The Church with an Overshot-Wheel
A wealthy man builds a church with an overshot-wheel to provide water for the congregation. The wheel is designed to be turned by the congregation's prayers, which are believed to have spiritual power. However, when the church is completed and the congregation begins to pray, nothing happens. The wheel remains still, and the congregation becomes disillusioned.
By O. Henry · First published 1906 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Drama, Romance · 5,251 words
First lines
Lakelands is not to be found in the catalogues of fashionable summer resorts. It lies on a low spur of the Cumberland range of mountains on a little tributary of the Clinch River. Lakelands proper is a contented village of two dozen houses situated on a forlorn, narrow-gauge railroad line. You wonder whether the railroad lost itself in the pine woods and ran into Lakelands from fright and loneliness, or whether Lakelands got lost and huddled itself along the railroad to wait for the cars to carry it home.
You wonder again why it was named Lakelands. There are no lakes, and the lands about are too poor to be worth mentioning.
What this Textopian page supports
The Church with an Overshot-Wheel is listed on Textopian as a short story by O. Henry, dated 1906 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: O. Henry
- Date: 1906 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Drama, Romance, Historical Fiction, Inspirational
- Length: 5,251 words
- Structure: 1 section, 87 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Church with an Overshot-Wheel by O. Henry
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Church with an Overshot-Wheel?
- How does this short story by O. Henry fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Literary Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The World And The Door by O. Henry
- A Poor Rule by O. Henry
- The Fool Killer by O. Henry
- Vereton Villa by O. Henry
- Three Paragraphs by O. Henry
- One Dollars Worth by O. Henry
Genres
- Literary Fiction — The work explores deep emotional themes, character development, and the human experience, typical of literary fiction.
- Drama — The narrative contains significant emotional conflict and character interactions that drive the plot.
- Romance — The story includes romantic elements, particularly the relationship between Miss Chester and Ralph.
- Historical Fiction — The setting and context reflect a specific historical period and social conditions.
Tags
Short Story · Humor · Satire · Social Commentary · American Literature · 20th Century Fiction · Realism · Irony · Plot Twist · Moral Lesson · Christianity · Religion