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Famously, O. Henry (the pen sanction of William Sydney Porter), writer of “The Gift of the Magi,” and 1 of the astir celebrated abbreviated communicative writers of his generation, and whose bequest is celebrated each twelvemonth by the O. Henry Prize for Fiction, got his commencement successful prison, portion serving clip for embezzling funds from the First National Bank successful Austin, Texas, wherever helium had worked arsenic a teller.
It’s imaginable that Porter shouldn’t person been convicted astatine all: a 1916 report characterized the slope successful question arsenic “carelessly managed,” and revealed that “the patrons utilized to enter, spell down the counter, instrumentality retired 1 100 oregon 2 100 dollars and accidental a week later, ‘Porter, I took retired $200, past week. See if I near a memorandum of it. I meant to.’” The Times report claims that Porter, who by the clip helium was charged had moved to Houston and taken a occupation arsenic a columnist with The Daily Post, resigned earlier 1 of the “misappropriations with which helium was charged,” and that if helium had simply gone backmost to Austin erstwhile helium was summoned to basal trial, helium would person been acquitted.
But helium didn’t. Instead, helium took a bid to New Orleans, and past hopped connected a effect steamer headed for Honduras, wherever the instrumentality could not scope him. But successful February of 1897, helium learned that his woman was precise ill, and helium returned to the states to attraction for her. His woman died successful July, and Porter was convicted the pursuing year, and successful March 1898, sentenced to 5 years successful situation for embezzlement.
The literate satellite should beryllium grateful for his mediocre luck, due to the fact that it was successful situation that Porter “did his archetypal superior literate work,” arsenic the Times puts it. In bid to beryllium capable to nonstop wealth location to enactment his girl Margaret, helium wrote and published 14 abbreviated stories, nether pen names, including the 1 with which helium would go famous: O. Henry.
Porter was released aboriginal for bully behavior, connected July 24, 1901, and returned to Pittsburgh to unrecorded with his girl and his in-laws, earlier moving connected to New York City. Most importantly, helium kept writing, and successful 1904 published his archetypal postulation of abbreviated stories, Cabbages and Kings, followed 2 years aboriginal by The Four Million, which would see immoderate of his astir enduring tales, including “The Gift of the Magi.” He was incredibly prolific; helium would support publishing until his decease successful 1910, and good beyond.
English (US) ·