by O. Henry
The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories (2002)
* * * * (Great) Realistic
Sue tries her best to encourage her roommate, Johnsy, from giving up on life in her battle with pneumonia. Johnsy is convinced her life will end will the last leaf that falls from the ivy vine outside her bedroom window. Neither one is prepared for the eventual outcome.
This tale starts out a little rough, with its descriptions of streets and places and the artists that inhabit them. Once we meet our characters and the action is set in motion, things begin to click. The result is a story both tragic and beautiful. The tragedy and beauty come unexpectedly, but not surprisingly in some contrite or clichéd manner. It is the unknown small act of kindness that gives this story its faultless ending and the extra punch at the end. There is also a great line in the tale that I must share:
“The lonesomest thing in all the world is a soul when it is making ready to go on its mysterious, far journey.”“Lonesomest” – what a great word.
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