Heart of the West [Annotated]

"The Cowboy's Lament"– better known as "The Streets of Laredo," possibly written by Francis Henry Maynard:

As I walked out in the streets of Laredo,
As I walked out in Laredo one day,
I spied a young cowboy wrapped up in white linen,
Wrapped up in white linen and cold as the day."

96

Colorado-claro– light brown (taken from the nomenclature of cigar wrappers)

97

Danaë– (Greek mythology) Danaë was the daughter of King Acrisius of Argos. Because of a prophecy that Danaë's child would kill him, Acrisius had Danaë, who was childless, shut up in a bronze tower to prevent her from ever becoming pregnant. Zeus became enamored of Danaë and appeared to her as a shower of gold through the ceiling, impregnating her. When she gave birth to a son, Perseus, Acrisius had Danaë and Perseus locked in a wooden chest and set adrift in the ocean. They reached land and safety. Perseus grew up to be one of the great heroes of Greek mythology; slaying the gorgon Medusa was one of his many adventures. At an athletic contest he threw the discus, which by accident flew into the crowd, striking and killing Acrisius, who happened to be a spectator at the games.

Presumably O. Henry's metaphor refers to a shower of gold.

98

lèse-majesté– (French) an affront to royalty

99

Momus– (Greek mythology) the god of ridicule and mockery

100

In Shakespeare's As You Like It the erudite Jaques, one of the banished duke's attendants in the Forest of Arden, is cynical and sarcastic.

101

now in his sere and yellow leaf—Macbeth, Act V, Sc. iii:

"I have liv'd long enough: my way of life
Is fall'n into the sear, the yellow leaf;
And that which should accompany old age,
As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends,
I must not look to have;."

102

oriflamme– the red-orange flag of the Abbey St. Denis, used as a standard by early French kings

103

Rat-trap– O. Henry was married twice, once in his twenties (she died a few years after they were married) and again near the end of his life. Both marriages were somewhat stormy, and he often complained that marriage was too confining.

104

muchacha– (Spanish) young girl

105

seidlitz powder– a medication made by mixing powders of sodium potassium tartrate, sodium bicarbonate, and tartaric acid, used for its laxative effect or to treat hangovers

106

Annie and Willie's prayer– probably refers to a poem by Sophia Snow called "Annie and Willie's Prayer" which parodies "'Twas the Night before Christmas":

"'Twas the night before Christmas, 'Goodnight,' had been said,
And Annie and Willie had crept into bed;."

107

Violet de Vere– name of a poem by Robert William Service (1874-1958) about a strip-teaser brought before a judge for disturbing the peace. Violet is released when she reveals that the judge owes her money.

108

Fredericksburg is in the Hill Country west of Austin and north of San Antonio. It is near but not "on" the Pedernales. Fredericksburg was settled largely by Germans (as was most of Central Texas), and as recently as the 1940's German was commonly spoken in its cafes. Even today (2004) the main street (named Der Hauptstrasse) boasts an array of German restaurants. Austin had a large German population when O. Henry lived there in the 1890's, and when he was publishing a weekly humorous newspaper called _The Rolling Stone_ he lost many subscribers and advertisers by satirizing the Germans. Note his treatment of a German accent later in this story.

109

scat– skat, a popular German card game

110

Donnerwetter!– (German) an exclamation, literally translated "thunder-weather!"

111

Ausgespielt– (German) finished

112

Spiel! Zwei bier!– (German) Play! Two beers! Hondo Bill's German vocabulary was limited.

113

Gott in Himmel!– (German) God in Heaven!

114

megrims– depression, unhappiness

115

steam piano– calliope. Joshua C. Stoddard (1814-1902) invented the calliope in 1855 and formed the American Steam Piano Company to manufacture it commercially.