""Go easy," said Webb. "I never blackguarded you none.""It's a title," explained Baldy, "up among the picture-cards; but it don't take no tricks. I'll tell you, Webb. It's a brand they're got for certain animals in Europe. Say that you or me or one of them Dutch dukes marries in a royal family. Well, by and by our wife gets to be queen. Are we king? Not in a million years. At the coronation ceremonies we march between little casino and the Ninth Grand Custodian of the Royal Hall Bedchamber.

I suppose you know all about the stage and stage people. You've been touched with and by actors, and you read the newspaper criticisms and the jokes in the weeklies about the Rialto and the chorus girls and the long-haired tragedians. And I suppose that a condensed list of your ideas about the mysterious stageland would boil down to something like this: Leading ladies have five husbands, paste diamonds, and figures no better than your own (madam) if they weren't padded. Chorus girls are inseparable from peroxide, Panhards and Pittsburg. All shows walk back to New York on tan oxford and railroad ties. Irreproachable actresses reserve the comic-landlady part for their mothers on Broadway and their step-aunts on the road. Kyrle Bellew's real name is Boyle O'Kelley. The ravings of John McCullough in the phonograph were stolen from the first sale of the Ellen Terry memoirs. Joe Weber is funnier than E. H. Sothern; but Henry Miller is getting older than he was.All theatrical people on leaving the theatre at night drink champagne and eat lobsters until noon the next day. After all, the moving pictures have got the whole bunch pounded to a pulp.Now, few of us know the real life of the stage people. If we did, the profession might be more overcrowded than it is. We look askance at the players with an eye full of patronizing superiority-and we go home and practise all sorts of elocution and gestures in front of our looking glasses

Strictly Business

Strictly Business (alternate name Business People) is a 1962 Soviet black-and-white comedy film directed by Leonid Gaidai, based on three short stories by O. Henry: "The Roads We Take", "Makes the Whole World Kin", and "The Ransom of Red Chief". The film's title is borrowed from the book of short stories by O. Henry titled Strictly Business (1910), but none of the short stories it includes were adapted for the screen.

More Stories of the Four Million: The Gold that Glittered; Babes in the Jungle; The Day Resurgent; The Fifth Wheel; The Poet and the Peasant; The Robe of Peace; The Girl and the Graft; The Call of the Tame; The Unknown Quantity; The Thing's the Play; A Ramble in Aphasia; A Municipal Report; Psyche and the Pskyscraper; A Bird of Bagdad; Compliments of the Season; A Night in New Arabia; The Girl and the Habit; Proof of the Pudding; Past One at Rooney's; The Venturers; The Duel; What You Want; and the title story.

O. Henry (Classics, Literature) [Annotated]

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Strictly Business, More Stories of the Four Million;

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Strictly Business; More Stories of the Four Million

(Short Stories, Classics, Literature) [Annotated]

Strictly Business O. Henry

More Stories of the Four Million: The Gold that Glittered; Babes in the Jungle; The Day Resurgent; The Fifth Wheel; The Poet and the Peasant; The Robe of Peace; The Girl and the Graft; The Call of the Tame;...

Strictly Business (Annotated)

O. Henry is the pen name of American writer William Sydney Porter (1862-1910). Porter's 400 short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, characterization and the clever use of twist endings. He travelled to Austin in 1884, where he took a number of different jobs over the next several years, first as pharmacist then as a draftsman, bank teller and journalist. He also began writing as a sideline to employment. Porter's most prolific writing period started in 1902, when he moved to New York City to be near his publishers. He wrote 381 short stories while living there. He wrote a story a week for over a year for the New York World Sunday Magazine. His wit, characterization and plot twists were adored by his readers, but often panned by the critics. Yet, he went on to gain international recognition and is credited with defining the short story as a literary art form. His works include: Cabbages and Kings (1904), The Four Million (1906), Heart of the West (1907), The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories of the Four Million (1907), The Voice of the City: Further Stories of the Four Million (1908), The Gentle Grafter (1908) and Roads of Destiny (1909). (less)

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Differentiated book-It has a historical context with research of the timeThe story concerns a poor young couple who struggles to provide a magical Christmas experience for one another despite their poverty. James "Jim" Dillingham Young and his wife, Della, live in a small flat. Each has one high-quality possession to their names: James has a beautiful gold watch which belonged to both his father and grandfather, and Della has long, beautiful hair. On Christmas Eve, Della only has $1.87, so she decides to cut off her hair and sell it for $20. She finds a platinum fob chain for Jim which costs her $21. Excited at finding the perfect present, she rushes home to prepare dinner. Her excitement turns into dismay, however, when she sees herself in the mirror. As she hears Jim's footsteps come up the stairs, she prays he will still find her attractive."The Gift of the Magi" is the most popular work by O. Henry. A prototypical short story with a famous ironic twist ending, it is frequently taught in schools. Its theme of selfless love and the Christmas setting have also made it a holiday favorite, and the story has been adapted to other media many times. "The Gift of the Magi" is also widely referenced and parodied in popular culture.

O Henry

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