The Gift of the Magi E-Book

O. Henry

• Herausgeber: Heritage Words Publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Simple, tender, and deeply moving, The Gift of the Magi is one of the most beloved short stories ever written. O. Henry tells a touching tale of love and selflessness, revealing how true wealth lies not in possessions but in devotion and sacrifice. Celebrated for its emotional impact and unforgettable ending, this story continues to resonate with readers of all ages. Often read during the holiday season but meaningful year-round, it stands as a timeless reminder of what truly matters in life.  

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

The Gift of the Magi

O. Henry

The Gift of the Magi

The Gift of the Magi

O. Henry

Published: 1906Categorie(s): Fiction, Short Stories

The Gift of the Magi

ONE dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one’s cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.

There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.

While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad.

In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name “Mr. James Dillingham Young.”

The “Dillingham” had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its possessor was being paid $30 per week. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20, though, they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D. But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called “Jim” and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good.