The Four Million (Henry): Difference between revisions

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The Four Million

Summary of the Collection of Short Stories

Microsummary: A collection of short stories set in early 1900s New York City, exploring themes of love, sacrifice, and irony through the lives of everyday people, often with unexpected twists and poignant endings.

Tobin's Palm

Tobin's Palm (Henry)

Two friends visited a palmist who predicted trouble, financial loss, and good luck from a man with a crooked nose. The predictions came true, leading to a lost sweetheart's reunion.

The Gift of the Magi

The Gift of the Magi (Henry)

A young couple sold their most prized possessions to buy each other Christmas gifts, only to discover their sacrifices made the gifts unusable, highlighting their love and devotion.

A Cosmopolite in a Café

A Cosmopolite in a Café (Henry)

In a crowded café, a man claimed to be a cosmopolite with no attachment to any specific place. However, when his hometown was insulted, he fiercely defended it, revealing his true loyalties.

Between Rounds

Between Rounds (Henry)

In a city boarding house, a couple constantly argued. When the owner's son went missing, the couple shared a tender moment, imagining their own child lost. The boy was found, and life resumed.

The Skylight Room

The Skylight Room (Henry)

A young woman rented a small, dark room with a skylight and named a star she could see through it. Struggling to find work, she became weak from starvation until a doctor saved her life.

A Service of Love

A Service of Love (Henry)

A young couple, both aspiring artists, secretly took jobs at the same laundry to support their artistic pursuits, eventually realizing their love for each other was more important than their art.

The Coming-Out of Maggie

The Coming-Out of Maggie (Henry)

A plain young woman brought a charming man, pretending to be Irish, to a dance. The club leader confronted him, a fight ensued, and the woman's deception was revealed, ending peacefully.

Man About Town

Man About Town (Henry)

A curious man embarked on a quest to understand the elusive "Man About Town" character. After seeking answers from various people, he unknowingly became the very character he sought to comprehend.

The Cop and the Anthem

The Cop and the Anthem (Henry)

A homeless man sought winter shelter in jail by attempting various petty crimes but failed repeatedly. Moved by church music, he resolved to change his life, only to be arrested moments later.

An Adjustment of Nature

An Adjustment of Nature (Henry)

Three friends tried to save a beloved waitress from a wealthy miner's advances by getting him drunk and sending him away. Years later, one friend married the waitress, preserving nature's balance.

Memoirs of a Yellow Dog

Memoirs of a Yellow Dog (Henry)

An unhappy dog and his henpecked owner left their unsatisfying lives in a city flat behind. The dog led the owner to a bar, where they bonded and decided to embark on a new adventure together.

The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein

The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein (Henry)

A pharmacist, in love with a woman, tried to sabotage her elopement with his rival by giving him a sleeping powder. However, the rival used it on the woman's father, ensuring a successful elopement.

Mammon and the Archer

Mammon and the Archer (Henry)

A wealthy father used his money to create a street blockade, giving his son the opportunity to confess his love to a high-society girl during an extended cab ride, leading to their engagement.

Springtime à la Carte

Springtime à la Carte (Henry)

A typist and a farmer fell in love and planned to marry in spring. They lost contact, but the farmer found her through a menu card she typed, which unintentionally included a message to him.

The Green Door

The Green Door (Henry)

A young adventurer followed a mysterious clue to a green door, where he found a starving girl. He helped her by providing food and company, believing fate had brought them together.

From the Cabby's Seat

From the Cabby's Seat (Henry)

A cab driver, drunk from a wedding, took his wife on a ride without realizing her identity. They visited a casino, and later, he demanded payment, only to remember she was his spouse.

An Unfinished Story

An Unfinished Story (Henry)

A young department store worker, struggling to make ends meet, was asked out by a manipulative man. She initially agreed but changed her mind, inspired by her hero's picture on her dresser.

The Caliph, Cupid and the Clock

The Caliph, Cupid and the Clock (Henry)

A wealthy man disguised as a beggar helped a young man reconcile with his fiancée by offering him advice and support. The young man later discovered the truth about the beggar's identity.

Sisters of the Golden Circle

Sisters of the Golden Circle (Henry)

A newlywed couple on a sightseeing tour in a big city encountered another pair of newlyweds. The wife helped the other couple by creating a distraction, showcasing the unique bond between brides.

The Romance of a Busy Broker

The Romance of a Busy Broker (Henry)

A busy broker, overwhelmed by work, impulsively proposed to his stenographer during a brief lull in the office chaos, only to be reminded that they had already married the previous evening.

After Twenty Years

After Twenty Years (Henry)

Two childhood friends agreed to meet after 20 years. One became successful in the West, while the other became a patrolman. At their reunion, the patrolman arrested his friend for a crime.

Lost on Dress Parade

Lost on Dress Parade (Henry)

A young architect saved money for luxurious evenings and met a girl who appeared to be working-class. He pretended to be wealthy, but she valued ambition and purpose over idleness.

By Courier

By Courier (Henry)

A young lady, upset over a perceived betrayal, sat in a park. A young man sent a boy to deliver a message, explaining his innocence. After reading a letter, she realized her mistake and reconciled.

The Furnished Room

The Furnished Room (Henry)

A desperate man searched for a missing girl and rented a room where he sensed her presence. Unaware she had died there a week earlier, he committed suicide in the same room.

The Brief Début of Tildy

The Brief Début of Tildy (Henry)

In a restaurant, two waitresses, one beautiful and the other plain, worked together. The plain waitress experienced a brief moment of attention from a customer, only to be heartbroken by his apology.

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 | Title = The Four Million
 | Author = O. Henry
-| Genre = cycle
+| Literary form = short story collection
 | Year of publication =
-| Microsummary =
+| Microsummary = A collection of short stories set in early 1900s New York City, exploring themes of love, sacrifice, and irony through the lives of everyday people, often with unexpected twists and poignant endings.
-| Wikidata =
+| Wikidata = Q7735024
+| Wikisource = The Four Million
 }}
@@ Line 15: / Line 16: @@
 [[Tobin's Palm (Henry)]]
-Two friends visited a palmist, who predicted good luck through a man with a crooked nose. They met such a man, who unknowingly led one friend to his long-lost love, fulfilling the prediction.
+Two friends visited a palmist who predicted trouble, financial loss, and good luck from a man with a crooked nose. The predictions came true, leading to a lost sweetheart's reunion.
 == The Gift of the Magi ==
 [[The Gift of the Magi (Henry)]]
-A poor young couple sell their most valued possessions to buy Christmas gifts for each other, but they realize that the gifts are now useless without the items they have sold.
+A young couple sold their most prized possessions to buy each other Christmas gifts, only to discover their sacrifices made the gifts unusable, highlighting their love and devotion.
 == A Cosmopolite in a Café ==
 [[A Cosmopolite in a Café (Henry)]]
-A cosmopolitan and a patriot debate the merits of patriotism. The cosmopolitan gets into a fight when someone insults his home, showing that even cosmopolitans have a strong sense of patriotism.
+In a crowded café, a man claimed to be a cosmopolite with no attachment to any specific place. However, when his hometown was insulted, he fiercely defended it, revealing his true loyalties.
 == Between Rounds ==
 [[Between Rounds (Henry)]]
-A couple living in a boarding house have a heated argument, but are interrupted by a missing child. They put aside their differences to help search and eventually find the child safe.
+In a city boarding house, a couple constantly argued. When the owner's son went missing, the couple shared a tender moment, imagining their own child lost. The boy was found, and life resumed.
 == The Skylight Room ==
 [[The Skylight Room (Henry)]]
-A landlady showed a small working girl a room on the third floor, which she took. The next morning, she was found unconscious and taken to the hospital, where the doctor said she would recover.
+A young woman rented a small, dark room with a skylight and named a star she could see through it. Struggling to find work, she became weak from starvation until a doctor saved her life.
 == A Service of Love ==
 [[A Service of Love (Henry)]]
-Two young artists sacrifice their pride and comfort for the sake of their art when money gets tight, with one taking on a job teaching music lessons and the other taking on a job in a laundry.
+A young couple, both aspiring artists, secretly took jobs at the same laundry to support their artistic pursuits, eventually realizing their love for each other was more important than their art.
 == The Coming-Out of Maggie ==
 [[The Coming-Out of Maggie (Henry)]]
-A plain girl brought a charming suitor to a dance, pretending he was from a respected family. The club leader confronted him, leading to a near-violent altercation. The girl confessed the truth, finding redemption.
+A plain young woman brought a charming man, pretending to be Irish, to a dance. The club leader confronted him, a fight ensued, and the woman's deception was revealed, ending peacefully.
 == Man About Town ==
 [[Man About Town (Henry)]]
-A man goes on a search to find a Man About Town, but ends up getting hit by a car and taken to the hospital, where the newspaper article about the accident describes him as a typical Man About Town.
+A curious man embarked on a quest to understand the elusive "Man About Town" character. After seeking answers from various people, he unknowingly became the very character he sought to comprehend.
 == The Cop and the Anthem ==
 [[The Cop and the Anthem (Henry)]]
-A homeless man tries to get arrested by committing crimes, but fails. He is then inspired by music from a church and decides to change his life, only to be arrested for loitering outside of it.
+A homeless man sought winter shelter in jail by attempting various petty crimes but failed repeatedly. Moved by church music, he resolved to change his life, only to be arrested moments later.
 == An Adjustment of Nature ==
 [[An Adjustment of Nature (Henry)]]
-Three friends admired a waitress at a restaurant and feared she would be taken away by a wealthy man. They took action to prevent this by getting the wealthy man drunk and sending him away.
+Three friends tried to save a beloved waitress from a wealthy miner's advances by getting him drunk and sending him away. Years later, one friend married the waitress, preserving nature's balance.
 == Memoirs of a Yellow Dog ==
 [[Memoirs of a Yellow Dog (Henry)]]
-A yellow dog is taken out for a walk every evening by his owner, who is often unhappy and henpecked. One evening, the dog discovers a way to make his owner happy and they escape together to the mountains.
+An unhappy dog and his henpecked owner left their unsatisfying lives in a city flat behind. The dog led the owner to a bar, where they bonded and decided to embark on a new adventure together.
 == The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein ==
 [[The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein (Henry)]]
+A pharmacist, in love with a woman, tried to sabotage her elopement with his rival by giving him a sleeping powder. However, the rival used it on the woman's father, ensuring a successful elopement.
 == Mammon and the Archer ==
 [[Mammon and the Archer (Henry)]]
-A father and son discussed how money can't buy time, but the son was able to win the heart of a woman without money when a street blockade caused them to be stuck in a cab for two hours.
+A wealthy father used his money to create a street blockade, giving his son the opportunity to confess his love to a high-society girl during an extended cab ride, leading to their engagement.
 == Springtime à la Carte ==
 [[Springtime à la Carte (Henry)]]
-A young typist, heartbroken over her farmer lover's silence, accidentally typed a love message on a restaurant menu. The farmer, who had been searching for her, recognized her typing and they reunited.
+A typist and a farmer fell in love and planned to marry in spring. They lost contact, but the farmer found her through a menu card she typed, which unintentionally included a message to him.
 == The Green Door ==
 [[The Green Door (Henry)]]
+A young adventurer followed a mysterious clue to a green door, where he found a starving girl. He helped her by providing food and company, believing fate had brought them together.
 == From the Cabby's Seat ==
 [[From the Cabby's Seat (Henry)]]
-A cab driver picks up a fare, not knowing it is his newly-wed wife. After a night of revelry, the driver takes her to the park and the casino before realizing who she is and taking her home.
+A cab driver, drunk from a wedding, took his wife on a ride without realizing her identity. They visited a casino, and later, he demanded payment, only to remember she was his spouse.
 == An Unfinished Story ==
 [[An Unfinished Story (Henry)]]
-A young woman working in a department store struggled financially. She received an invitation to a fancy dinner but ultimately canceled, choosing to uphold her values and dignity despite her hardships.
+A young department store worker, struggling to make ends meet, was asked out by a manipulative man. She initially agreed but changed her mind, inspired by her hero's picture on her dresser.
 == The Caliph, Cupid and the Clock ==
 [[The Caliph, Cupid and the Clock (Henry)]]
-A wealthy prince, disguised as a poor man, comforted a distressed young man in a park. He offered assistance and hope, leading to the young man's reconciliation with his fiancée and a happy ending.
+A wealthy man disguised as a beggar helped a young man reconcile with his fiancée by offering him advice and support. The young man later discovered the truth about the beggar's identity.
 == Sisters of the Golden Circle ==
 [[Sisters of the Golden Circle (Henry)]]
-A newlywed couple on a sightseeing tour in New York City helped another newlywed couple escape from the police, leading to a chaotic scene and the husband's temporary arrest before the truth was revealed.
+A newlywed couple on a sightseeing tour in a big city encountered another pair of newlyweds. The wife helped the other couple by creating a distraction, showcasing the unique bond between brides.
 == The Romance of a Busy Broker ==
 [[The Romance of a Busy Broker (Henry)]]
-A busy broker, consumed by his work, forgot he had requested a new stenographer. Amidst the chaos, he impulsively proposed to his current stenographer, only to be reminded they had married the night before.
+A busy broker, overwhelmed by work, impulsively proposed to his stenographer during a brief lull in the office chaos, only to be reminded that they had already married the previous evening.
 == After Twenty Years ==
 [[After Twenty Years (Henry)]]
-A man waited at a prearranged meeting spot for a friend he hadn't seen in 20 years. When the friend arrived, he couldn't bring himself to arrest the man, so he sent another officer instead.
+Two childhood friends agreed to meet after 20 years. One became successful in the West, while the other became a patrolman. At their reunion, the patrolman arrested his friend for a crime.
 == Lost on Dress Parade ==
 [[Lost on Dress Parade (Henry)]]
-A young architect treated himself to a luxurious evening out every ten weeks. One evening, he met a modestly dressed woman, and they dined together. He pretended to be wealthy, hiding his true, hardworking nature.
+A young architect saved money for luxurious evenings and met a girl who appeared to be working-class. He pretended to be wealthy, but she valued ambition and purpose over idleness.
 == By Courier ==
 [[By Courier (Henry)]]
-A young lady misinterpreted her lover's actions, believing he was unfaithful. He sent a message through a boy, explaining his innocence. She realized her mistake after reading a letter and asked for reconciliation.
+A young lady, upset over a perceived betrayal, sat in a park. A young man sent a boy to deliver a message, explaining his innocence. After reading a letter, she realized her mistake and reconciled.
 == The Furnished Room ==
 [[The Furnished Room (Henry)]]
-A young man searched for a missing singer, renting a room in a house. Unbeknownst to him, she had committed suicide in the same room a week prior. Overwhelmed by despair, he ended his life there too.
+A desperate man searched for a missing girl and rented a room where he sensed her presence. Unaware she had died there a week earlier, he committed suicide in the same room.
 == The Brief Début of Tildy ==
 [[The Brief Début of Tildy (Henry)]]
-In a popular early 1900s restaurant, a plain waitress experienced a brief moment of attention from a man, only to have her hopes dashed when he apologized, claiming he was drunk.
+In a restaurant, two waitresses, one beautiful and the other plain, worked together. The plain waitress experienced a brief moment of attention from a customer, only to be heartbroken by his apology.
 {{End of text}}