O. Henry > Quotes

“No friendship is an accident. ”
― O. Henry, Heart of the West

“Life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.”
― O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi

“We can't buy one minute of time with cash; if we could, rich people would live longer.”
― O. Henry, Selected Stories

“All of us have to be prevaricators, hypocrites, and liars every day of our lives; otherwise the social structure would fall into pieces the first day. We must act in one another's presence just as we must wear clothes. It is for the best”
― O. Henry

“The true adventurer goes forth aimless and uncalculating to meet and greet unknown fate. ”
― O. Henry

“I'll give you the whole secret to short story writing. Here it is. Rule 1: Write stories that please yourself. There is no Rule 2.”
― O. Henry

“I wanted to paint a picture some day that people would stand before and forget that it was made of paint. I wanted it to creep into them like a bar of music and mushroom there like a soft bullet.”
― O. Henry, The Complete Works of O. Henry

“She had
become so thoroughly annealed into his life that she was like the
air he breathed--necessary but scarcely noticed.”
― O. Henry, The Complete Life of John Hopkins

“The most notable thing about Time is that it is so purely relative. A large amount of reminiscence is, by common consent, conceded to the drowning man; and it is not past belief that one may review an entire courtship while removing one's gloves.”
― O. Henry

“He seemed to be made of sunshine and blood-red tissue and clear weather.”
― O. Henry, Selected Stories

“Turn up the lights —I don't want to go home in the dark.”
― O. Henry

“It'll be a great place if they ever finish it.”
― O. Henry

“He studied cities as women study their reflections.”
― O. Henry, The Best Short Stories of O. Henry

“It couldn't have happened anywhere but in little old New York.”
― O. Henry

“Pull up the shades so I can see New York. I don't want to go home in the dark.”
― O. Henry

“But the best, in my opinion, was the home life in the little flat--the ardent, voluble chats after the day's study; the cozy dinners and fresh, light breakfasts; the interchange of ambitions--ambitions interwoven each with the other's or else inconsiderable--the mutual help and inspiration; and--overlook my artlessness--stuffed olives and cheese sandwiches at 11 p.m.”
― O. Henry, The Four Million

“It was beautiful and simple, as truly great swindles are.”
― O. Henry

“Well, little old Noisyville-on-the Subway is good enough for me.”
― O. Henry

“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.”
― O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi

“There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl.”
― O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi

“You sold a story last week," said Pettit, "about a gun fight in an Arizona mining town in which the hero drew his Colt's .45 and shot seven bandits as fast as they came in the door. Now, if a six-shooter could—"

"Oh, well," said I, "that's different. Arizona is a long way from New York. I could have a man stabbed with a lariat or chased by a pair of chaparreras if I wanted to, and it wouldn't be noticed until the usual error-sharp from around McAdams Junction isolates the erratum and writes in to the papers about it." (from "The Plutonian Fire")”
― O. Henry, Selected Stories

“Life is full of sniffles sobs and smiles. With sniffles predominating.”
― O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi

“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.”
― O. Henry

“I hate it as one hates sin or pestilence or--the color work in a ten-cent magazine.”
― O. Henry, Strictly Business: More Stories of the Four Million