The Project Gutenberg EBook of Humorous Masterpieces from American
Literature, by Various

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Humorous Masterpieces from American Literature

Author: Various

Release Date: April 8, 2005 [EBook #15585]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HUMOROUS MASTERPIECES FROM ***

Produced by Alicia Williams, Josephine Paolucci and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team.

HUMOROUS MASTERPIECES

FROM

AMERICAN LITERATURE

EDITED BY

EDWARD T. MASON

NEW YORK & LONDON

G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS

The Knickerbocker Press

1886

COPYRIGHT
G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS
1886

Press of
G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS
New York

CONTENTS.

BAYARD TAYLOR
Selections from the Experiences of the A.C.

WILLIAM ALLEN BUTLER
Dobbs His Ferry

JOHN WILLIAM DE FOREST
Father Higgins's Preferment

JOHN TOWNSEND TROWBRIDGE
Fred Trover's Little Iron-Clad

OLIVER BELL BUNCE
Mr. Bluff Discourses on the Country and Kindred Themes

CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER
Garden Ethics

FRANCES LEE PRATT
Captain Ben's Choice

LOUISA MAY ALCOTT
Street Scenes in Washington
Selections from Transcendental Wild Oats

WILLIAM WIRT HOWE
Conversational Depravity

CHARLES FARRAR BROWNE ("_Artemus Ward_")
The Tower of London
Science and Natural History
From the "Lecture"

FRANK R. STOCKTON
Our Tavern
A Piece of Red Calico

HARRIETT PRESCOTT SPOFFORD
Aunt Pen's Funeral

SAMUEL LANGHORNE CLEMENS ("_Mark Twain_")
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

FITZ HUGH LUDLOW
Ben Thirlwall's School-days
Selections from a Brace of Boys

THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH
A Rivermouth Romance

BAYARD TAYLOR.

(BORN, 1825--DIED, 1878)

* * * * *

SELECTIONS FROM THE EXPERIENCES OF THE A.C.

"Bridgeport! Change cars for the Naugatuck Railroad!" shouted the
conductor of the New York and Boston Express Train, on the evening of
May 27, 1858.... Mr. Johnson, carpet-bag in hand, jumped upon the
platform, entered the office, purchased a ticket for Waterbury, and was
soon w