pear—prickly-pear cactus, the most common variety of large cactus in Texas, often growing in great clumps
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Henry Thomas Buckle (1821-1862) was a self-taught historian. He planned a series of books to explain the idea that history—especially the progress of nations and peoples—followed laws similar to those being described in the natural sciences. The first volume of his History of Civilization in England, published in 1857, was only an introduction to his theme, but it made Buckle a celebrity. The second volume appeared in 1861, but Buckle died the following year without completing his series. The two volumes were widely read during the decade or two after his death. O. Henry read voraciously as a child and would likely have been familiar with the work.
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Septimus Winner (1827-1902), a gifted composer (he wrote "Oh where, oh where has my little dog gone . . ."), teacher, and performer was the author of at least 200 books on how to play numerous musical instruments.
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The Lick Observatory, the first permanent mountain-top observatory, was built in the 1880's. Its 36-inch refracting telescope was the largest in the world until the Yerkes Observatory was opened in 1897.
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"Two Orphans"—probably a reference to a popular play, "Le Deux Orphelines," written in 1875 by Adolphe d'Ennery and Eugène Cormon
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