Project Gutenberg 2007-04-21 Public domain in the USA. 1997 Masson, Thomas L. 1866 1934 Masson, Thomas Lansing Masson, Tom Little Masterpieces of American Wit and Humor, Volume I IRVING: Wouter Van Twiller -- Wilhelmus Kieft -- Peter Stuyvesant -- Antony Van Corlear -- General Van Poffenburgh FRANKLIN: Maxims -- Model of a Letter of Recommendation of a Person You Are Unacquainted with -- Epitaph for Himself BUTLER: Nothing to Wear BEECHER: Deacon Marble -- The Deacon's Trout -- The Dog Noble and the Empty Hole GREENE: Old Grimes HOLMES: My Aunt -- The Deacon's Masterpiece; or, the Wonderful "One-hoss Shay" -- Foreign Correspondence -- Music-Pounding -- The Ballad of the Oysterman WILLIS: Miss Albina McLush -- Love in a Cottage PALMER: A Smack in School SHILLABER ("Mrs. Partington"): Fancy Diseases -- Bailed Out -- Seeking a Comet -- Going to California -- Mrs. Partington in Court -- SILL: Five Lives FIELDS: The Owl-Critic -- The Alarmed Skipper HAY: Little Breeches SHAW ("Josh Billings"): Natral and Unnatral Aristokrats LOWELL: The Yankee Recruit -- What Mr. Robinson Thinks WARNER: My Summer in a Garden COZZENS: Living in the Country LELAND: Hans Breitmann's Party WHICHER: Tim Crane and the Widow SAXE: The Stammering Wife KELLEY ("Parmenas Mix"): He Came to Pay HOLLEY: A Pleasure Exertion STEDMAN: The Diamond Wedding MISCELLANEOUS: Why He Left -- A Boy's Essay on Girls -- Identified -- One Better -- A Rendition -- A Cause for Thanks -- Crowded -- The Wedding Journey -- A Case of Conscience -- He Rose to the Occasion -- Polite -- Lost, Strayed or Stolen -- A Gentle Complaint -- Music by the Choir TWAIN: The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calveras County. Produced by Bryan Ness, Janet Blenkinship and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net "Little Masterpieces of American Wit and Humor, Volume I" by Thomas L. Masson is a collection of humorous writings and anecdotes compiled from various renowned American authors, likely originating in the late 19th century. The anthology showcases contributions from significant figures such as Washington Irving, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Mark Twain, and Benjamin Franklin, capturing the wit and whimsy of American humor through a diverse range of excerpts, poems, and narratives. At the start of this anthology, the editor offers insight into the selection process, emphasizing a blend of well-known and lesser-known pieces that highlight the colorful characters of American imagination. The opening sections introduce readers to amusing historical figures, starting with Washington Irving's portrayal of Wouter Van Twiller, who is characterized as a ponderous and humorously indecisive governor. These early tales establish a playful tone, setting the stage for a delightful exploration of the quirks and follies that define the characters and situations in the accompanying collections of wit and humor, thereby inviting readers to appreciate the rich tradition of American comedic storytelling. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 74.2 (7th grade). 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