"Each of us, when our day's work is done, must seek our ideal, whether it be love or pinochle or lobster à la Newburg, or the sweet silence of the musty bookshelves." -- writer O. Henry, from "Complete Works of O. Henry, " Delphi Classics. Born William Sydney Porter, he was one of America's greatest short story tellers. While "The Gift Of The Magi" is his best-known short story, he wrote "The Voice of the City", "Strictly Business", and “The Ransom of Red Chief" before he passing away on June 5, 1910.
Despite brushes with the law (bank embezzlement of all things) and alcoholism, O. Henry won the accolades of his generation's peers and beyond. The O. Henry Prize, given annually since 1919, honors outstanding short stories.
(photo: O. Henry [William Sydney Porter]. Bettman Archive)
