How does O. Henry use imagery in The Gift of the Magi?

O. Henry uses descriptive imagery to detail Jim and Della's circumstances. They are a young couple and starting a young family. They are poverty stricken, something O'Henry illustrates with descriptions of their home, which is “furnished rooms” at “a cost of 8$ a week.” In the entrance on the first floor, there “was a letter-box too small to hold a letter,” and “an electric bell, but it could not make a sound.” This imagery creates empathy in the reader.