Strictly Business: More Stories of the Four Million

by O. Henry

O. Henry (1862-1910) was originally born William Sydney Porter in Greensboro, North Carolina. As a young man, he moved to Austin, Texas where he worked as a bank teller. He moved again to Houston, Texas in 1895 and became a newspaper columnist. In 1896, however, he was called back to Austin, where he was charged with embezzling money from the bank where he had worked. Not wanting to go to prison for his crime, O. Henry fled to Honduras, and stayed there for six months before returning to the United States. Upon his return, the court tried him and put him in an Ohio prison for three years. While in prison, he began writing short stories and it is there that he took the pen-name O. Henry for his writings. After his release from prison in 1901, he moved to New York, which is the setting for many of his stories. He is the author of over 250 stories and is most famous for his use of surprise or 'twist' endings. Notice the twists and surprises in the endings to "The Last Leaf", "The Green Door", and perhaps his most famous story, "The Gift of the Magi". Honors were now coming to O. Henry from everywhere. The poet laureate of England, John Masefield, visited Will and said that Rudyard Kipling, himself successful with the short story, wanted the poet to say hello for him. Willa Cather, then an editor but already writing novels, admired his work. William James, the famous philosopher at Harvard, was recommending O. Henry's books to his students. Mabell Wagnalls of the dictionary publishing family became a dear friend and introduced Will to high society. At this time, poor health robbed his stamina. Despite the doctors orders, O. Henry could not stop drinking. He complained of constant fatigue. At night he couldn't sleep. He lost his appetite. Only malted milks pleased him. But no matter how ill, he made it his business to pass down familiar streets where old friends, depending on his unfailing charity, waited for him. During this time two more books were published. Both were 1910 volumes. Strictly Business, praised by historians for its authentic sociology of derelict life, featured "A Municipal Report, " which has appeared in anthologies of short stories more often than any other story written in America. In this tale O. Henry demonstrates perfect management of picturesque dialect and sharp descriptive detail. His figures, Casesar, the black cabby, and Major Caswell, the professional Southern bore, are full of humanity.

Genres: Short Stories, Classics, Humor, Fiction, Literature

Paperback

First published January 1, 1917

About the author

Such volumes as Cabbages and Kings (1904) and The Four Million (1906) collect short stories, noted for their often surprising endings, of American writer William Sydney Porter, who used the pen name O. Henry.

His biography shows where he found inspiration for his characters. His era produced their voices and his language.

Mother of three-year-old Porter died from tuberculosis. He left school at fifteen years of age and worked for five years in drugstore of his uncle and then for two years at a Texas sheep ranch.

In 1884, he went to Austin, where he worked in a real estate office and a church choir and spent four years as a draftsman in the general land office. His wife and firstborn died, but daughter Margaret survived him.

He failed to establish a small humorous weekly and afterward worked in poorly-run bank. When its accounts balanced not, people blamed and fired him.

In Houston, he worked for a few years until, ordered to stand trial for embezzlement, he fled to New Orleans and thence Honduras.

Two years later, he returned on account of illness of his wife. Apprehended, Porter served a few months more than three years in a penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio. During his incarceration, he composed ten short stories, including A Blackjack Bargainer , The Enchanted Kiss , and The Duplicity of Hargraves .

In 1899, McClure's published Whistling Dick's Christmas Story and Georgia's Ruling .

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he sent manuscripts to New York editors. In the spring of 1902, Ainslee's Magazine offered him a regular income if he moved to New York.

In less than eight years, he became a bestselling author of collections of short stories. Cabbages and Kings came first in 1904 The Four Million, and The Trimmed Lamp and Heart of the West followed in 1907, and The Voice of the City in 1908, Roads of Destiny and Options in 1909, Strictly Business and Whirligigs in 1910 followed.

Posthumously published collections include The Gentle Grafter about the swindler, Jeff Peters; Rolling Stones , Waifs and Strays , and in 1936, unsigned stories, followed.

People rewarded other persons financially more. A Retrieved Reformation about the safe-cracker Jimmy Valentine got $250; six years later, $500 for dramatic rights, which gave over $100,000 royalties for playwright Paul Armstrong. Many stories have been made into films.

Reviews

[Manuel Alfonseca · Rating 2 out of 5]

ENGLISH: Twenty-three short stories by O.Henry. I liked especially two of them: "The thing's the play," and "A ramble in aphasia."

It's curious, in this book, not all the stories I most liked have an element of romance, as in other books by O.Henry I had read before.

Compared with other collections by O.Henry, I liked this one less.

ESPAÑOL: Veintitrés cuentos de O.Henry. Dos de ellos me gustaron más que los demás.

Es curioso, en este libro, uno de los que más me gustó no era nada romántico, como sí ocurría en otros libros de O.Henry que leí antes que este.

Comparada con otras colecciones de cuentos de O.Henry, esta me gustó menos.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another of the set of O. Henry short stories. They are of varying quality. I enjoyed, "A Ramble in Aphasia"!

[lyn]

just read proof of the pudding and couldn't find it on goodreads so here we are

1) Strictly Business
2) The Gold that Glittered
3) Babes in the Jungle
4) The Day Restaurant
5) The Fifth Wheel
6) The Poet and the Peasant
7) The Robe of Peace
8) The Girl and the Graft
9) The Call of the Tame
10) The Unknown Quantity
11) The Thing's the Play
12) A Ramble in Aphasia
13) A Municipal Report
14) Psyche and the Pskyscraper
15) A Bird of Bagdad
16) Compliments of the Season
17) A Night in New Arabia
18) The Girl and the Habit
19) Proof of the Pudding (read 11/10/2023)
20) Past One at Rooney's
21) The Venturers
22) The Duel
23) "What You Want"

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Raised as most of us were and one or two stories byO. Henry, most prominently “the gift of the magi “I was hopeful for some magic in these 1911 stories but was disappointed. They are drowned to some extent in their own cleverness and the vernacular of the turn of the century New York City wise guy. Casual racism is of course all over the pages as is misogyny characteristic of the time. The stories are mostly about white men and have a formulaic highly repetitive structure that becomes wearisome dressed as it is in New York slang of the age. I have not read yet The other nine volumes of his collected stories but I now know why about the only one anyone remembers is the Gift of the Magi.

[Jefferson Fortner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I continue listening to the published collections of O. Henry’s short stories while driving. They are ideal for the car as they tend to be truly short and easy to follow. O. Henry is always witty in his style, but these stories from later in his career seem to lack some of his energy (this collection was published the year that he died). None of them are among the better known stories that I was already familiar with, and none of them particularly grabbed my attention. Chalk this collection up to being simply a pleasant diversion.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half of the short stories on this collection were typical O Henry. They finished with twists that left you thinking about the ending and what might have happened afterwards. The other half of the stories seemed like jokes missing a punchline. So that is why I’m giving this collection three stars.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of the same — wordy, clever, sardonic, colorful.

[LateStarter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very popular in America a century ago, so I wondered if Buchan's character Blenkiron read him. Maybe it was this that drove him to playing patience.

[Dystopian Mayhem · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the well known style of O. Henry, I liked some of the stories here and loved one, but most of them were too philosophical for my taste.

[Kendal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ❤NY!

O. Henry is quintessential New York storyteller. His short stories are quick reads, but they pack a punch. And they always have a touch of heart and romance.

[Tinquerbelle]

Henry, O.
The Complete Works of O. Henry

In compilation only.

1) Strictly Business
2) The Gold that Glittered
3) Babes in the Jungle
4) The Day Restaurant
5) The Fifth Wheel
6) The Poet and the Peasant
7) The Robe of Peace
8) The Girl and the Graft
9) The Call of the Tame
10) The Unknown Quantity
11) The Thing's the Play
12) A Ramble in Aphasia
13) A Municipal Report
14) Psyche and the Pskyscraper
15) A Bird of Bagdad
16) Compliments of the Season
17) A Night in New Arabia
18) The Girl and the Habit
19) Proof of the Pudding
20) Past One at Rooney's
21) The Venturers
22) The Duel
23) "What You Want"

[Jeff Hobbs]

Read so far:

*Strictly Business --
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 --3
*Psyche and the Pskyscraper --
The 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 --3
What You Want --

[Rose]

O. Henry is really, really fond of the word "eleemosynary".