The Gift Of Magi.docx

The Gift Of Magi.docx

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TheGiftOfMagi

THEGIFTOFTHEMAGI

byO.Henry

Onedollarandeighty-sevencents.Thatwasall.And

sixtycentsofitwasinpennies.Penniessavedoneandtwo

atatimebybulldozingthegrocerandthevegetablemanand

thebutcheruntilone'scheeksburnedwiththesilent

imputationofparsimonythatsuchclosedealingimplied.

ThreetimesDellacountedit.Onedollarandeighty-seven

cents.AndthenextdaywouldbeChristmas.

Therewasclearlynothingtodobutflopdownonthe

shabbylittlecouchandhowl.SoDelladidit.Which

instigatesthemoralreflectionthatlifeismadeupof

sobs,sniffles,andsmiles,withsnifflespredominating.

Whilethemistressofthehomeisgraduallysubsiding

fromthefirststagetothesecond,takealookatthehome.

Afurnishedflatat$8perweek.Itdidnotexactlybeggar

description,butitcertainlyhadthatwordonthelookout

forthemendicancysquad.

Inthevestibulebelowwasaletter-boxintowhichno

letterwouldgo,andanelectricbuttonfromwhichnomortal

fingercouldcoaxaring.Alsoappertainingthereuntowasa

cardbearingthename"Mr.JamesDillinghamYoung."

The"Dillingham"hadbeenflungtothebreezeduringa

formerperiodofprosperitywhenitspossessorwasbeing

paid$30perweek.Now,whentheincomewasshrunkto$20,

though,theywerethinkingseriouslyofcontractingtoa

modestandunassumingD.ButwheneverMr.JamesDillingham

Youngcamehomeandreachedhisflatabovehewascalled

"Jim"andgreatlyhuggedbyMrs.JamesDillinghamYoung,

alreadyintroducedtoyouasDella.Whichisallverygood.

Dellafinishedhercryandattendedtohercheekswith

thepowderrag.Shestoodbythewindowandlookedoutdully

atagraycatwalkingagrayfenceinagraybackyard.

TomorrowwouldbeChristmasDay,andshehadonly$1.87with

whichtobuyJimapresent.Shehadbeensavingeverypenny

shecouldformonths,withthisresult.Twentydollarsa

weekdoesn'tgofar.Expenseshadbeengreaterthanshehad

calculated.Theyalwaysare.Only$1.87tobuyapresentfor

Jim.HerJim.Manyahappyhourshehadspentplanningfor

somethingniceforhim.Somethingfineandrareand

sterling--somethingjustalittlebitneartobeingworthy

ofthehonorofbeingownedbyJim.

Therewasapier-glassbetweenthewindowsoftheroom.

Perhapsyouhaveseenapierglassinan$8flat.Averythin

andveryagilepersonmay,byobservinghisreflectionina

rapidsequenceoflongitudinalstrips,obtainafairly

accurateconceptionofhislooks.Della,beingslender,had

masteredtheart.

Suddenlyshewhirledfromthewindowandstoodbefore

theglass.hereyeswereshiningbrilliantly,butherface

hadlostitscolorwithintwentyseconds.Rapidlyshepulled

downherhairandletitfalltoitsfulllength.

Now,thereweretwopossessionsoftheJamesDillingham

Youngsinwhichtheybothtookamightypride.OnewasJim's

goldwatchthathadbeenhisfather'sandhisgrandfather's.

TheotherwasDella'shair.HadthequeenofShebalivedin

theflatacrosstheairshaft,Dellawouldhaveletherhair

hangoutthewindowsomedaytodryjusttodepreciateHer

Majesty'sjewelsandgifts.HadKingSolomonbeenthe

janitor,withallhistreasurespiledupinthebasement,

Jimwouldhavepulledouthiswatcheverytimehepassed,

justtoseehimpluckathisbeardfromenvy.

SonowDella'sbeautifulhairfellaboutherrippling

andshininglikeacascadeofbrownwaters.Itreachedbelow

herkneeandmadeitselfalmostagarmentforher.Andthen

shediditupagainnervouslyandquickly.Onceshefaltered

foraminuteandstoodstillwhileatearortwosplashedon

thewornredcarpet.

Onwentheroldbrownjacket;onwentheroldbrown

hat.Withawhirlofskirtsandwiththebrilliantsparkle

stillinhereyes,sheflutteredoutthedooranddownthe

stairstothestreet.

Whereshestoppedthesignread:

"Mne.Sofronie.Hair

GoodsofAllKinds."OneflightupDellaran,andcollected

herself,panting.Madame,large,toowhite,chilly,hardly

lookedthe"Sofronie."

"Willyoubuymyhair?

"askedDella.

"Ibuyhair,"saidMadame."Takeyerhatoffandlet's

haveasightatthelooksofit."

Downrippledthebrowncascade.

"Twentydollars,"saidMadame,liftingthemasswitha

practisedhand.

"Giveittomequick,"saidDella.

Oh,andthenexttwohourstrippedbyonrosywings.

Forgetthehashedmetaphor.Shewasransackingthestores

forJim'spresent.

Shefounditatlast.ItsurelyhadbeenmadeforJim

andnooneelse.Therewasnootherlikeitinanyofthe

stores,andshehadturnedalloftheminsideout.Itwasa

platinumfobchainsimpleandchasteindesign,properly

proclaimingitsvaluebysubstancealoneandnotby

meretriciousornamentation--asallgoodthingsshoulddo.It

wasevenworthyofTheWatch.Assoonasshesawitsheknew

thatitmustbeJim's.Itwaslikehim.Quietnessand

value--thedescriptionappliedtoboth.Twenty-onedollars

theytookfromherforit,andshehurriedhomewiththe87

cents.WiththatchainonhiswatchJimmightbeproperly

anxiousaboutthetimeinanycompany.Grandasthewatch

was,hesometimeslookedatitontheslyonaccountofthe

oldleatherstrapthatheusedinplaceofachain.

WhenDellareachedhomeherintoxicationgavewaya

littletoprudenceandreason.Shegotouthercurlingirons

andlightedthegasandwenttoworkrepairingtheravages

madebygenerosityaddedtolove.Whichisalwaysa

tremendoustask,dearfriends--amammothtask.

Withinfortyminutesherheadwascoveredwithtiny,

close-lyingcurlsthatmadeherlookwonderfullylikea

truantschoolboy.Shelookedatherreflectioninthemirror

long,carefully,andcritically.

"IfJimdoesn'tkillme,"shesaidtoherself,"before

hetakesasecondlookatme,he'llsayIlooklikeaConey

Islandchorusgirl.ButwhatcouldIdo--oh!

whatcouldI

dowithadollarandeighty-sevencents?

"

At7o'clockthecoffeewasmadeandthefrying-panwas

onthebackofthestovehotandreadytocookthechops.

Jimwasneverlate.Delladoubledthefobchaininher

handandsatonthecornerofthetablenearthedoorthat

healwaysentered.Thensheheardhissteponthestair

awaydownonthefirstflight,andsheturnedwhitefor

justamoment.Shehadahabitofsayingalittlesilent

prayeraboutthesimplesteverydaythings,andnowshe

whispered:

"PleaseGod,makehimthinkIamstillpretty."

ThedooropenedandJimsteppedinandclosedit.He

lookedthinandveryserious.Poorfellow,hewasonly

twenty-two--andtobeburdenedwithafamily!

Heneededa

newovercoatandhewaswithoutgloves.

Jimstoppedinsidethedoor,asimmovableasasetter

atthescentofquail.HiseyeswerefixeduponDella,and

therewasanexpressioninthemthatshecouldnotread,and

itterrifiedher.Itwasnotanger,norsurprise,nor

disapproval,norhorror,noranyofthesentimentsthatshe

hadbeenpreparedfor.Hesimplystaredatherfixedlywith

thatpeculiarexpressiononhisface.

Dellawriggledoffthetableandwentforhim.

"Jim,darling,"shecried,"don'tlookatmethatway.

IhadmyhaircutoffandsoldbecauseIcouldn'thavelived

throughChristmaswithoutgivingyouapresent.It'llgrow

outagain--youwon'tmind,willyou?

Ijusthadtodoit.My

hairgrowsawfullyfast.Say`MerryChristmas!

'Jim,and

let'sbehappy.Youdon'tknowwhatanice--whata

beautiful,nicegiftI'vegotforyou."

"You'vecutoffyourhair?

"askedJim,laboriously,as

ifhehadnotarrivedatthatpatentfactyetevenafterthe

hardestmentallabor.

"Cutitoffandsoldit,"saidDella."Don'tyoulike

mejustaswell,anyhow?

I'mmewithoutmyhair,ain'tI?

"

Jimlookedabouttheroomcuriously.

"Yousayyourhairisgone?

"hesaid,withanair

almostofidiocy.

"Youneedn'tlookforit,"saidDella."It'ssold,I

tellyou--soldandgone,too.It'sChristmasEve,boy.Be

goodtome,foritwentforyou.Maybethehairsofmyhead

werenumbered,"shewentonwithsuddenserioussweetness,

"butnobodycouldevercountmyloveforyou.ShallIput

thechopson,Jim?

"

OutofhistranceJimseemedquicklytowake.He

enfoldedhisDella.Fortensecondsletusregardwith

discreetscrutinysomeinconsequentialobjectintheother

direction.Eightdollarsaweekoramillionayear--whatis

thedifference?

Amathematicianorawitwouldgiveyouthe

wronganswer.Themagibroughtvaluablegifts,butthatwas

notamongthem.Thisdarkassertionwillbeilluminated

lateron.

Jimdrewapackagefromhisovercoatpocketandthrew

ituponthetable.

"Don'tmakeanymistake,Dell,"hesaid,"aboutme.I

don'tthinkthere'sanythinginthewayofahaircutora

shaveorashampoothatcouldmakemelikemygirlanyless.

Butifyou'llunwrapthatpackageyoumayseewhyyouhadme

goingawhileatfirst."

Whitefingersandnimbletoreatthestringandpaper.

Andthenanecstaticscreamofjoy;andthen,alas!

aquick

femininechangetohystericaltearsandwails,necessitating

theimmediateemploymentofallthecomfortingpowersofthe

lordoftheflat.

FortherelayTheCombs--thesetofcombs,sideand

back,thatDellahadworshippedlonginaBroadwaywindow.

Beautifulcombs,puretortoiseshell,withjewelled

rims--justtheshadetowearinthebeautifulvanishedhair.

Theywereexpensivecombs,sheknew,andherhearthad

simplycravedandyearnedoverthemwithouttheleasthope

ofpossession.Andnow,theywerehers,butthetressesthat

shouldhaveadornedthecovetedadornmentsweregone.

Butshehuggedthemtoherbosom,andatlengthshewas

abletolookupwithdimeyesandasmileandsay:

"Myhair

growssofast,Jim!

"

AndthenDellaleapeduplikealittlesing