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Inspirational short stories about love – A Service of Love By O. Henry – Free Download
A Service of Love is a beautiful short story written by O. Henry, a famous American writer known for his clever plots and surprise endings. He wrote many stories about everyday people, love, and small acts of kindness. This story was first published in the early 1900s, but its message is still powerful today.
In this story, we meet a young couple who move to New York City to follow their dreams. They are poor but full of hope and love. Their journey is not easy, and they must make difficult choices. The story is emotional, sweet, and full of meaning.
This version of A Service of Love is rewritten for English language learners at Level 3 (B1–B2). It uses clear and poetic language, with helpful vocabulary and questions after each chapter. If you are looking for inspirational short stories about love, this is a perfect place to start.
As you read, think about what it means to love someone — and what we are willing to do for the people we care about. This story is not only about art or dreams — it is about love that gives, even in silence.
This story was rewritten by LearnEnglish-new.com for English learners. Enjoy reading the story and improve your English skills!
A Service of Love
By O. Henry
Contents
Chapter One: Dreamers in a Big City
Chapter Three: The Hidden Truth
Chapter Four: A Secret Revealed
Chapter One
Dreamers in a Big City
Joe Larrabee and Delia Caruthers were young and full of dreams.
Joe came from the wide, flat lands of the Middle West. Since he was a child, he loved to draw. At six years old, he drew a picture of the town pump so well that the local newspaper printed it. People in his small town believed he had talent. So, when he turned twenty, Joe left for New York City to become a great artist. He wore a colorful necktie and carried all his money in a small bag.
Delia was a talented singer from a small village in the South. Her voice was so sweet that her neighbors collected money to help her travel “North” and continue her music studies. They believed she had a future in opera. So, just like Joe, she left for New York with hope in her heart.
Joe and Delia met in an art studio where students came to learn painting, music, and art history. They started talking about music and painting, and then about life, and then about love. It didn’t take long before they fell in love with each other.
They soon got married and moved into a small apartment — not much larger than a kitchen. It was located at the far end of a dark hallway. But they were happy. They had each other, and they had their Art — Joe with his painting and Delia with her music.
“Love and Art,” Joe said one day, “are all we need.”
They didn’t have much money, but they had big dreams. Delia was taking music lessons from the famous teacher Mr. Rosenstock. Joe was learning painting from the great artist everyone called “Magister.” His classes were expensive, but his students said he was a genius.
For a time, life was sweet. They had toast and eggs for breakfast. Delia practiced her singing while Joe painted light and shadows in the park. In the evenings, they ate simple dinners and talked about their dreams — of music halls and art galleries, of applause and success.
But one day, the money started to run out.
“We must be careful,” said Joe, “but we’ll be fine.”
“Yes,” said Delia. “When one loves their Art, no service seems too hard.”
And they smiled.
But outside their little flat, New York was big and cold. It was not easy to live on dreams alone.
Chapter 1 – Vocabulary
1. Talent /ˈtælənt/ — a natural ability to do something well
Example: People in his small town believed Joe had talent.
2. Artist /ˈɑːrtɪst/ — a person who creates art, especially paintings
Example: Joe left for New York City to become a great artist.
3. Continue /kənˈtɪnjuː/ — to keep doing something without stopping
Example: Delia traveled North to continue her music studies.
4. Applause /əˈplɔːz/ — the sound of people clapping to show that they like something
Example: They dreamed of music halls and applause.
5. Success /səkˈses/ — the achievement of what you want or hope to do
Example: They talked about their dreams of music halls and art galleries, of applause and success.
6. Expensive /ɪkˈspensɪv/ — costing a lot of money
Example: His classes were expensive, but his students said he was a genius.
7. Practice /ˈpræktɪs/ — to do something regularly in order to improve your skill
Example: Delia practiced her singing while Joe painted in the park.
8. Dream /driːm/ — something that you want to achieve or become in the future
Example: They had simple dinners and talked about their dreams.
Chapter 1 – Comprehension Questions
1. What did Joe love to do when he was a child?
2. Why did Joe decide to move to New York City?
3. Why did people in Delia’s village help her travel North?
4. Where did Joe and Delia first meet?
5. What did Joe and Delia have in common when they met?
6. What was their apartment like after they got married?
7. How did Joe and Delia spend their evenings?
8. What problem did they face when their money started to run out?
Chapter 1 – Grammar Exercises
1. Joe ______ from the wide, flat lands of the Middle West.
A) come
B) came
C) comes
D) coming
2. Since he was a child, Joe ______ to draw.
A) loved
B) loves
C) has love
D) loving
3. Delia ______ a talented singer from a small village in the South.
A) were
B) are
C) was
D) be
4. Joe and Delia ______ in love with each other after they met in the art studio.
A) fall
B) fell
C) have fallen
D) falling
5. They moved into a small apartment ______ they got married.
A) before
B) because
C) after
D) while
6. They didn’t have much money, ______ they were happy together.
A) because
B) but
C) so
D) or
7. Joe ______ painting from a great artist called “Magister.”
A) was learning
B) were learning
C) is learn
D) learning
8. When the money started to run out, Joe and Delia ______ to be careful.
A) decide
B) decided
C) deciding
D) have decide
Answer Key
B) came 2. A) loved 3. C) was 4. B) fell 5. C) after 6. B) but 7. A) was learning 8. B) decided
Chapter Two
Small Sacrifices
Joe and Delia tried their best to continue their art lessons, but life in New York was expensive. They had only a few dollars left.
Joe was studying hard. Every day, he painted pictures in Central Park. He worked on “morning light,” “trees in the mist,” and “the sky after rain.” He wanted to become a famous artist. He hoped one day, someone rich would buy his paintings.
Delia still believed in her dream of becoming a great singer. She practiced daily with her music teacher, Herr Rosenstock. He was a strict man with a big voice and a white beard. His lessons were not cheap, but Delia learned so much from him.
Their apartment was still filled with love. They ate simple meals together — eggs, toast, and tea. At night, they laughed, shared stories, and encouraged each other.
But slowly, their savings disappeared.
One morning, Delia looked at Joe’s tired face. He had not sold any paintings in weeks.
“I want to help, Joe,” she said.
“You already do,” Joe smiled. “You bring light to this little flat.”
“I mean really help. I’ll find work,” she said. “I can teach music.”
Joe shook his head. “But that’s not Art.”
Delia took his hands. “When one loves one’s Art, no service seems too hard. I will give music lessons. It will pay for food and rent. And we’ll still have time to dream.”
Joe didn’t like the idea, but he agreed. “Only for a short time,” he said.
So Delia put on her hat and coat and went out to find music students. For two days she walked around the city, asking families if they wanted their daughters to learn music.
On the third evening, she came home with bright eyes and a big smile.
“I found one, Joe! A student!” she said happily.
“That’s wonderful,” said Joe. “Tell me everything.”
“The family is amazing. The father is General A.B. Pinkney, a very important man. His daughter, Clementina, is only eighteen. She wears white dresses and has such sweet manners. I’ll teach her three times a week. And they’re paying me five dollars a lesson!”
Joe was surprised. “Five dollars? That’s a lot!”
Delia nodded. “Yes! Soon I’ll have more students. You can keep painting. I’ll take care of us.”
Joe hugged her tightly. “You’re my angel,” he whispered.
They sat down to dinner. It was a small meal, but their hearts were full.
Joe laughed, “If I sell a painting, we’ll eat oysters!”
Delia smiled. “If I get more students, we’ll have cake!”
They were poor, but their love made them rich in spirit.
Chapter 2 – Vocabulary
- Savings /ˈseɪvɪŋz/ — money that you have kept for future use.
Example: But slowly, their savings disappeared. - Improve /ɪmˈpruːv/ — to become better or make something better.
Example: He worked hard every day to improve his painting. - Expensive /ɪkˈspensɪv/ — costing a lot of money.
Example: His lessons were not cheap, but Delia learned so much from him. - Encourage /ɪnˈkʌrɪdʒ/ — to give someone support or confidence.
Example: At night, they laughed, shared stories, and encouraged each other.
- Suggest /səˈdʒest/ — to give someone an idea about what they could do.
Example: Joe shook his head when Delia suggested working. - Agree /əˈɡriː/ — to accept an idea or plan.
Example: Joe didn’t like the idea, but he agreed. - Amazing /əˈmeɪzɪŋ/ — very good or surprising.
Example: “The family is amazing.” - Student /ˈstjuːdənt/ — a person who is learning something.
Example: “I found one, Joe! A student!” she said happily.
Chapter 2 – Comprehension Questions
- Why did Joe and Delia have only a few dollars left?
- What did Joe do every day to improve his painting?
- Why did Delia decide to find work?
- Why did Joe not like the idea of Delia working?
- How did Delia try to find music students?
- Who was Clementina?
- How much did Delia receive for each music lesson?
- How did Joe react when Delia told him that she had found a student?
Chapter 2 – Grammar Exercises
1. Joe and Delia ______ their best to continue their art lessons.
A) try
B) tried
C) trying
D) have try
2. They ______ only a few dollars left.
A) has
B) having
C) had
D) have
3. Delia ______ she wanted to help Joe.
A) say
B) said
C) saying
D) says
4. She decided ______ work to help her husband.
A) find
B) finding
C) to find
D) found
5. Joe ______ his head when Delia suggested working.
A) shake
B) shook
C) shaken
D) shaking
6. Delia ______ around the city for two days looking for music students.
A) walk
B) walked
C) walking
D) walks
7. The family ______ Delia five dollars for each lesson.
A) pay
B) paid
C) paying
D) pays
8. They ______ poor, but their love made them rich in spirit.
A) was
B) were
C) is
D) be
Answer Key
1.B) tried 2. C) had 3. B) said 4. C) to find 5. B) shook 6. B) walked 7. B) paid 8. B) were
Chapter Three
The Hidden Truth
A whole week passed.
Every morning, Joe woke up early. Delia made him breakfast — bread, tea, and sometimes a bit of jam. She smiled and kissed him before he left to paint in the park.
“Be careful,” she always said.
“And you too,” he replied.
Delia also went out with her music books and returned in the evening, always tired but smiling.
“Clementina is improving,” she would say. “She’s such a sweet girl.”
“And General Pinkney?” Joe asked.
“Oh, he’s very kind. He likes to ask me about my music.”
Delia brought home money — five-dollar bills — and laid them proudly on their small table. Joe brought home paint on his hands and sometimes hope in his eyes.
One evening, Joe returned with even more excitement than usual.
“I sold a watercolor today!” he said, spreading money on the table. “A man from Peoria bought it! And guess what — he wants another painting next week!”
Delia’s eyes sparkled. “That’s wonderful! I’m so proud of you, Joe!”
They had dinner that night like royalty: veal roast, vegetables, and a tiny cake with cream. They laughed like two children and danced in their little flat.
But the next day, something strange happened.
Delia came home later than usual. Her right hand was covered in cloth, and she looked pale.
Joe rushed to her. “What happened, Dele?”
“Oh,” she said, forcing a smile, “just a small accident. Clementina wanted a special meal after her lesson. I burned my hand while serving her.”
Joe looked worried. “That sounds terrible! Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, yes,” Delia said quickly. “The pain is not too bad. The General helped me. He’s so thoughtful.”
Joe gently unwrapped the cloth from her hand. It was red and swollen.
He kissed her forehead. “You’re brave. But maybe you should take a break from teaching.”
“No,” Delia said. “We need the money. And besides, when one loves their Art, no service seems too hard.”
Joe stared into her eyes. He wanted to believe her. But something in her voice… something in her eyes… made him wonder.
Still, he smiled. “Then I’ll sell another painting. And we’ll both win.”
That night, while Delia slept, Joe sat silently in the kitchen, thinking.
He remembered how her hands had become rougher. How her face looked more tired. And her clothes smelled faintly… like soap.
He also remembered the cloth and oil he sent upstairs for “a girl who burned her hand.”
Joe closed his eyes and sighed.
He knew.
Chapter 3 – Vocabulary
1. Excitement /ɪkˈsaɪtmənt/ — a feeling of being very happy and interested because something good has happened.
Example: One evening, Joe returned with even more excitement than usual.
2. Watercolor /ˈwɔːtəˌkʌlər/ — a painting made with colors mixed with water.
Example: “I sold a watercolor today!” he said.
3. Sparkle /ˈspɑːrkəl/ — to shine brightly or look very bright and happy.
Example: Delia’s eyes sparkled when Joe told her the good news.
4. Accident /ˈæksɪdənt/ — something bad that happens unexpectedly.
Example: “Just a small accident. Clementina wanted a special meal after her lesson.”
5. Swollen /ˈswoʊlən/ — larger than normal because of an injury or illness.
Example: Joe gently unwrapped the cloth from her hand. It was red and swollen.
6. Brave /breɪv/ — able to face something difficult or painful without fear.
Example: He kissed her forehead. “You’re brave.”
7. Suspect /səˈspekt/ — to think that something is probably true, especially when you do not have proof.
Example: Something in her voice and eyes made Joe wonder.
8. Realize /ˈriːəlaɪz/ — to understand or become aware of something.
Example: He knew.
Chapter 3 – Comprehension Questions
1. What did Delia do every morning before Joe left to paint?
2. What did Delia usually say about Clementina when she came home?
3. Why was Joe excited when he came home one evening?
4. What did Joe say about the man who bought his watercolor painting?
5. What happened to Delia’s right hand when she came home the next day?
6. Why did Delia refuse to take a break from teaching?
7. What made Joe suspect that Delia was hiding something from him?
8. What did Joe realize at the end of the chapter?
Chapter 3 – Grammar Exercises
1. Delia ______ Joe breakfast every morning before he left.
A) make
B) made
C) makes
D) making
2. Joe ______ a watercolor painting one evening.
A) sell
B) sells
C) sold
D) selling
3. Delia ______ home later than usual the next day.
A) come
B) came
C) comes
D) coming
4. Her right hand ______ covered in cloth.
A) was
B) were
C) is
D) be
5. Joe ______ worried when he saw Delia’s injured hand.
A) become
B) became
C) becomes
D) becoming
6. Delia said she ______ not stop teaching because they needed the money.
A) can
B) could
C) will
D) must
7. While Delia ______, Joe was thinking about her story.
A) slept
B) was sleeping
C) sleep
D) sleeps
8. Joe ______ that Delia was hiding something from him.
A) know
B) knew
C) knows
D) knowing
Answer Key
- B) made 2. C) sold 3. B) came 4. A) was 5. B) became 6. B) could 7. B) was sleeping 8. B) knew
Chapter Four
A Secret Revealed
Saturday evening arrived. Joe came home first.
He washed the paint off his hands and placed eighteen dollars on the table. “Another painting sold,” he said proudly. “A park scene. The man from Peoria wants one more next week.”
Half an hour later, Delia came in. Her hand was still bandaged, and her face looked tired.
Joe greeted her with a smile. “How’s my girl?”
Delia laughed a little, but it wasn’t a happy laugh.
“Oh, Joe,” she said, sitting down slowly, “Clementina wanted Welsh rabbit again. The General was there too. And I burned my hand worse this time. It’s nothing serious, really. But I spilled hot food and had to go to the drugstore.”
Joe sat beside her and gently touched the bandage. “This burn doesn’t feel like a cooking accident,” he said softly.
Delia looked down.
He asked, “Dele… what time did you burn your hand today?”
“Five o’clock, I think. The food was very hot… I was serving it…”
Joe took her hand, held it warmly. “Dele,” he said quietly, “what have you really been doing these last two weeks?”
Delia’s eyes filled with tears. For a moment, she tried to smile again, but she couldn’t. Her voice shook as she whispered, “I couldn’t find any pupils, Joe. I tried. I really did.”
“You didn’t teach Clementina?” he asked gently.
“No,” she said, crying now. “There is no Clementina. There is no General Pinkney. I couldn’t bear to see you give up your art. So I went to a big laundry on Twenty-fourth Street. I’ve been ironing shirts for two weeks.”
Joe said nothing. He just held her close as her shoulders shook with sobs.
“I made up all the stories,” Delia said between tears. “The big house, the sweet girl, the careful General… all fiction. And I burned my hand today with a hot iron — not in a dining room. I didn’t want to tell you. I wanted to be brave for you.”
Joe smiled a little. “Dele… he wasn’t from Peoria.”
Delia blinked. “What?”
“The man who bought my paintings — he doesn’t exist,” Joe said. “I’ve been working too. In the same laundry. In the engine room, firing the machines. The money I brought home — it wasn’t from art. It was from work.”
Delia gasped, then laughed through her tears. “And I believed your stories…”
“And I believed yours,” said Joe. “Because I wanted to.”
They laughed, even though they both were tired and poor. They held each other and let the truth sit gently between them.
“When one loves one’s Art…” Joe began.
Delia put her hand on his lips. “No,” she said softly. “Just — when one loves.”
Chapter 4 – Vocabulary
- Bandage /ˈbændɪdʒ/ — a piece of material used to cover and protect an injured part of the body.
Example: Her hand was still bandaged, and her face looked tired. - Accident /ˈæksɪdənt/ — something that happens unexpectedly and causes injury or damage.
Example: “I burned my hand worse this time. It’s nothing serious, really.” - Whisper /ˈwɪspər/ — to speak very quietly.
Example: Her voice shook as she whispered, “I couldn’t find any pupils, Joe.” - Pupil /ˈpjuːpəl/ — a person, especially a child, who is being taught by a teacher.
Example: “I couldn’t find any pupils, Joe. I tried. I really did.”
- Fiction /ˈfɪkʃən/ — a story or information that is not true.
Example: “The big house, the sweet girl, the careful General… all fiction.” - Laundry /ˈlɔːndri/ — a place where clothes are washed and ironed.
Example: “So I went to a big laundry on Twenty-fourth Street.” - Iron /ˈaɪərn/ — to make clothes smooth by using a heated tool.
Example: “I’ve been ironing shirts for two weeks.” - Believe /bɪˈliːv/ — to think that something is true.
Example: “And I believed your stories,” said Delia.
Chapter 4 – Comprehension Questions
- What did Joe do when he came home on Saturday evening?
- How much money did Joe place on the table?
- Why did Delia say that she had burned her hand again?
- What made Joe think that Delia’s injury was not a cooking accident?
- What did Delia finally tell Joe about Clementina and General Pinkney?
- Where had Delia really been working?
- What had Joe really been doing during the same two weeks?
- Why did both Joe and Delia tell each other false stories?
Chapter 4 – Grammar Exercises
1. Joe ______ home first on Saturday evening.
A) come
B) came
C) comes
D) coming
2. He ______ eighteen dollars on the table.
A) place
B) placed
C) places
D) placing
3. Delia ______ home half an hour later.
A) come
B) came
C) comes
D) coming
4. Her hand ______ still bandaged.
A) was
B) were
C) is
D) be
5. Joe asked Delia what she ______ really been doing.
A) has
B) had
C) have
D) having
6. Delia said she ______ not find any pupils.
A) can
B) could
C) will
D) should
7. She ______ shirts at a laundry for two weeks.
A) ironed
B) had been ironing
C) irons
D) is ironing
8. Joe said that the man who bought his paintings ______ not exist.
A) do
B) does
C) did
D) was
Answer Key
1. B) came 2. B) placed 3. B) came 4. A) was 5. B) had 6. B) could 7. B) had been ironing 8. C) did
Chapter Five
More Than Art
The next morning, the sky over New York was cloudy, but inside the little apartment, the air felt warm.
Joe and Delia sat at the table, drinking weak coffee and sharing the last piece of bread.
Neither of them talked about the laundry or the burns or the lies. They had told the truth, and that was enough. Now there was only one thing left: love.
“I wonder,” Joe said with a smile, “how many artists and singers are actually working in laundries and kitchens across this city.”
Delia laughed. “More than we think. But maybe they all believe, like we did, that love makes the work beautiful.”
Joe nodded. “We both gave up our dreams. For each other.”
Delia looked at him with soft eyes. “No. We didn’t give them up. We protected them. I worked so you could paint. You worked so I could sing. We never stopped believing in each other’s gift.”
They sat silently for a while. Outside, the street noises grew louder — horses, carts, voices. Life in the big city went on.
“I’ve been thinking,” Joe said slowly. “Maybe we start again. Not with dreams of fame… but with art that makes us happy.”
Delia smiled. “Yes. I can sing at small events. You can paint portraits. We don’t need rich buyers or fancy teachers. We only need each other.”
Later that day, Joe sold a small sketch to a local café owner who wanted art for his walls. It wasn’t much, but it was honest work, and it came from his hands.
Delia began giving real music lessons to children in the neighborhood. She charged less, but her students loved her kind voice and gentle smile.
Their life was still simple. They didn’t have gold, jewels, or stage lights. But they had warm meals, music in the air, and color on the walls.
And in their tiny apartment, behind a worn curtain and next to a crooked window, lived a love that was real — more real than all the stories they had told.
Because love, after all, is also a kind of art.
— THE END –
The Original Version of the Story: americanliterature.com
Chapter 5 – Vocabulary
1. Protect /prəˈtekt/ — to keep someone or something safe from harm or danger
Example: “We didn’t give up our dreams. We protected them.”
2. Dream /driːm/ — something that you hope to achieve in the future
Example: “We both gave up our dreams. For each other.”
3. Portrait /ˈpɔːrtrət/ — a painting or picture of a person
Example: “You can paint portraits.”
4. Honest /ˈɒnɪst/ — truthful and not trying to deceive people
Example: It was honest work, and it came from his hands.
5. Neighborhood /ˈneɪbərhʊd/ — an area of a town or city where people live
Example: Delia began giving real music lessons to children in the neighborhood.
6. Simple /ˈsɪmpəl/ — not complicated, expensive, or fancy
Example: Their life was still simple.
7. Fame /feɪm/ — the state of being known and recognized by many people
Example: “Maybe we start again. Not with dreams of fame…”
8. Real /riːl/ — true and not imagined or false
Example: They had a love that was real.
Chapter 5 – Comprehension Questions
1. What did Joe and Delia share for breakfast the next morning?
2. Why did they feel peaceful after telling each other the truth?
3. What did Joe and Delia realize about their dreams?
4. How did Delia explain the reason she worked at the laundry?
5. What did Joe suggest they do with their art?
6. What kind of work did Joe begin doing?
7. What did Delia begin doing for children in the neighborhood?
8. What does the final sentence, “love is also a kind of art,” mean in the story?
Chapter 5 – Grammar Exercises
1. Joe and Delia ______ at the table the next morning.
A) sit
B) sat
C) sitting
D) sits
2. They ______ the last piece of bread.
A) share
B) shared
C) sharing
D) shares
3. They ______ told each other the truth.
A) has
B) have
C) had
D) having
4. Delia said they ______ not give up their dreams.
A) did
B) do
C) does
D) doing
5. Joe suggested that they ______ again.
A) start
B) started
C) starting
D) starts
6. Joe ______ a small sketch to a local café owner.
A) sell
B) sold
C) selling
D) sells
7. Delia began ______ real music lessons to children.
A) give
B) gave
C) giving
D) gives
8. Their life ______ still simple, but they were happy.
A) were
B) are
C) was
D) be
Answer Key
1. B) sat 2. B) shared 3. C) had 4. A) did 5. A) start 6. B) sold 7. C) giving 8. C) was
More Short Stories – Level B1
01. The Railway Children (for Pre-Intermediate Levels B1)
The Railway Children is a famous story written by Edith Nesbit, a well-known English author. She wrote many children’s books in the early 1900s, and this story is one of her most loved works. It has been turned into movies, plays, and is often used in schools to teach children about kindness, family, and courage.
This version of the story has been rewritten for Level 3 English learners. The sentences are simpler, and the vocabulary is easier to understand. It is perfect for those who are learning English and want to enjoy classic stories at the same time.
02. The Count of Monte Cristo (for Pre-Intermediate Levels B1)
Dantes stood up and looked in front of the boat. A hundred metres away, he saw the black and frightening shape of the rock where the Chateau d’If stands. The prison was about 300 years old. ‘People tell many strange stories about this place, ‘Dantes thought. ‘Prisoners go there and never return. Is this the end of all hope?’
Edmond Dantes is a successful young seaman. He has a loving father and a beautiful lover, Mercedes, who is going to marry him. Soon he is going to be the captain of his own ship. What can go wrong in his life?
03. Don Quixote (for Pre-Intermediate Levels B1)
In the Spanish village of La Mancha, there lived a gentleman who loved to read. His favorite stories were of knights and their code of chivalry: full of dragons, magic swords, enchanted forests, and damsels in distress.
This gentleman was not a wealthy man, but rather a hidalgo. A hidalgo was a landowner who was richer than a peasant, but poorer than a nobleman. His name was Senor Quixano.
Senor Quixano lived modestly with his housekeeper and his young niece. He was a tall, thin man in his fifties. He was a strong and healthy man, who went hunting every morning.