I have a copy of “O.Henry’s New York” on my bookshelves and when I want a smile or two, I re-read it. His witty narration can be read and read again with enjoyment. So let us look this week at his short life of 47 years.
William Sidney Porter was born in Greensboro, N. C. September 11, 1862 and moved to Texas in 1882. His father was a physician. His mother died when William was three after giving birth to her third child. In 1879 he began working in his uncle’s drug store and by 1881 he was licensed as a pharmacist. He began to show his natural artistic talents by sketching the residents of Greensboro.
In 1882 Porter lived on a sheep ranch in La Salle County, Texas. He helped out as a shepherd, ranch hand, cook and baby-sitter. He learned bits of Spanish and German from the immigrant ranch hands. Later he moved to Austin and worked as a pharmacist. Then he worked at the Harrell Cigar Store in the Driskill Hotel. He began writing as a sideline and wrote many of his early stories there.
Bachelor Porter led an active social life in Austin. He was known for his wit, story-telling, and musical talents. He played the guitar and mandolin. He sang in the choir at St. David’s Episcopal Church. He met Athol Estes, 17 years old and from a wealthy family. July 1, 1887 they eloped. Athol gave birth to a son in 1888, who died hours after birth and then a daughter was born in 1889.
Porter took a job as a draftsman at the Texas General Land Office at a salary of $100 a month. He drew maps from surveys and field notes. He began working as a teller and bookkeeper at the First National Bank of Austin. In 1894 he was accused of embezzlement by the bank and lost the job. Federal authorities found the shortages and he was arrested on the charges. Porter was due to stand trial in 1896, but instead fled to New Orleans and then to Honduras. He lived in Honduras for six months. There he became friends with Al Jennings, a notorious train robber.
Porter returned to Austin when he learned his wife was dying from tuberculosis. At his subsequent trail, he was found guilty in 1898 of embezzling $854.08. He was sentenced to five years in prison. While there he had 14 stories published and become known as O.Henry. He left prison in 1901 for good behavior after serving three years.
Porter’s prolific writing period started in 1902 when he moved to New York City. While there he wrote 381 short stories. He married again in 1907 to childhood sweetheart Sarah Coleman. His heavy drinking marked deteriorating health which affected his writing. In 1909 Sarah left him and he died June 5, 1910 of cirrhosis of the liver. He was buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, N.C..
The O.Henry Award is an annual prize given to outstanding short stories. The O.Henry House in Austin has been the site of the O.Henry Pun-Off since 1978 which is an annual spoken word competition inspired by his love of language. In 1962 the Soviet Postal Service issued a stamp commemorating O.Henry’s 100th birthday. In 2012 the United States Postal Service issued a stamp commemorating the 150th anniversary of his birth.
Who remembers reading his “The Gift of the Magi” or “The Pendulum” or “The Making of a New Yorker” or “Innocents of Broadway”? Each story is filled with wit and human drama. Even though I know the endings, it is still beautiful to read the weavings of prose and word poetry. He said ”I would like to live a lifetime on each street in New York. Every house has a drama in it.” By the grace of his writing, we can live on those streets, too.