In His Hand by Ambrose Bierce (1898)
IN HIS HAND by Ambrose Bierce is a short story that was first published in 1892. The story follows the narrator, who is traveling on a train and meets an old man named Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith tells the narrator about his life and how he has been robbed of everything he owns by a group of thieves. He also mentions that he has a letter in his hand that was written to him by his wife, who died many years ago. The story ends with the narrator realizing that Mr. Smith is not telling the truth about the letter and that it is actually a fake.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1898 · Genre: Short Stories, Horror, Psychological Fiction · 284 words
First lines
De Young (in Chicago the story is told) "Took his life in his hand," like a warrior bold, And stood before Buckley -- who thought him behind, For Buckley, the man-eating monster is blind. "Count fairly the ballots!" so rang the demand Of the gallant De Young, with his life in his hand. 'Tis done, and the struggle is ended. No more He havocs the battle-field, gilt with the gore Of slain reputations. No more he defies His "lying opponents" with deadlier lies.
His trumpet is hushed and his belt is unbound -- His enemies' characters cumber the ground.
They bloat on the war-plain with ink all asoak, The fortunate candidates perching to croak.
What this Textopian page supports
In His Hand is listed on Textopian as a short story by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1898 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Ambrose Bierce
- Date: 1898 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Short Stories, Horror, Psychological Fiction, Thriller, Supernatural
- Length: 284 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for In His Hand by Ambrose Bierce
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
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- Tidings Of Good by Ambrose Bierce
- The Moonlit Road by Ambrose Bierce
- An Unfinished Race by Ambrose Bierce
- A Commuted Sentence by Ambrose Bierce
- Fate by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- Short Stories — Ambrose Bierce is known for his short stories, and 'IN HIS HAND' is no exception. It contains elements of compact and concise narration typical of this genre.
- Horror — The book has aspects of horror, with Bierce employing elements of fear and suspense throughout the narrative.
- Psychological Fiction — Bierce explores the psychological state of his characters deeply in 'IN HIS HAND', reflecting the characteristics of psychological fiction.
- Thriller — Some audiences may consider the suspenseful and surprising elements of the book to align it with the thriller genre.
Tags
gothic fiction · supernatural horror · mystery · thriller · psychological horror · suspense · literary fiction · american literature · short stories · dark fantasy · surrealism · symbolism