Project Gutenberg 2004-08-01 Public domain in the USA. 49 Masson, Thomas L. 1866 1934 Masson, Thomas Lansing Masson, Tom Masterpieces of American Wit and Humor Reading ease score: 72.5 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. 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.) en American wit and humor PN Text Browsing: Culture/Civilization/Society Browsing: Humour Browsing: Literature 284545 284406 2024-10-03T08:41:12.598600 2023-10-03T08:00:38.517799 text/html text/html 284538 284399 2024-10-03T08:41:12.861617 2023-10-03T08:00:38.691768 text/html text/html 192764 2024-10-03T08:41:20.808568 application/epub+zip 195092 2024-10-03T08:41:16.400565 application/epub+zip 179651 2024-10-03T08:41:15.112570 application/epub+zip 394427 2024-10-03T08:41:23.940544 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 374149 2024-10-03T08:41:19.981543 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 344288 2022-09-03T11:12:25.067532 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 254805 254717 2024-10-03T08:41:12.254606 2023-10-03T08:00:38.283763 text/plain; charset=us-ascii text/plain 249962 2020-12-29T14:43:00 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 104538 2020-12-29T14:43:00 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 20282 2024-10-03T08:41:24.068537 application/rdf+xml 17778 2024-10-03T08:41:15.656578 image/jpeg 3993 2024-10-03T08:41:15.384578 image/jpeg 191762 2024-10-03T08:41:12.887599 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia