One of the Saints by Ambrose Bierce

Name: One of the Saints
Author: Ambrose Bierce

ONE OF THE SAINTS is a short story written by Ambrose Bierce, first published in 1891. The tale follows an unnamed narrator who visits a small town in the American West and becomes fascinated with a local man known as "One of the Saints." The narrator learns that One of the Saints is a mysterious figure who has been living in the town for years, and yet no one knows his true identity or where he came from. Despite his enigmatic nature, the townspeople hold One of the Saints in high esteem and treat him with great respect. The narrator becomes determined to uncover the truth about One of the Saints and sets out to learn more about him. However, as he delves deeper into the mystery, he realizes that the truth may be more elusive than he initially thought.

By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1897 · Genre: Literature, Satire, Short Stories · 411 words

First lines

Big Smith is an Oakland School Board man, And he looks as good as ever he can; And he's such a cold and a chaste Big Smith That snowflakes all are his kin and kith.

Wherever his eye he chances to throw The crystals of ice begin to grow; And the fruits and flowers he sees are lost By the singeing touch of a sudden frost.

What this Textopian page supports

One of the Saints is listed on Textopian as a short story by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1897 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: 1897 CE
Language: English
Genres: Literature, Satire, Short Stories, History, Fiction
Length: 411 words
Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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Work identity for One of the Saints 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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Genres

Literature — The book is written by renowned author Ambrose Bierce, making it fall into the genre of classic literature.
Satire — Ambrose Bierce is known for his biting wit and satirical style, which is present in 'One of the Saints'.
Short Stories — 'One of the Saints' is a part of Bierce's short story collection, thus categorizing it under the Short Stories genre.
History — Though fictional, 'One of the Saints' often represents historically accurate settings and circumstances, thus falling under the History genre.