His Last Cent by Francis Hopkinson Smith
His Last Cent is a short story by Francis Hopkinson Smith that tells the tale of an old man who has spent his entire life working hard and saving every penny he could. The story follows him on his final journey to spend his last cent, which he does in a surprising way.
By Francis Hopkinson Smith · First published 1896 · Genre: Drama, Romance, Social Commentary · 4,548 words
First lines
Jack Waldo stood in his studio gazing up at the ceiling, or, to be more exact, at a Venetian church-lamp -- which he had just hung and to which he had just attached a red silk tassel bought that morning of a bric-a-brac dealer whose shop was in the next street. There was a bare spot in that corner of his sumptuously appointed room which offended Waldo's sensitive taste -- a spot needing a touch of yellow brass and a note of red -- and the silk tassel completed the color-scheme. The result was a combination which delighted his soul; Jack had a passion for having his soul delighted and an insatiable thirst for the things that did the delighting, and could no more resist the temptation to possess them when exposed for sale than a confirmed drunkard could resist a favorite beverage held under his nose.
What this Textopian page supports
His Last Cent is listed on Textopian as a short story by Francis Hopkinson Smith, dated 1896 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Francis Hopkinson Smith
- Date: 1896 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Drama, Romance, Social Commentary, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
- Length: 4,548 words
- Structure: 1 section, 83 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for His Last Cent by Francis Hopkinson Smith
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres
- Drama — The plot revolves around intense emotional and relational conflicts.
- Romance — Central themes include love and personal relationships.
- Social Commentary — The narrative critiques societal norms and economic disparities.
- Historical Fiction — The setting and context reflect a specific historical period.
Tags
drama · financial struggle · human resilience · poverty · redemption · personal sacrifice · moral dilemmas · character study · social commentary · American literature · 19th century · emotional depth