The Gift of the Magi is one of the most popular O.Henry stories. It is one that shot him to immediate fame.



You may know already that O.Henry had the job of an accountant at a bank at one time and he was wrongly convicted of embezzlement and consequently imprisoned. He wrote many of his stories while serving his time in the prison. Yet, without being didactic, his stories convey the morals of love, compassion and humor.



This is one of such stories that relates the tale of sacrifice that two lovers made for each other during a Christmas eve. A tale of the triumph of love over poverty.



http://sathyaish.net/stories/TheGiftOfTheMagi.aspx