O Henry

The Four Million ANNOTATED O Henry

The Four Million is the second published collection of short stories by O. Henry originally released in 1906. There are twenty-five stories of various lengths including several of his best known works such as "The Gift of the Magi" and "The Cop and the Anthem". The book's title refers to the then population of New York City where many of the stories are set. O. Henry was responding to a newspaper editorial which opined that there were only four hundred people in New York City worth knowing. O Henry was not just the poet of the poor. The twenty-five stories in this collection depict every stratum of society. "The Skylight Room" is about a poor working girl, but "Mammon and the Archer" is a story of self-made wealth. There are stories about the young and the old, the upper class and the lower, the bohemian artist, the young working man, the down-and-out bum and, of course, O. Henry's favorite character...