Find This O.Henry Toast
November 29, 2004 10:44 AM   Subscribe

Toastfilter- I'm looking for the entirety of a toast mentioned in an O. Henry short story. "May the blessings of another year be upon this hearth. The guest and upon her who..." [MI]

Google-fu and searches on countless toasting sites have proved useless. I'm throwing this out to see if anyone knows the rest of it. Here's the excerpt from O. Henry's "Compliments of the Season."

Fuzzy lifted his glass and smiled vacantly.
"P-pardon, lady," he said, "but couldn't leave without exchangin' comp'ments sheason with lady th' house. 'Gainst princ'ples gen'leman do sho."
And then he began the ancient salutation that was a tradition in the House when men wore lace ruffles and powder.
"The blessings of another year -"
Fuzzy's memory failed him. The Lady prompted:
"- Be upon this hearth."
"- The guest -" stammered Fuzzy.
"- And upon her who -" continued the Lady, with a leading smile.
"Oh, cut it out," said Fuzzy, ill-manneredly. "I can't remember. Drink hearty."
posted by The White Hat to Grab Bag (5 answers total)
 
You could find it at Project Gutenberg.
posted by plinth at 11:27 AM on November 29, 2004


Response by poster: No need to, I have the second edition printing, but the toast is never completed in the actual text.
posted by The White Hat at 11:37 AM on November 29, 2004


Looks like you're not the only one asking that question (no answer there, either.) Any chance that O'Henry just made it up?
posted by icontemplate at 12:41 PM on November 29, 2004


My bad - I misunderstood your question.
posted by plinth at 4:39 PM on November 29, 2004


Either a) it's something from a 19th-century Christmas annual which nobody has ever bothered to put online, or b) O. Henry made it up.

There is so little literary criticism of O. Henry these days that I am hard pressed to imagine whom you could ask. The only significant-ish book on O. Henry that, as far as I know, has come out in a bazillion years is Karen Blansfield's book (revised dissertation)--you might try reaching her at UNC, where she teaches now--her email address, according to the faculty page, is her first name_her last name {at} the initials given above dot edu.
posted by Sidhedevil at 5:49 PM on November 29, 2004


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