Foreword

"Foreword" by O. Henry is a collection of witty and engaging short stories that showcase the author's keen observations of human nature and his masterful storytelling style. O. Henry, known for his twist endings and vivid characters, captures the essence of life in urban America during the early 20th century. Each story illustrates themes of love, irony, and the complexities of everyday experiences, inviting readers to reflect on the quirks and surprises of life. This book serves as a testament to O. Henry's legacy as one of America's greatest short story writers.

• Short story

								
It is probable that with the presentation of these, among the earliest
of the writings of William Sidney Porter (O. Henry), there is nothing
left to be added to the total of his work, and that they will close,
as they in a large measure opened the career of America's greatest
short story writer.

Aside from the intrinsic merit in the newspaper writings of O. Henry
which are here given, they have the additional fascination of
disclosing to all who have read and know O. Henry from his maturer
work the budding of his genius, the first outcroppings of that style,
that vivid drawing of character, that keen sense of humor, and that
wondrous understanding of human nature which afterward marked him as
one of the world's geniuses. It is as though one might go back and
watch with eyes that have seen its fullest development and matured
beauty, the forming and unfolding of a rose; as though one who has
listened to the plaudits of centuries might go back four hundred years
and see and study Raphael as he began to wield the brush which
subsequently wrought such wonderful magic.

Having a high appreciation of the genius of O. Henry, the compiler
took occasion while spending a year in Austin, Texas, where O. Henry
had lived, to ask his friends and neighbors about him. Among them was
Mr. Ed McLean, secretary to the railroad commission, a personal friend
of O. Henry's, who told her about the column O. Henry had conducted on
the Houston Post. He thought O. Henry must have worked for the
Post some time in the latter part of 1896 to the fall of 1897.

A visit to the Houston Post office and a search through the
files of that period were without results. But a call on Mr. A. E.
Clarkson, who was with the Post then and who is now business
manager of the Post, was more successful. Mr. Clarkson looked
up the old records in the business office, showing when O. Henry
received pay checks, which served as a guide to pages of a year
earlier, where the altogether distinctive touch of O. Henry proved
that the goal was reached. Here was found the same discernment, the
same insight, the same humor, the same style which runs through all
his work like a marked thread interwoven into a rare fabric. In many
of the brief paragraphs and short stories were found the idioplasm
which in the rich soil of his fuller experience grew into some of the
masterpieces of his later life.

Thus in the files of the Houston Post of the period between
October 18, 1895, and June 22, 1896, were found the writings which
make up this volume. It was characteristic of O. Henry's modesty that
these were unsigned. They are published as they originally appeared in
"Tales of the Town," "Postscripts and Pencillings," and "Some
Postscripts," under which titles O. Henry wrote at different times
during his association with the Post.

But the rediscovery of this work was not enough. To identify it as
beyond question of doubt as that of O. Henry was imperative. To have
offered these writings with less of precaution would have savored of
literary vandalism, if not sacrilege. This identification has been
made, and its sources are herewith given the reader as a part of the
introduction of this volume.

Here is an account by Mr. R. M. Johnston, who formerly controlled the
Houston Post, of how he gave O. Henry the job in which he was
first to demonstrate his remarkable story-telling gifts:

    Houston, Texas, October 21, 1922.
    Miss Florence Stratton,

    Beaumont, Texas.

    My dear Miss Stratton:

    You asked me to write some incidents of O. Henry's
    connection with the Houston Post when I controlled
    that newspaper and I am glad to comply with your request.

    The first thing I ever heard of Mr. Porter, whose
    writing name was O. Henry, was when some one sent me a copy
    of the little publication, "The Rolling Stone," published in
    Austin. This was sent me by Mr. Ed McLean, Secretary of the
    Railroad Commission, a mutual friend of Mr. Porter and
    myself. Mr. McLean made the suggestion that Porter would be
    worth considering for a place as a writer on the
    Post. After reading The Rolling Stone I made
    an appointment through Mr. McLean with Mr. Porter, who was
    at that time an employe of one of the banks at Austin.
    Subsequently I met him and made a contract with him to join
    the Post editorial staff which he did in a short
    time. While on the paper his duties were somewhat of a
    varied nature. He had, however, a column on the editorial
    page daily filled with witticism, quaint little stories,
    etc. He also did some special assignment work in a very
    magnificent way.

    One morning while sitting at my desk he came to my
    office in his usual quiet, dignified way and laid a piece of
    cardboard on my table with the remark, "I don't suppose you
    will want this, but I thought I would let you look at it,"
    and he walked out. After he had gone, I picked up the
    cardboard and found it was an unusual cartoon. I was so
    struck with it that I took it to his room and remarked,
    "Porter, did you do this?" He looked up with a faint smile,
    and said "Yes." I said to him that I did not know that he
    was a cartoonist, and his reply was that he did that kind of
    work for his own amusement at odd times.

    To make a long story short, we were in the midst of a
    very warm political campaign in Texas and during the
    campaign he drew some of the most magnificent cartoons that
    I have ever seen in print anywhere. They attracted
    attention, not only in Texas, but were copied freely
    throughout the United States.

    Mr. Porter was a lovely character and one of the
    brightest men that I have ever come in contact with. He was
    modest, almost to the fault of self-effacement. His leaving
    the Houston Post was an irretrievable loss to the
    paper, but the means possibly of developing the greatest
    short story writer of this or any other age.

    Very sincerely your friend,
    (Signed) R. M. Johnston.

A letter from former Governor Hobby of Texas, who worked with O. Henry
on the Post during the time that he was producing the column:

    Office of
    W. P. HOBBY
    Houston,
    Texas.

    502 Carter Building, Houston, Texas. October 10, 1922.
    Miss Florence Stratton,
    Beaumont, Texas.

    My dear Miss Stratton:

    In the first years of my employment by the Houston
    Post, O. Henry, whose name was Sidney Porter, was a
    member of the Post staff. As is well known, Mr.
    Porter began his daily journalistic work as a special
    feature writer for the Houston Post and the human
    interest and literary attractiveness of his writings were
    a source of delight to Texas readers.

    I enjoyed my acquaintance and association with Mr.
    Porter while a youth in the business office of the Houston
    Post and not only the stories that he would write,
    but those he would tell me, made a deep impression on my

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