One of the most famous humorists in world literature, O. Henry created a unique panorama of American life at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, in grotesque situations he conveyed the contrasts and paradoxes of his era, which opened up space for people with business acumen, whom the game of chance elevates to the pinnacle of success, then plunges to the very bottom of life. “Jeff Peters made money in a variety of ways. He had no fewer of these methods than the residents of Charleston, South Carolina had recipes for making rice dishes. Most of all, I love listening to his stories about the days of his youth, when he sold ointments and cough powders on the streets, lived from hand to mouth, made friends with the whole world and with the last coppers played a toss with fate...”