Project Gutenberg 2004-08-01 Public domain in the USA. 149 Masson, Thomas L. 1866 1934 Masson, Thomas Lansing Masson, Tom Masterpieces of American Wit and Humor A Plea for Humor / A. Repplier -- An Unmarried Female / M. Holley -- Selections from a Brace of Boys / F. Ludlow -- Rheumatism Movement Cure / R. J. Burdette -- An Aphorism and a Lecture / O. W. Holmes -- The Harp of a Thousand Strings / J. S. Morris -- My First Visit to Portland / S. Smith -- The Mosquito / W. C. Bryant -- Country Burial-places / J. Carver -- The Hoosier and the Salt-pile / D. Marble -- The Quilting / A. Bache -- A Fragment / F. Halleck -- Domestic Happiness -- One of Mr. Ward's Business Letters / C. F. Browne ("Artemus Ward") -- On "Forts" -- Without and Within / J. R. Lowell -- Street Scenes in Washington / L. M. Alcott -- Mis' Smith / A. B. Paine -- A Boston Lullaby / J. J. Roohe -- Irish Astronomy / C. G. Halpine -- Bessie Brown, M. D. / S. M. Peok -- A Monody / R. C. Sands -- The Poster Girl / C. Wells -- The Conundrum of the Golf Links / J. G. Sanderson -- The Minister's Wooing / H. B. Stowe -- Mrs. Johnson / W. D. Howells -- The Trout, the Cat and the Fox -- The British Matron. Produced by Duncan Harrod, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team "Masterpieces of American Wit and Humor" by Thomas L. Masson is a collection of humorous writings compiled in the early 20th century. The anthology features a variety of authors, including well-known literary figures like Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and William Dean Howells, showcasing the richness of American wit and humor. The book compiles several pieces that explore themes of human foibles, societal observations, and lighthearted commentary on everyday life, highlighting the enduring appeal of humor in American culture. The opening of the work begins with an introduction by Agnes Repplier, who expresses a nostalgic yearning for humor in literature amidst a climate of serious literary criticism. She elaborates on how humor, once revered for its ability to uplift and entertain, is increasingly scrutinized through moral and philosophical lenses, sometimes leading to the erosion of its light-hearted nature. Repplier argues for the importance of laughter in human experience and bemoans the loss of innocent mirth as modern perspectives shift towards earnestness. This setting serves as a prelude to the humorous selections that follow, inviting readers to engage with the witty narratives that characterize the essence of American humor crafted by various celebrated authors of the time. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 72.5 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en American wit and humor PN Text Category: Short Stories Category: Humour Category: American Literature 284717 2025-07-03T07:10:34.080664 text/html 284538 2025-01-09T22:34:52.429286 text/html 192839 2025-07-03T07:10:41.113635 application/epub+zip 195082 2025-07-03T07:10:37.196685 application/epub+zip 179642 2025-07-03T07:10:36.065662 application/epub+zip 394415 2025-07-03T07:10:43.884664 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 374149 2025-07-03T07:10:40.383696 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 344288 2022-09-03T11:12:25.067532 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 254805 2025-07-03T07:10:33.778750 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 249962 2020-12-29T14:43:00 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18730 2025-07-03T07:10:44.010608 application/rdf+xml 17778 2025-07-03T07:10:36.541656 image/jpeg 3993 2025-07-03T07:10:36.301654 image/jpeg 104538 2020-12-29T14:43:00 application/octet-stream application/zip 191831 2025-07-03T07:10:34.103663 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia