After Twenty Years Chapter Notes | English Class 6 ICSE PDF Download

Introduction

The story "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry is about two childhood friends, Bob and Jimmy, who make a promise to meet after twenty years. It explores how time can change people and their lives. The story begins with a policeman patrolling a quiet street at night and meeting a man waiting in a doorway. This man is waiting for his friend from long ago. As the story unfolds, we learn about their past friendship and the surprising events that happen when they finally meet after two decades.

Key Points

This story is about two friends who promise to meet after twenty years and how their lives change in unexpected ways, showing the importance of friendship and duty.

• The story starts with a policeman walking through a quiet, almost empty street at ten o’clock at night, checking if all doors are locked properly.
• He sees a man standing in the doorway of a hardware store, waiting for someone, and the man explains he is there to meet his old friend after twenty years.
• The man says he and his friend Jimmy used to eat at a restaurant called "Big Joe Brady's," which was at that spot but was torn down five years ago.
• When the man lights his cigar, his face shows a scar and a shiny diamond scarf pin, which means he has become rich while living in the West.
• He talks about his friend Jimmy, who stayed in New York, and shows a fancy watch with diamonds, saying he traveled a thousand miles to keep their promise.
• The policeman asks a few questions about Jimmy and then leaves, wishing the man good luck for his meeting.
• After waiting for about twenty minutes in the cold, a tall man in a long overcoat comes and says he is Jimmy, making the waiting man very happy.
• The two friends walk together, talking about their lives, but when they pass a brightly lit store, the man from the West notices the tall man’s face looks different.
• The tall man admits he is not Jimmy but a plainclothes policeman, and he arrests the waiting man, Bob, who is wanted for a crime in Chicago.
• The plainclothesman gives Bob a note from the real Jimmy, who says he was at the meeting place but couldn’t arrest his old friend himself, so he sent another policeman.

Explanation

The story starts with a policeman walking his beat on a cold, windy night around ten o’clock. The streets are almost empty because of the chilly weather and the late hour. He moves confidently, checking doors and twirling his club, looking like a strong protector of the peace. The area is quiet, with only a few shops like a cigar store or an all-night lunch counter still open. 

As he walks, he slows down when he sees a man standing in the doorway of a darkened hardware store, holding an unlit cigar. The man quickly speaks to the policeman, saying he is waiting for a friend and that it’s an appointment made twenty years ago. He mentions they used to meet at "Big Joe Brady's" restaurant, which is now gone, replaced by the hardware store. 

The policeman confirms it was torn down five years ago. The man lights his cigar, and the light shows a pale face with keen eyes, a small scar near his eyebrow, and a big diamond scarf pin, suggesting he has done well in life.

The man explains that twenty years ago, he and his friend Jimmy, who were like brothers, made a plan to meet again after twenty years, no matter where they were or how their lives turned out. He says Jimmy stayed in New York while he went West to make his fortune. They wrote letters for a while but lost touch. He is sure Jimmy will come because he was always loyal. 

He shows a fancy watch with diamond lids and says he traveled a thousand miles for this meeting. The policeman asks if he did well in the West, and the man proudly says yes, hoping Jimmy did half as well, though he calls Jimmy a "plodder," meaning steady but not exciting. The policeman wishes him luck and leaves, while the man waits in the cold drizzle that starts to fall.

After about twenty minutes, a tall man in a long overcoat arrives, asking if the waiting man is Bob. They greet each other warmly, with the new man saying he is Jimmy Wells. They are excited to meet after so long and wish the old restaurant was still there. The man from the West says the West treated him well, while Jimmy says he has a moderate job in a city department. 

As they walk arm in arm, the man from the West talks a lot about his success, feeling proud. Jimmy listens quietly. At a brightly lit drug store, they both look at each other’s faces and the man from the West stops, realizing Jimmy’s nose has changed from a sharp Roman shape to a pug shape, which can’t happen in twenty years. The tall man then reveals he is not Jimmy but a plainclothesman, and Bob has been under arrest for ten minutes. He says Bob is wanted in Chicago and gives him a note from Patrolman Wells.

The note from Jimmy says he was at the meeting place on time and saw Bob’s face when he lit the cigar, recognizing him as the man wanted in Chicago. Jimmy couldn’t arrest his old friend himself, so he got a plainclothesman to do it. The man from the West reads the note steadily at first, but his hand shakes by the end, showing his shock and sadness.

Message

The story teaches us about the value of friendship and how time can change people in unexpected ways. It shows that true friends care deeply, even if they must make hard choices. Jimmy’s decision to get someone else to arrest Bob highlights his loyalty and the pain of betraying a friend for justice.

New Words with Meanings

• Beat: The area a policeman patrols on foot.
• Avenue: A wide street.
• Habitual: Something done regularly.
• Depeopled: Made an area empty of people.
• Club: A heavy stick used as a weapon.
• Intricate: Complicated.
• Pacific: Peaceful (here).
• Stalwart: Strongly built (here).
• Swagger: An arrogant walk.
• Vicinity: Neighborhood (here).
• Straight: Nothing wrong or unlawful (here).
• Chum: Friend.
• Proposition: Task or project.
• Hustling around: Moving around for business (here).
• Pretty lively: Very quickly and often.
• Staunchest: Most loyal and steadfast.
• Plodder: A steady but boring worker.
• Pile: Wealth (here).
• Groove: A dull, repetitive way of life.
• Razor-edge: Sharp cleverness (here).
• Call time on him sharp: Wait for him only till the specified time.
• Astir: Moving around.
• Dismally: In a gloomy manner.
• Absurdity: Ridiculousness.
• Bully: Excellent (here).
• Egotism: The sense of one’s own importance.
• Roman to a pug: A sharp nose to a snub one.
• Wires: Sends a telegram.
• Chicago: The police department of the city of Chicago (here).