O. Henry Quotes

She is pale but affectionate, clinging to his arm — always clinging to his arm. Any one can see that she is a peach and of the cling variety.

The true adventurer goes forth aimless and uncalculating to meet and greet unknown fate. A fine example was the Prodigal Son—when he started back home.

Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

We still say ‘the apple of the eye’ when we wish to describe something superlatively precious.

"Существует забавная старинная теория, что у человека могут быть две души - одна внешняя, которая служит ему постоянно, и другая внутренняя, которая пробуждается изредка, но, проснувшись, живет интенсивно и ярко. Подчиняясь первой, человек бреется, голосует, платит налоги, содержит семью, покупает в рассрочку мебель и вообще ведет себя нормально. Но стоит внутренней душе взять верх, и в один миг тот же человек начинает изливать на свою спутницу жизни поток яростного отвращения; не успеете вы оглянуться, как он изменяет свои политические взгляды, наносит смертельное оскорбление своему лучшему другу, удаляется в монастырь или дансинг, исчезает, вешается, или - пишет стихи и песни, или целует жену, когда она его о том не просила, или отдает все свои сбережения на борьбу с каким-нибудь микробом. Потом внешняя душа возвращается, и перед вами снова наш уравновешенный, спокойный гражданин. То, что было, это всего лишь бунт Индивидуума против Порядка; надо было перетряхнуть атомы человека, чтобы дать им снова осесть на положенных местах".

"We often hear "shop-girls" spoken of. No such persons exist. There are girls who work in shops. They make their living that way. But why turn their occupation into an adjective? Let us be fair. We do not refer to the girls who live on Fifth Avenue as "marriage-girls.

Глупаци има всякакви, но моля не ставайте, докато
не бъдете повикани поименно

Cái cô đơn nhất trong khắp thế gian là một tâm hồn đang chuẩn bị sẵn sàng cho chuyến đi xa xôi, bí ẩn của mình.

Bolivar cannot carry double

"action of the brain. It seemed easy to me. I never once mistook his finger for the bay. I'll bet that if he had used the phrases: "Gaze, as it were, unpreoccupied, outward — or rather laterally — in the direction of the horizon, underlaid, so to speak, with the adjacent fluid inlet," and "Now, returning — or rather, in a manner, withdrawing your attention, bestow it upon my upraised digit" — I'll bet, I say, that Henry James himself could have passed the examination."

"I should like to be a periwinkle," said he, mysteriously, "on the top of a valley, and sing tooralloo-ralloo."
This was clearly too obscure, so I turned again to Coglan.

Where the smoke cleared, the crystal air, with some of the efficacy of faith, seemed to remove the mountains almost to the sea, bringing them so near that one might count the scarred glades on their wooded sides.

Pennies saved one and two at a time

Broadway — the great sluice that washes out the dust of the gold-mines of Gotham.

Greenwich Village... the village of low rents and high arts.