ONE DOLLAR AND EIGHTY-SEVEN CENTS.T

ONE DOLLAR AND EIGHTY-SEVEN CENTS.
That was all. She had put it aside, one cent and then another and then
another, in her careful buying of meat and other food. Della counted
it three times. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day
would be Christmas.
There was nothing to do but fall on the bed and cry. So Della did it.
While the lady of the home is slowly growing quieter, we can
look at the home. Furnished rooms at a cost of $8 a week. There is little
more to say about it.
In the hall below was a letter-box too small to hold a letter. There
was an electric bell, but it could not make a sound. Also there was a
name beside the door: “Mr. James Dillingham Young.”
1
O . H e n r y
When the name was placed there, Mr. James Dillingham Young
was being paid $30 a week. Now, when he was being paid only $20 a
week, the name seemed too long and important. It should perhaps have
been “Mr. James D. Young.” But when Mr. James Dillingham Young
entered the furnished rooms, his name became very short indeed. Mrs.
James Dillingham Young put her arms warmly about him and called
him “Jim.” You have already met her. She is Della.
Della finished her crying and cleaned the marks of it from her face.
She stood by the window and looked out with no interest. Tomorrow
would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy
Jim a gift. She had put aside as much as she could for months, with this
result. Twenty dollars a week is not much. Everything had cost more
than she had expected. It always happened like that.
Only $ 1.87 to buy a gift for Jim. Her Jim. She had had many happy
hours planning something nice for him. Something nearly good enough.
Something almost worth the honor of belonging to Jim.
There was a looking-glass between the windows of the room. Perhaps
you have seen the kind of looking-glass that is placed in $8 furnished
rooms. It was very narrow. A person could see only a little of
himself at a time. However, if he was very thin and moved very quickly,
he might be able to get a good view of himself. Della, being quite thin,
had mastered this art.
Suddenly she turned from the window and stood before the glass.
Her eyes were shining brightly, but her face had lost its color. Quickly
she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its complete length.
The James Dillingham Youngs were very proud of two things which
they owned. One thing was Jim’s gold watch. It had once belonged to
his father. And, long ago, it had belonged to his father’s father. The
other thing was Della’s hair.
If a queen had lived in the rooms near theirs, Della would have
washed and dried her hair where the queen could see it. Della knew
her hair was more beautiful than any queen’s jewels and gifts.
If a king had lived in the same house, with all his riches, Jim would
have looked at his watch every time they met. Jim knew that no king
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T h e G i f t o f t h e M a g i
had anything so valuable.
So now Della’s beautiful hair fell about her, shining like a falling
stream of brown water. It reached below her knee. It almost made itself
into a dress for her.
And then she put it up on her head again, nervously and quickly.
Once she stopped for a moment and stood still while a tear or two ran
down her face.
She put on her old brown coat. She put on her old brown hat.
With the bright light still in her eyes, she moved quickly out the door
and down to the street.
Where she stopped, the sign said: “Mrs. Sofronie. Hair Articles
of all Kinds.”
Up to the second floor Della ran, and stopped to get her breath.
Mrs. Sofronie, large, too white, cold-eyed, looked at her.
“Will you buy my hair?” asked Della.
“I buy hair,” said Mrs. Sofronie. “Take your hat off and let me look
at it.”
Down fell the brown waterfall.
“Twenty dollars,” said Mrs. Sofronie, lifting the hair to feel its
weight.
“Give it to me quick,” said Della.
Oh, and the next two hours seemed to fly. She was going from
one shop to another, to find a gift for Jim.
She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one
else. There was no other like it in any of the shops, and she had looked
in every shop in the city.
It was a gold watch chain, very simply made. Its value was in its
rich and pure material. Because it was so plain and simple, you knew
that it was very valuable. All good things are like this.
It was good enough for The Watch.
As soon as she saw it, she knew that Jim must have it. It was like
him. Quietness and value—Jim and the chain both had quietness and
value. She paid twenty-one dollars for it. And she hurried home with
the chain and eighty-seven cents.
3
O . Henry
With that chain on his watch, Jim could look at his watch and
learn the time anywhere he might be. Though the watch was so fine,
it had never had a fine chain. He sometimes took it out and looked at
it only when no one could see him do it.
When Della arrived home, her mind quieted a little. She began to
think mo

ผลลัพธ์ (แอฟริกา) 1:

Een dollar sewe en tagtig SENT.
Dit was al. Sy het dit ter syde gestel, en dan nog 'n sent en dan
'n ander, in haar versigtig Koop vleis en ander kos. Getel della
Drie keer dit. Een dollar sewe en tagtig sent. Dag en die volgende
sal wees Kersfees.
Daar was niks om te doen, maar op die Val Bed en huil. So Della dit gedoen het.
Terwyl die Lady van die stadig groeiende Home is stiller, Kan ons
kyk na die Huis. Gemeubileerde kamers teen 'n koste van 8 $ per week. Klein is daar
meer te sê het oor dit.
In die saal Hier was 'n brief-boks te klein om 'n brief te hou. Daar
was 'n elektriese Bell, maar dit kon nie 'n geluid. Ook was daar 'n
NAAM Langs die deur: "Mnr James Dillingham Young. "
1
O. H enryk
Wanneer was die naam daar geplaas word, mnr James Dillingham Young
is betaal $ 30 per week. Nou, wanneer hy word betaal slegs $ 20 per
week, die NAAM was te lank en belangrike. Dit moet miskien
is "Mr. James D. Young. "Maar toe mnr James Dillingham Young
die Rooms verstrek geloop, baie kort is inderdaad sy Naam. Mev
James Dillingham Young sit haar arms hartlik en het na hom geroep oor
hom "Jim." Jy het haar reeds vergader. Sy is Della.
Della het haar geroep en skoongemaak dit uit die punte van haar gesig.
Sy staan by en kyk by die venster uit met geen belangstelling. Môre
sal Kersdag wees, en sy het net $ 1,87 waarmee om te koop
Jim 'n geskenk. Sy het soveel as opsy Sy kon sit vir maande, met die
resultaat. Twintig dollar per week is nie veel nie. Alles moes koste meer
as wat sy verwag het. Dit gebeur altyd so nie.
Slegs $ 1,87 'n geskenk te koop vir Jim. Haar Jim. Sy het baie gelukkige moes
ure beplan vir hom iets mooi. Genoeg byna iets goeds.
Iets ter waarde van bykans die eer van behoort aan Jim.
Daar was 'n spieël tussen die vensters van die kamer. Miskien
Julle het self gesien die aard van die spieël wat geplaas word in $ 8 gemeubileerde
kamers. Dit was baie smal. 'N Persoon kan net sien 'n bietjie van
homself op 'n slag. Maar as Hy baie dun en baie vinnig beweeg was,
Hy sou kan bekostig 'n goeie vertoning van homself wees. Della, wat nogal 'n dun,
het hierdie kuns bemeester het.
Skielik Sy draai van die venster en gaan staan voor die glas.
Haar oë is helder skyn, maar haar gesig Kleur SY verloor het. Vinnig
Sy afgetrek en haar hare laat val om sy volledige lengte.
Die James Dillingham Young was baie trots op twee dinge wat
hulle besit. Een ding was Jim se goue horlosie. Dit het eens behoort aan
sy Vader. En, lank gelede, het dit behoort aan vader van sy vader. Die
ander ding wat was Della se hare.
As 'n koningin in die nabye s'n Rooms gewoon het, sou Della het
gewas en haar hare gedroogde waar die Koningin dit kon sien. Della geweet
haar pragtige hare was meer as 'n koningin se juwele en geskenke.
As 'n koning in dieselfde huis gewoon het, met al sy rykdom, Jim sou
gelyk het na sy horlosie elke keer as hulle ontmoet. Het geweet dat geen Jim King
2
T G Iftofthe M AGI Hy
het so waardevol niks.
So nou Della se Beautiful omtrent haar geval het, skyn soos 'n val
Brown stroom water. Dit bereik onder haar knie. self byna Made
In 'n rok vir haar.
En dan het sy dit op haar kop Weereens, senuweeagtig en vinnig.
Sodra Sy gestop vir 'n oomblik en daar bly staan, terwyl 'n traan of twee hardloop
oor haar wange.
Sy het op haar ou Brown. rok. . Sy het haar op Old Brown hoed
Met die Bright Light nog in haar oë, sy beweeg vinnig by die deur uit
. En af na die Street
waar sy opgehou, die Teken gesê: "Mev Sofronie. Hair artikels
van alle soorte. "
Tot die tweede verdieping Della geloop en gestop om haar asem kom.
Mev Sofronie, Groot, te wit, koue oë, kyk na haar.
"Sal Jy koop My Hair?" Vra Della.
"Ek koop Hair," sê mev Sofronie. "Trek jou hoed en laat my kyk
na dit."
Brown hemel geval het die waterval.
"Twintig dollar," sê mev Sofronie, die opheffing van Voel die hare van sy
gewig.
"Gee dit vir my 'n vinnige," het Della.
O ,. en die volgende twee uur was om te vlieg. Sy gaan uit
vir mekaar winkel, om Vind 'n geskenk vir Jim.
Sy het dit uiteindelik. Dit is sekerlik gemaak vir Jim en niemand
anders nie. Daar was geen ander soos dit in enige van die winkels, en sy het gekyk
in elke winkel in die stad.
Dit was 'n ketting goue horlosie, Made baie eenvoudig. Die waarde daarvan SY was in
'n ryk en suiwer materiaal. Want dit was so plain en simpel, jy het geweet
dat dit was baie waardevol. Dinge soos hierdie is alles goed.
Dit was goed genoeg vir Die Watch.
Sodra dit sy sien, sy het geweet dat Jim dit moet hê. Dit was soos
hom. Rus en die waarde-beide Jim en die ketting moes stil wees en
WAARDE. Sy betaal een en twintig dollars vir dit. Sy haas en Huis met
die ketting en sewe en tagtig sent.
3
O. Henry
Daarmee ketting op sy horlosie, Jim kon kyk op sy horlosie en
Leer Enigeplek kan Hy die tyd. Hoewel die Beeldende Watch so was,
het dit nog nooit 'n Fyn ketting. Hy het dit soms uit en kyk na
dit net vir niemand kon sien hy dit doen.
Wanneer Della by die huis aangekom, het haar siel 'n bietjie rus. Sy het begin om
Dink MO