What a writer can learn from O. Henry's works

O. Henry wrote a lot of short stories some of them are really interesting and have great surprise endings.  Being a writer I see how well his writing is and try to understand what words he uses and how he goes about making the story come alive.

As writers, we seek to accomplish this. All his stories as different. He has wrote a lot, I mean a lot, of short stories. Some start in second person (you did this) some times he writes in fist ( I did this) and also third person ( he did it). So whether you write in one of the persons or want to try something new all this stories give great perspective no mater which person he uses. I really enjoy his stories.




Some of his stories I have read:

⇨ The Ransom of Little Red Chief

⇨The Green Door

⇨The Gift of the Magi

⇨Sleuth

⇨The Skylight Room

⇨Man About Town

⇨The Cop and the Anthem

⇨From the Cabby's Seat

⇨Between Rounds

⇨The Detective Detector

⇨A Retrieved Reformation

There are a lot more stories I haven't read yet but I plan to soon. They are easy short reads. Some have detectives, some have mystery and some have renegades and thieves.
He has intriguing beginnings and decryption that makes the stories more life like.

Here are some examples....

"Woman!" said Mr. McCaskey dashing his coat and hat upon a chair, "the noise of ye is an insult to me appetite. When you run down the politeness ye take the mortar from between the bricks of the foundation of society. 'Tis no more exercisin' the acrimony of a gentleman when ye ask the dissent of ladies blockin' the way for steppin' between them. Will ye bring the pig's face of ye out of the windy and see to the food?"
Mrs. McCaskey arose heavily and went to the stove. There was something in her manner that warned Mr. McCaskey. When the corners of her mouth went down suddenly like a barometer it usually foretold a fall of crockery and tinware. 
"Pig's face, it is?" said Mrs. McCaskey, and hurled a stewpan full of bacon and turnips at her lord. 
* from the story "Between Rounds".
In this part I like how O. Henry used the word "dashing his coat and hat" and, makes the argument and fight realistic.

It looked like a good thing: but wait till I tell you. We were down South, in Alabama- Bill Driscoll and myself- when the kidnapping idea stuck us. It was, as Bill afterwords expressed it, "during a moment of temporary mental apparition."; but we didn't find that out till later.
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Just then we heard a kind of  war-whoop, such as David might have emitted when he knocked out the champion Goliath. It was a sling that Red Chief had pulled out of his pocket , and he was whirling it around  his head. 
I dodged, and heard a heavy thud and a kind of sigh, like a horse gives our when you take his saddle off. A rock the size of an egg had caught Bill just behind the his left ear. He loosened himself all over and fell in the fire across the across the the frying pan of hot water for washing the dishes. I dragged him out and poured cold water on his head for a half an hour. 
* from the story "The Ransom of Red Chief".
This story is so fun. The starting is intriguing. And you know they say to use 'like for something else' he dose it very effectively.

That would be adventure. Would you except it? Not you. 

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True adventurers have never been plentifully. They who are set down in print as such have mostly been business mans with newly invented methods They have been out after the things they wanted-- golden fleeces, holy grails, lady loves, treasure, crowns, and fates. 
* from the story "The Green Door".
This one has an alluring beginning talking about adventure with some second person in there.

To conclude I think O. Henry's short stories are a great writers tool to study and learn from. I hope you read some of his stories.
Have you read any of O. Henry's stories?
If so which ones did you like?
What stories do you like to study?
Tell me below.