O. Henry · 1906
The Four Million is a collection of twenty-five short stories by O. Henry published in 1906. Its title answers the idea that only four hundred people mattered in New York society: for O. Henry, all four million inhabitants of the city deserved stories. It contains The Gift of the Magi, one of the best-known short stories in English.
Stories of ordinary people
The stories follow clerks, shop girls, waiters, policemen and tramps in the streets, boarding houses and parks of New York.
O. Henry describes them with humour and tenderness, and often ends with a surprise.
The Gift of the Magi
A young couple, Della and Jim, have no money for Christmas. Each sacrifices a treasure to buy a present for the other, with an ironic result.
The story's surprise ending and its warmth have made it a Christmas classic, often read aloud.
The twist ending
O. Henry became famous for his twist endings, which reveal at the last moment a new meaning in the story.
Many of the stories first appeared in the New York World, for which he wrote a story every week.
Anecdotes
The four hundred
The title replies to Ward McAllister, a society figure who claimed that only about four hundred people counted in fashionable New York.
A pen name
O. Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter, who began writing seriously while serving a prison sentence for embezzlement in Ohio.
Frequently asked questions
How many stories does the collection contain?
Twenty-five.
What does the title refer to?
The four million ordinary inhabitants of New York.
Which famous story does it include?
The Gift of the Magi.