1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales
1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales
Jon Hagadorn
A COSMOPOLITE IN A CAFE by O.HENRY
16 minutes Posted Jan 16, 2026 at 9:30 pm.
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From THE FOUR MILLION by O. Henry

O. Henry's "A Cosmopolite in a Café" tells of the narrator meeting E. Rushmore Coglan, a man who claims to be a true "citizen of the world," free from hometown ties. Coglan boasts of world travels, dismissing regional pride and judging people individually. However, when a stranger insults Coglan's hometown of Mattawamkeag, Maine, Coglan fiercely defends it, revealing his profound local loyalty and leading to a fight, thereby exposing his hypocrisy and proving the narrator's theory that true cosmopolites are rare. 

Be sure to check out our narration of 'The Count of Monte Cristo' at 1001 Stories For the Road- An awesome story you don't want to miss!