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Takes Hackneyed View
M o r e important discoveries,
which nevertheless are no more in-
dicative of the care with which this
"Bibliography" has been prepared,
would include the little known fact
that "Money Maze" as first pub-
lished in "Ainslee's" in 1901 fur-
nished the plot of "Cabbages and
Kings," 0. Henry's first book, and
the chapter "Money Maze" in the
book did not contain a single sen-
tence or paragraph from the orig-
inal version.
Mr. Clarkson, at the outset, prom-
ises "to withhold all personal criti-
cism or appraisal" of 0. Henry's
works, admitting that such writing
"has no place in a work of this
sort." But Mr. Clarkson's comments
on whether Porter was guilty or not
of bank embezzlement makes one
wish Mr. Clarkson had made a rule
not to delve into the biographical
f ield. He takes the view that Por-
ter was "the unfortunate victim"
of a loose banking system in Texas,
thus falling into the hackneyed po-
sition of Porter's various biog-
raphers. Many admirers of 0.
Henry as a great writer and as a
lovable character must admit that
he perhaps was guilty of the crime
for which he served three years
and three months in prison. This
fact makes him no less charming
in the fiction of his own hand or
the facts of his personal life.
Magazine Stories Reviewed
An appendix to Mr. Clarkson's
book brings to the 0. Henry collec-
tors and students several little-
known pieces of Porter's writings,
including "The Miracle of Lava
Canyon," said to be Porter's first
short story.
Other items included in this sec-
tion are several poems not appear-
ing in Porter's collected works and
a letter written to the editors of
Hampton's Magazine about a prize
contest in connection with the story,
"Thimble, Thimble," published by
that magazine in 1908.
Although 0. Henry wrote ap-
proximately 275 short stories, only
about 135 of these stories originally
appeared in magazines. Mr. Clark-
son devotes one section of his
"Bibliography" to the magazine
stories. He points out that with
"few and minor exceptions" he has
"seen and can personally vouch
for the appearance of every" story
in the source, at the date, and un-
der the author's name ascribed to
it. His first story, however, to
be published by a magazine was
written under the name of 0. Hen-
ry, appearing in McClure's Maga-
zine in December, 1899,
The publishers have done a most
pleasing job in the printing of the
O. Henry bibliography. The fron-
tispiece is the famous portrait of
O. Henry made by W. M. Van Der
Weyde, who perhaps took more in-
timate pictures of the shy Bill:
Porter than any other photogra-
pher. Libraries can not afford to
be without this book and collectors
and readers of O. Henry alike want
it because it is the best piece of O.
Henryana ever done by anyone.
* * *
Poernler-Calveri
SOccial to Sun day Arnarcan-Sta it.esn
NEW BRAUNFELS, Jan. 7.--Mrs.
Laura Calvert of New Braunfels
and E. J. Poerner of San Antonio
were married in San Antonio Sat-
urday. They will live in San An-
tonio.