A collection of 25 O. Henry stories, including Gift of the Magi, set almost entirely among those barely surviving in the rooming houses of New York. Certain racist elements are noticeable, and some of the slang has not been broadcast to posterity, but for the most part these short stories reliably deliver the surprise endings for which O. Henry is best known. ( )

"The Four Million" is O. Henry's second collection of short stories, one published in 1906. It includes some of his best- known (and most widely- reprinted) works, including "Gift of the Magi" (arguably his best story), and "The Cop and the Anthem." The stories all focus on life in New York City at the previous turn of the century. They feature shop girls, hoboes, cops on the beat, cabbys, earnest young men, lonely young women, and other ordinary people making their way in the big city at a time when horse-drawn carriages were the main means of transportation. The collection's title is explained in the Preface: "Not long ago some one invented the assertion that there were only "Four Hundred" people in New York City who were really worth noticing. But a wiser man has arisen -- the census taker -- and his larger estimate of human interest has been preferred in marking out the field of these little stories of the "Four Million".

I found these stories to be enchanting, despite the passing of more than a century. Many focus on young love -- or the absence thereof; others make evident the difficult lives of the young men and women who are but one step above poverty; and all treat their subjects with empathy and compassion. Some, but not all, have O' Henry's trademark ironic or surprising ending. A few will challenge the reader with local dialect that needs to be deciphered; and the characterization of ethnic Italians in two stories marks them as period pieces.

In addition to "Gift of the Magi" and "The Cop and the Anthem," others that I found especially good include the following: "Mammon and the Archer," "The Coming-Out of Maggie," "The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein," "An Unfinished Story," "After Twenty Years," and "By Courier." A complete listing of the 25 stories follows. the numbers of asterisks represent ratings for those that (in my view)stood out:

"Tobin's Palm"
5* "The Gift of the Magi"
2* "A Cosmopolite in a Cafe"
"Between Rounds"
"The Skylight Room'
"A Service of Love"
3* "The Coming-Out of Maggie"
"Man About Town"
4* "The Cop and the Anthem"
"An Adjustment of Nature"
"Memoirs of a Yellow Dog"
3* "The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein"
4* "Mammon and the Archer"
"Springtime à la Carte"
"The Green Door"
"From the Cabby's Seat"
3* "An Unfinished Story"
"The Caliph, Cupid and the Clock"
"Sisters of the Golden Circle"
"The Romance of a Busy Broker"
3* "After Twenty Years"
2* "Lost on Dress Parade"
3* "By Courier"
"The Furnished Room"
"The Brief Debut of Tildy" ( )

O. Henry is such a joy to read! Each story has that little unexpected twist that I just love! ( )

a bunch of old short stories. Mainly about love or the interaction between males and females. ( )

What a good time I had with these 29 short stories. One or two of them per night before going to sleep. An excellent way to end the day. Written at the beginning of the 20th-century, there are terms and expressions that will mystify, but this doesn't take away from the impact of these stories. ( )