My tussle with the devil, and other stories by O. Henry
QR code
My tussle with the devil, and other stories by O. Henry. It is a collection of short stories, parables, and prose poems written in the early 20th century. Framed in a spiritualist vein, the book meditates on the afterlife, moral choice, love, cruelty, and war, often personifying abstract forces and urging readers toward compassion and inner awakening. The volume opens with claims of messages “from beyond,” then unfolds a series of allegorical
vignettes: the title tale stages a sumptuous temptation by a majestic Devil that the narrator decisively rejects; “The Contest” pits a seductive Life against a radiant Death; other pieces recast chain-gang misery, grief, and wartime loss through the transfiguring power of Love. Animals, flowers, and jewels become teachers—condemning cruelty (a vivisected spaniel), honoring loyalty (a ghostly dog who brings a slipper), and urging seekers to value the “diamond” of love above rubies or emeralds. Domestic memories, homely wisdom, and dockside camaraderie (with the dog Dakta choosing “brothers” for a redemptive mission) reinforce the book’s ethic of kindness. Later entries reimagine “munitions” as Kindness, Joy, and Love; depict dying as “going home”; and culminate in a quest in which the key to the Temple of Knowledge is simply love, before a final vision of Peace unfolding its golden wings over a renewed world. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
Kobo, Nook etc → Transfer via USB
Phone, tablet or computer → Open in a reading app
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Henry, O. (Spirit), 1862-1910 |
|---|---|
| Contributor | Pratt, A. Houghton (Albert Houghton), 1878-1941 |
| Title | My tussle with the devil, and other stories |
| Original Publication | New York: I. M. Y. Company, 1918. |
| Note | Received via a Ouija Board. |
| Note | "The barrage fire" (the introduction) signed: Parma (a pseudonym for Albert Houghton Pratt). |
| Contents | My tussle with the devil -- The contest -- Sleeping -- Yearning -- Animals -- Flowers -- Jewels -- Remembrances -- Munitions -- Going home -- My hearth -- The three H's -- The senses -- Fancies -- Yesterday, to-day -- Action, reaction -- A vision. |
| Credits | Charlene Taylor, Tom Trussel and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction |
| Subject | Spirit writings |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 77686 |
| Release Date | Jan 12, 2026 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 311 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!