The Last Leaf (Henry)
from the Collection «The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories»
Two young artists, Sue and Johnsy, have set up a studio in a small district west of Washington Square.
One day, Johnsy falls ill with pneumonia and is bedridden. The doctor tells Sue that Johnsy has a one in ten chance of survival, but that her chances are better if she wants to live.
Johnsy believes that she will die when the last leaf of an ivy vine outside her window falls. She has been counting the leaves and there are only five left. Sue is worried about Johnsy's morbid thoughts and tries to distract her by asking her to promise not to look out the window until Sue is done with her drawing.
Sue goes to ask an old painter, Behrman, to pose as a hermit-miner for her drawing.
Behrman scoffs at Johnsy's belief and agrees to pose. When Sue and Behrman return to the studio, Johnsy is asleep. Sue pulls the shade down to the window-sill and Behrman poses in the other room.
The next morning, Johnsy wakes up and orders Sue to pull the shade up. To their surprise, the last leaf of the ivy vine is still clinging to the wall. Johnsy believes that the leaf is staying to show her how wrong she was to want to die. She decides to live and orders Sue to bring her a mirror, pillows, and some broth.
The next day, the doctor tells Sue that Johnsy is out of danger. Later, Sue tells Johnsy that Behrman died of pneumonia in the hospital. She reveals that Behrman had gone out in the stormy night to paint the last ivy leaf on the wall, so that Johnsy would not give up hope.