Henry’s Short Story ‘From the Cabby’s Seat’

In a delightful slice of life, a cabby fails to enjoy a cab ride with a young lady.

“Street Scene with Hansom Cab,” 1887, by Childe Hassam. Public Domain

In his short story “From the Cabby’s Seat,” O. Henry shows the busy schedule and constant motion of a cabby’s life. Yet despite all of the noise and movement, Henry demonstrates the need to be present, for important facts can otherwise go unnoticed.

Jerry O’Donovan’s cab sits along the side of the road one evening, while nearby, a party for Norah Walsh’s marriage is being held. The curbside teems with people, wedding guests, and passersby. Amongst the throng, O'Donovan’s hat can be seen bobbing up and down.

Atop the Cab

As the crowd continues to sway and move along the curb, O’Donovan notices a young woman step up to his cab. In an instant, he is at the cab ushering her inside.

Once atop the cab, he asks the young lady where she would like to go. She simply says: “Anywhere you please.” O’Donovan then suggests that he drive her around the city park, to which she agrees.

The cab sets off at a good speed. O’Donovan’s head is swimming from the liquor he had drunk, while his horse steadily guides the way through the familiar rounds. The park’s greenery permeates the air and fills it with wonderful scents of grass and flowers.

The cab circles through the park. Out of habit, O’Donovan suggests that they stop at the casino, so that the young lady can get some refreshments and enjoy herself a bit. The young lady agrees and exits the cab for the casino, while O’Donovan takes a nap.

Inside, she enjoys herself. She orders a beer and watches as the princes and princesses of the casino place their bets and make their rounds. She is entranced, looking on as if she were in fairy land.

No Time Like the Present

The lady enjoyed herself immensely, and now goes outside and asks for O’Donovan’s cab to pick her up. He grumbles, irritated at having been woken. He urges his horse forward and, with the young woman back inside, continues the pleasure drive.

A thought suddenly strikes O’Donovan and he addresses the young lady. “I want to see four dollars before goin’ any further on th’ thrip. Have ye got th’ dough?” The young lady laughs at this, for she only has ”a few pennies and a dime or two.”

At this response, O’Donovan turns his horse and guides it to the police station. Once there, he leads the young lady inside and addresses the sergeant: “Sargeant, I’ve got a fare here that—” Suddenly, he stops, for he remembers something.

Through this story, Henry shows the importance of being present, in the moment. Because liquor caused O’Donovan’s absentmindedness, he misses crucial facts about the situation he is in and fails to truly enjoy himself.

As Will Schwalbe says in “The End of Your Life Book Club,” “Mindfulness—it isn’t a trick or a gimmick. It’s being present in the moment. When I’m with you, I’m with you. Right now. That’s all. No more and no less.”

Thus, one should be present with the person he or she is with, enjoying that person’s company to the full. For only by being present can one come to truly bask in the joys and sorrows of life and the people in it, which make it all the more worthwhile and beautiful.

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