best seller

THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF O HENRY
O. Henry was an
American writer whose
short stories are
known for wit,
wordplay and clever
twist endings. He
wrote nearly 600 stories
about life in America.

He was born as William Sidney Porter on September
11,1862 in Greensboro, north Carolina. His father
Algernon Sidney Porter, was a medical doctor. When
William was three his mother died and he was raised
by his grandmother and aunt. He left school at the
age of 15 and then had a number of jobs, including
bank clerk. In 1896 he was accused of embezzlement.
He absconded from the law to New Orleans and later
fled to Honduras. When he learned that his wife was
dying, he returned to US and surrendered to police.
Although there has been much debate over his actual
guilt, he was convicted of embezzling funds from the
bank that employed him, he was sentenced to 5 years
in jail. In 1898 he was sent to the penitentiary in
Columbus, Ohio.

While in prison he began writing short stories in order
to support his young daughter Margaret. His first
published story was "Whistling Dick's Christmas
Stocking" (1899). He used a pseudonym, Olivier Henry,
only once and changed his pen name to O. Henry, not
wanting his readers to know he was in jail. He
published 12 stories while in prison. After serving 3
years of the five-year sentence, he was released for
good behavior. He moved to New York City in 1902
and wrote a story a week for the New York World,
and also for other publishers. His first collection of
stories was "Cabbages and Kings" (1904). The next
collection, "The Four Million" (1906), included his well-
known stories "The Gift of the Magi", "The Skylight
Room" and "The Green Door". One of his last stories,
"The Ransom of Red Chief" (1910), is perhaps the best
known of his works.

•John A Pescud worked for Cambria Steel Works and was a
travelling plate-glass seller for the company.
•He was a different kind of man. Now, the narrator met him the
second time on a train bound to Pittsburg.
•The latter was going to Cocktown, on the way to Pittsburg.
Having found him reading the best seller novel, ‘The Rose
Lady and Trevelyan,’ the narrator and John began to talk
about the impossibilities of such novels in the modern world
because the novel was about an American rich man marrying a
princess from Europe.
•Both the narrator and John agreed upon this.
•When the narrator asked John if he had got married, John told
him how he met his wife Jessie in a similar situation as that of
the novel’s storyline.
• Last year, John was in a train. Among the passengers, his eyes
met a beautiful young woman. John wanted to talk to her.

• When she alighted from the train at a station, John followed
her.
• He kept business aside and madly chased for the woman,
changing trains whenever she did.
• Finally the train stops at a station in Virginia and the woman
gets down there. An old man comes to receive the woman.
• John follows the woman.
• Upon reaching the woman’s house, John stood dazed,
shocked! The house she went into looked like a palace, a little
old one.
• It was unbelievable. Was he following a princess after all?
Who is she? Who was that old man? John decided to know all
that about her.
• He lodged at Hotel Bay View House from where he could see
the woman’s ‘palace.’ He learnt that she was the daughter of
Colonel Allyn, the most known family in Virginia.

41. ‘ Well, that tickled me 1. ‘No Kidding’, says I. ‘I’m
not looking for smoke 2, even if I do come from
Pittsburg.’
42. ‘ You are quite a distance from home,’ says she.
43. ‘ I’d have gone a thousand miles farther,’ says I.
1Tickled me – Made him laugh.
2 Smoke – [here] nothing.

44. ‘ Not if you hadn’t woken up when the train
started in Shelbyville,’ says she; and then she
turned almost as red as one of the roses on the
bushes in the yard. I remembered I had dropped
off to sleep on a bench in the Shelbyville station,
waiting to see which train she took, and only just
managed to wake up in time.’

45. ‘ And then I told her why I had come, as
respectful and earnest 1as I could. And I told her
everything about myself, and what I was making,
and how that all I asked was just to get
acquainted 2with her and to try to get her to like
me.’
1 Earnest - Showing sincere and intense conviction.
Example: An earnest student.
2 Acquainted - Brought into social contact; made familiar
Example: People acquainted through mutual friends.

46. ‘ She smiles a little and blushes some, but her eyes
never get mixed up. They look straight at
whatever she’s talking to.’
47. ‘ I never had anyone talk to me like this before,
Mr. Pescud,’ says she. ‘What did you say your
name is – John?’

48. ‘ John A.,’ says I.
49. ‘ And you came mighty near missing the train at
Powhatan Junction, too,’ says she with a laugh
that sounded as good as a mileage-book to me.’
50. ‘ How did you know? ’ I asked.

51. ‘ Men are very clumsy,’ said she. ‘ I know you
were on every train. I thought you were going to
speak to me, and I’m glad you didn’t.’
52. ‘ Then we had more talk; and at last a kind of
proud, serious look came to her face, and she
turned and pointed a finger at the big house.’

53. ‘ The Allyns,’ says she, ‘have lived in Elmcroft for
a hundred years. We are a proud family. Look at
that mansion 1. It has fifty rooms. See the pillars
and porches 2 and balconies. The ceilings in the
reception-rooms and the ball-room are twenty-
eight feet high. My father is lineal descendant of
belted earls 3.’
1Mansion – A large, impressive house. E.g. The King has a big mansion.
2Porch – A covered shelter projecting in front of the entrance of a building.
E.g. We sat out on the porch to cool off.
3Belted earls – Until the 17th century, an earl was invested by the king with a sword
he wore at his waist. Hence, he was called a ‘belted earl’.

54. ‘Of course,' she goes on, 'my father wouldn't allow
a drummer to set his foot in Elmcroft. If he knew
that I was talking to one over the fence, he would
lock me in my room.’
55. ‘Would you let me come there?' says I. 'Would
you talk to me if I was to call? For,' I goes on, 'if
you said I might come and see you?’

56. 'I must not talk to you,' she says, 'because we have
not been introduced. It is not exactly proper. So I
will say good-bye, Mr.--'
57. 'Say the name,' says I. 'You haven't forgotten it.'
58. 'Pescud,' says she, a little mad.
59. 'The rest of the name!' I demands, cool as could
be.
60. 'John,' says she.

61. 'John-what?' I says.
62. 'John A.,' says she, with her head high. 'Are you
through, now?‘
63. 'I'm coming to see the belted earl tomorrow,' I
says.
64. ‘ He'll feed you to his fox-hounds 1,' says she,
laughing.
1Fox – hounds - a dog of a smooth-haired breed with drooping ears, often trained
to hunt foxes in packs over long distances.

65. ‘ If he does, it'll improve their running,’ says I. 'I'm
something of a hunter myself.’
66. ‘ I must be going in now,' says she. 'I oughtn't to
have spoken to you at all. I hope you'll have a
pleasant trip back to Minneapolis - or Pittsburgh,
was it? Good-bye!'

67. 'Good-night,' says I, 'and it wasn't Minneapolis.
What's your name, first, please?‘
68. ‘She hesitated. Then she pulled a leaf off a bush,
and said:
69. 'My name is Jessie,' says she.
70. 'Good - night, Miss Allyn,' says I.

71. ‘ The next morning at eleven, sharp, I rang the
door-bell of that World's Fair main building.
After about three-quarters of an hour an old man
about eighty showed up and asked what I
wanted. I gave him my business card, and said I
wanted to see the colonel 1. He showed me in.’
1Colonel - a rank of officer in the army and in the US air force.

Questions and answer
What were the views of Pescud on
‘Best sellers’?
John Pescud was
quick to express his
opinion on best seller
. He considered that
they are far removed
from reality . All the
best seller are alike.
He thinks that writers
should not mix
Turkish pashas with
Vermont farmers or
Cincinnati agents with
the rajas of India , but
in reality people
generally hunt up
somebody in their
‘own station’.

Describe the first meeting of Pescud and
Jessie?
John was travelling to
Cincinnati when he saw
the finest maiden of all
and fell in love then he
followed her all the way
to her hometown keeping
a sharp unpredictable
distance from her eyes.
He went in a hotel for the
night to stay where the
manager on asking said
that the biggest mansion
at top of the hill was of
colonel Allyn then
suddenly the maiden of
his dreams came, he went
to her and started the
conversation, which
ended with her revealing
the truth that she knew
john was following her
and she was glad that he
didn't talked with her

Describe John A. Pescud’s meeting
with the Colonel Allyn ? What was
result?
The next morning he
went there by showing
his business card and
by pretending that he
wanted to sell those
plate glasses and hence
wanted to meet colonel
Allyn . The Colonel
made him comfortable
and narrated anecdotes
, humorous occurrences
and a fox hunting story.
The place was a dead
coffin and he with
shaken legs, numb
hands and crack voice
talked to the colonel
and after sometime
came to the point and
asked for the girl’s
hand and to his surprise
the Colonel gave an
unexpected answer by
agreeing.

 3. Based on your reading of the story, answer the following questions by
choosing the correct option.

 (a) The narrator says that John was "______ of the suff that heroes are not often
lucky enough to be made of." His tone is sarcastic because __________.
 (i) he hated John
 (ii) he felt that John was a threat to him
 (iii) John was not particularly good-looking
 (iv) nobody liked John

 Answer

 (iii) John was not particularly good-looking

 (b) Pescud felt that best-sellers were not realistic as____________.
 (i) American farmers had nothing in common with European princesses
 (ii) men generally married girls from a similar background
 (iii) American men married girls who studied in America
 (iv) American men did not know fencing and were beaten by the Swiss guards

 Answer

 (ii) men generally married girls from a similar background

 (c) "Bully", said Pescud brightening at once. He means to say that ____________.
 (i) he is a bully
 (ii) his manager was a bully
 (iii) he was being bullied by his co-workers
 (iv) he was doing very well at his job

 Answer

 (iv) he was doing very well at his job

 Page No: 52

 (d) The narrator says that life has no geographical bounds implying that __________.
 (i) human beings are essentially the same everywhere
 (ii) boundaries exist only on maps
 (iii) one should work towards the good of mankind
 (iv) he was happy to travel to other countries

 Answer

 (i) human beings are essentially the same everywhere

 4. Answer the following questions briefly.

 (a) One day last summer the author was travelling to Pittsburg by chair car. What does he say about
his co-passengers?

 Answer

 The compartment was full of affluent people, men and women,
sitting in their chair-cars. Women were fashionably dressed in
brown silk dresses with laces and veils. Men appeared to be
travelling on account of
business.

 (b) Who was the passenger of chair No.9? What did he suddenly
do?

 Answer

 The passenger of Chair No. 9 was a man from Pittsburgh named
John, an old friend of writer.
 He suddenly threw his book between his chair and window. The
name of book was the 'The Rose Lady and Trevelyan', one of the
bestselling novels of the present day.

 (c) What was John A. Pescud's opinion about best sellers? Why?


 Answer

 Pescud believed that the stories about best-sellers were not realistic. The themes revolved
around
romances between royals and commoners, fencing, imaginative encounters and all the stuff
that never happens in real life. In real life, one would always select a prospective bride from
a similar background.

 (d) What does John say about himself since his last meeting with the author?

 Answer

 John, since his last meeting with the author was on the line of general prosperity. He had
his salary doubled twice and had bought “a neat slice of real estate.” His company was to
sell him some shares of stock the coming year. Much settled in life, he had even taken some
time off to experience some romance of which he tells the author next.

 (e) How did John's first meeting with Jessie's father go? What did the author tell him?

 Answer

 John’s first meeting with Jessie’s father was successful, since it set the tone for a possible
alliance in
future. John not only made his proposal, stated his intentions in clear terms, but also made
Jessie’s father
laugh with his anecdotes and stories.

 (f) Why did John get off at Coketown?
Answer
Jessie had fancied some petunias in one of the windows and she wanted to plant them in her new house.
So Pescud thought of dropping at Coketown to dig or get some cuttings of flowers for her.
(g) John is a hypocrite. Do you agree with this statement? Substantiate your answer.
Answer
Yes, I believe that John is a hypocrite. The word hypocrite means the person tries to shows what he is not.
John is such type of man. He said that he did not believe in the romance portrayed in best sellers. He
believed the stories too good to be true. However, his own story was fantastical. His wife, the only
daughter of the oldest family in Virginia, met him, an ordinary travel salesman of a plate glass company,
in a journey where he would have least expected to find his life partner. Their courtship also was too
fantastical, and even after all the episode, the fashion in which Pescud criticised love stories of best sellers
proves him to be a hypocrite.
 (h) Describe John A. Pescud with reference to the following points:
 Physical appearance ............................................................................................
 His philosophy on behaviour ...............................................................................
 His profession ......................................................................................................
 His first impression of his wife ...........................................................................
 His success ..........................................................................................................


 Answer

 Physical appearance: John was not particularly good looking
 His philosophy on behaviour: A man should be decent and law
abiding in her/his hometown
 His profession: A travelling salesman for a plate glass company
 His first impression of his wife: A very fine girl, whose job was to
make this world prettier just by residing in it
 His success: Much successful John had had his salary raised twice
in the previous year and his company was to give him a few shares
as well.

 5. Complete the flow chart in the correct sequence as it happens in
the story.
 Hint: it begins from the time John Pescud first saw Jessie till the
time they marry.

 (1)
 Jessie takes a sleeper to Louisville.
 (2)
 Pescud sees a girl (Jessie) reading a book in the train.

 (3)
 Pescud speaks to the girl (Jessie) for the first time.
 (4)
 Pescud follows her but finds it difficult to keep up.
 (5)
 Pescud goes to the village to find out about the mansion.
 (6)
 Jessie arrives at Virginia.
 (7)
 Pescud meets Jessie's father.
 (8)
 They get married a year later.
 (9)
 Pescud instantly gets attracted to the girl (Jessie)
 (10)
 Jessie informs Pescud that her father would not approve of them meeting.
 (11)
 They meet alone two days later.
 Answer

 (2)
 Pescud sees a girl (Jessie) reading a book in the train.
 (9)
 Pescud instantly gets attracted to the girl (Jessie)
 (1)

 (1)
 (4)
 Pescud follows her but finds it difficult to keep up.
 (6)
 Jessie arrives at Virginia.
 (5)
 Pescud goes to the village to find out about the mansion
 (3)
 Pescud speaks to the girl (Jessie) for the first time.
 (10)
 Jessie informs Pescud that her father would not approve of them meeting.
 (7)
 Pescud meets Jessie's father.
 (11)
 They meet alone two days later
 (8)
 They get married a year later.

Page No: 53
6. Irony refers to the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of their literal meaning. Working in pairs, bring out the
irony in the following:
(a) The title of the story, “The Best seller”.
Answer
The Best Seller is supposed to be most popular and likeable. But John Pescud throws the best seller “The Rose Lady and Trevelyan” to
the floor of the chair car. He later says that all bestsellers have the same unrealistic romantic stories.
(b) Pescud's claim, “When people in real life marry, they generally hunt up somebody in their own station. A fellow usually picks out a
girl who went to the same high-school and belonged to the same singing-society that he did.”

 Pescud told the author that unlike the stories of the bestsellers, in real
life people marry somebody in their own place. Someone who has been
educated in a similar type of school and has grown up in a similar
background. Yet the irony behind his claim is seen in his own life
history. The moment he saw the unknown girl on the train, he fell in love
with her, without much knowledge about her. He followed her to her
destination and even after finding out that she lived in Elmcroft, Virginia, in
a 50 room mansion, belonged to the oldest family in the state and her
father was a descendent of the belted Earls he did not give up his pursuit.
In spite of coming from totally different walks of life-he being an ordinary
travelling salesman, their paths met and he went on to marry her.


 (c) The name Trevelyan.

 Answer

 Trevelyan is the hero of the bestseller novel “The Rose Lady and
Trevelyan.” Pescud condemns such best sellers and makes fun of its
unrealistic characters. But at the end of the story, the author calls Pescud a
Trevelyan because he had behaved almost like the hero of the bestseller.

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