Ravages made by generosity added to love

"When Della reached home her intoxication gave way a little to prudence and reason.  She got out her curling irons and lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love"  (O. Henry The Gift of the Magi, 167)
    I enjoyed the tale told in The Gift of the Magi.  A story of sacrifice for love, even if it was somewhat ill fated, always makes a touching read.  In the brief biographical information preceding the story Kennedy states "O. Henry is more likely now to be invoked in negative terms, for his sentimentality..." (Kennedy, 135)  I find it unfortunate that we have become so jaded and cynical that we find sentimentality a bad thing.  Many of the stories we have read thus far explore the dark sides of human nature.  Fascinating and true to life but also dark.  I feel that the reading palate needs variety as much as the physical, so I enjoy a good sentimental yarn now and again.  These words evoke the emotion behind what Della had done, "generosity added to love", defines her motivation in cutting off her hair.  The act is surely reminiscent of Jo March cutting and selling her hair in "Little Women" written just 38 years before "The Gift of the Magi".  Henry's description of the couple's poverty is kept from being depressing by the idealism of both Della and Jim.  About 7 years ago I was walking around with hair past my waist.  It had taken me almost 7 years to grow it that long.  I had cared for it carefully, did not overly heat style it, never colored it, and wouldn't even brush it wet for fear of breaking it.  My hair was one of my best features, I felt.  I was inspired by a young girl with cancer to cut it off and donate it to Locks of Love, an organization that uses human hair to make wigs for cancer patients.  Cutting that 18 inches of hair was hard, it represented so much of my time and effort, and to me it was one of the most 'feminine' things about me. rI identified with Della's feelings of sentimentality towards her hair and her worry that her husband wouldn't think she was pretty without it.  I loved the way that O. Henry, in two sentences, shows you the two sides of her emotions, happiness over acquiring her husband such a perfect Christmas gift, and the sorrow over the loss of her hair.  I also loved the way Henry sums it up in the end; "And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house." (Henry, 168)  I imagine these two as old folks, settled in life, still reminiscing about the Christmas they sold their greatest treasures to unknowingly buy gifts that would have no use for their recipient.  And I bet they both still cherished those gifts.  Bring on the sweet sentimental tales to balance the darkness of life and literature.  All of this has given me a great desire to go watch "Princess Bride" just to marinade in the sentimentality!!