- •Important in "local color" as they are racy in humor. Yet none of
- •1848, _Godey's Lady's Book_) and _Aunt Magwire's Account of the
- •Included in the present volume; others are _The Batson Cottage_
- •Influence on structure in the short story has been great, it is
- •14, 1832, Philadelphia _Saturday Courier_), _Ms. Found in a Bottle_
- •1854, Is given in this volume because it is a good humorous short
- •Ironsides_, _The Last Leaf_, _The Chambered Nautilus_ and _Homesick in
- •Instantly the night becomes resonant with the impassioned reply (the
- •1897), _Salomy Jane's Kiss_ (in _Stories in Light and Shadow_, 1898),
- •Into the twentieth century and Mary e. Wilkins Freeman (1862- ) is
- •In letters. American literature has always been strong in its "stray"
- •It has the advantage--is this not also an author's advantage?--of a
- •Introduction
- •Volume, _Short Sixes_, by permission of its publishers, Charles
- •Interesting "back to Nature" experiment at Westfield, Massachusetts.
- •Immediately after the sale. How much for them? Give them a start at
- •In the very wantonness of joy as he repaired to Delmonico's, and
- •It was near night when he arrived at the auction-room--his horse in a
- •Imp ab te wing, und te head-teuffel ab te wing. Te angel ab _not_ te
- •I gave the matter no further consideration, and at my usual hour
- •In the mud, took it suddenly into his head that his left shoulder
- •Implacable heart. The fates were again propitious for a brief period,
- •In grasping the end of a long guide-rope, which depended from a
- •Into a relaxation of the muscles, it was "in such a sort" as if he was
- •Inadmissible requisite for his place. The rest is more readily taken
- •Very well why the master did not undertake him on the spot.
- •Invigorated authority. Twice certified, who should dare doubt his
- •Improvement; and although at the end of the term he could not quite
- •Invention not new in the country, the harness of Mr. Kingsbury's
- •If he had been born within the shadow of the Tombs.
- •It suited his purposes, but for the untimely intrusion of the weaver's
- •Visitors, and that her servants had general orders to that effect. But
- •In the ladies' drawing-room, after dinner, the Morlands heard a
- •It out of his hand. "I'll use it to your full satisfaction."
- •It was only half past ten when Jane was in the midst of her piece. The
- •Inquired of the driver if he could not take them to Rutgers Place. The
- •Instruments in their hands.
- •It grew dark as we stood in the office talking, and taking our hats we
- •In truth, I have observed, down town, that the fact of your ancestors
- •I shall soon be gone, but I want to leave with you some memento of my
- •I saw strange sights when I looked at them through the glasses. If two
- •Itself against a stone. I wept, until my spectacles were dimmed for
- •I was constantly lost in a world, of which those companions were part,
- •Xerxes and his army tossing and glittering, rank upon rank, multitude
- •Into pets. Anger is an expensive luxury, in which only men of a
- •Into the safe, where his bills payable were hived, and the other into
- •I escaped from her arms, and ran home and seized the glasses and
- •Intelligent and successful. But when I looked at them through my
- •I did not feel as they felt who saw in all this, not only propriety,
- •Indifference to such homage, and had declared it was astonishing she
- •Vanity by haunting the apartment in which were stored the trophies of
- •Indeed, half bright enough. If one could only have been left to do his
- •I launched him by sending him to a meeting of the Enlightenment Board.
- •I ought to go to their exhibitions. But think, reader, of sitting
- •It happened; upon which Dennis had risen, and had said, "There has
- •Inherited from her father some shares in that enterprise, which is not
- •Very gligloglum, that is, that you were m-m-m-m-m." By gradually
- •I know, indeed, that public men of the highest rank have resorted to
- •Italian, Spanish, German and English began to take polish. Heavens!
- •Is chosen president of the Young Men's Library, there must be a
- •Instead of the metal. Children have bad habits in that way. The
- •Isaacs, to give him his due, shook his head. But the look was enough.
- •In his time, and well known in the business world, but lost his
- •In Tartary for establishing Insane Hospitals?"
- •Is that any reason why Mr. Webster's publishers should hitch one on in
- •Immediately asked, "Why is Douglas like the earth?"
- •Venerable gentleman with flowing locks, who was propounding questions
- •Italy?" asked the Patriarch.
- •I had to laugh.
- •It; why, if there was two birds setting on a fence, he would bet you
- •I'll risk forty dollars that he can outjump any frog in Calaveras
- •Idea what the matter was, of course.
- •If he don't weigh five pounds!" and turned him upside down and he
- •It was a queer figure that crept along the road that cheery May
- •Invigorating motion, bent only on making the air ring with the lines
- •Interest was at one and a half per cent. For seven months, and a
- •Item of his memoranda would come to light, and thrusting his hand into
- •It was from sheer good-nature only that Elder Brown replied, with his
- •Infernal ole fool 'sulted me, an' I lef' him to walk home."
- •Into the saloon and to the bar. The reaction was too much for his
- •Is due to pure veracity I will. On as many as three different
- •In her hand. Such uncommon conduct in a woman like Mrs. Pink Fluker of
- •I've said freckwent, a _very_ fa'r house. I let them infloonces go to
- •It? Jes' so. Twenty-five breakfasts at a quarter makes six an' a
- •I was not surprised when, after breakfast, my wife invited the Bredes
- •I went up to my wife's room.
- •It was a pretty, delicate, dainty dress, a graceful, narrow-striped
- •In a broad, uneven band, bright in the morning sun.
- •Visited the other in his country home.
- •Very fond of horses and always drove himself, while Buller was more
- •Very much.
- •Is that I hear? Is that a train?"
- •In a husky voice. "Thomas, the water is over my shoes!"
- •Instinctively he clutched Buller.
- •I'll have you in a dry suit of clothes in less than fifteen minutes."
- •Informed that he might have to wait for an hour or more. This did not
- •It didn't throw me out."
- •If the Colonel had been surprised before, he was now really startled,
- •In a jury.
- •I want to know first is, kin you take the case?"
- •It all the easier for you," said the young woman.
- •Illuminated, in that single glance. And when the eyelids fell again,
- •In regard to the distinct promise of marriage--was there--er--no
- •Voice, "what you mean by what you call 'my attentions' to--any one--or
- •Indiscretion committed in behalf of a lady--my--er--client."
- •Inspiration and a prophecy.
- •In her smile. She dragged her chair nearer his desk. "Then you'll
- •Injin! And when you rolled it all off at the end--never missing a
- •If that act had condoned for his first omissions and awkwardness, he
- •It was therefore not remarkable that the courthouse three weeks later
- •Vaguely, in this bizarre figure, something of an honored past in their
- •It." After a pause he added, addressing the Colonel, who remained
- •It was his duty to tell them that this was not one of those ordinary
- •Venus--and the inspired writings themselves were used as the medium of
- •In their memory by the knowledge that the defendant was capable of
- •In the republic low enough to represent its value.
- •Inordinate weakness of the flesh, with shameless hypocrisy underscores
- •Inamorata--but a number of flagons or vessels, each possibly holding
- •Voice had the unmistakable Western-American ring in it, as of one who
- •Voice was heard saying, "We rest here, your Honor," and he sat down.
- •It was not long before the two were like old chums. The Major set
- •Invitations went for fifty miles around; the occasional feuds with the
- •It was a fascination to Hargraves to watch him make it. He took rank
- •It on the table.
- •Individual. The way the audience caught on shows that. Half the
- •I would consider your insulting offer of a financial adjustment of the
- •Volcanically.
- •It is marvelous how much one can see out of the corner of the eye,
- •Is quite a draught from that broken window."
- •Impatiently.
- •In the confusion of rescuing the fluffery, the owner of the suitcase
- •Vinegar and wormwood to Mrs. Ellsworth, and she gazed after the
- •In nutmegs and chicory. No task seemed impossible. He walked in to see
- •Insisted, gathering up her armload of branches. "I couldn't think of
- •In spite of the sly smile that he had permitted to himself, he was
- •It, and never the suspicion of a smile deepened the dimple in the
- •Van Kamp.
- •I've had a big pot o' stewed chicken ready on the stove fer two mortal
- •Veil the all-too-brilliant polish of his cowhide shoes. Also the
- •Intelligently. He could do that.
- •I'm here. What's likely to happen after we get rid of the card?"
- •It was characteristic that the freckled boy remained standing. He
- •Into the shadows of the big hall: "You Babe! Go put two extra plates
- •If your mothers let you eat all you want, say so, and I don't care;
- •Intention with result became village talk? Ross bit fiercely upon an
- •Interest. Which one that management might become was a matter of
- •Its heels in the face of the best that Squire Hopkins drove. In his
- •It was nip and tuck, the deacon encouraging his horse and the widow
- •It possible for him to win. The deacon shivered as he thought of it,
- •Indian River in search of various fish. On days when fish had been
- •Imagination, others charming by their number and crispness--the
- •Inner coast of Florida which Gideon knew best, which was home.
- •Inherent in the negro. He gave one regretful thought to the gorgeous
- •In his head. But for the most part his broad black face was turned up
- •It was as excruciatingly funny as it had ever been, when his boat
- •Ingenerate familiars of his wild, forgotten blood. He groaned aloud in
- •Inclining her head coquettishly; but it evidently meant nothing to
- •Vashti rose to her feet with a sigh.
- •In this sudden act of violence. He was aglow with happiness; he was
- •Vashti's sobbing had grown small and ceased; he wondered if she had
- •International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
Influence on structure in the short story has been great, it is
difficult rather than obvious to trace particular instances. It is
felt in the advance of the general level of short story art. There is
nothing personal about structure--there is everything personal about
style. Poe's style is both too much his own and too superlatively good
to be successfully imitated--whom have we had who, even if he were a
master of structural effects, could be a second Poe? Looking at the
matter in another way, Poe's style is not his own at all. There is
nothing "personal" about it in the petty sense of that term. Rather we
feel that, in the case of this author, universality has been attained.
It was Poe's good fortune to be himself in style, as often in content,
on a plane of universal appeal. But in some general characteristics of
his style his work can be, not perhaps imitated, but emulated. Greater
vividness, deft impressionism, brevity that strikes instantly to a
telling effect--all these an author may have without imitating any
one's style but rather imitating excellence. Poe's "imitators" who
have amounted to anything have not tried to imitate him but to vie
with him. They are striving after perfectionism. Of course the sort of
good style in which Poe indulged is not the kind of style--or the
varieties of style--suited for all purposes, but for the purposes to
which it is adapted it may well be called supreme.
Then as a poet his work is almost or quite as excellent in a somewhat
more restricted range. In verse he is probably the best artist in
American letters. Here his sole pursuit was beauty, both of form and
thought; he is vivid and apt, intensely lyrical but without much range
of thought. He has deep intuitions but no comprehensive grasp of life.
His criticism is, on the whole, the least important part of his work.
He had a few good and brilliant ideas which came at just the right
time to make a stir in the world, and these his logical mind and
telling style enabled him to present to the best advantage. As a
critic he is neither broad-minded, learned, nor comprehensive. Nor is
he, except in the few ideas referred to, deep. He is, however,
limitedly original--perhaps intensely original within his narrow
scope. But the excellences and limitations of Poe in any one part of
his work were his limitations and excellences in all.
As Poe's best short stories may be mentioned: _Metzengerstein_ (Jan.
14, 1832, Philadelphia _Saturday Courier_), _Ms. Found in a Bottle_
(October 19, 1833, _Baltimore Saturday Visiter_), _The Assignation_
(January, 1834, _Godey's Lady's Book_), _Berenice_ (March, 1835,
_Southern Literary Messenger_), _Morella_ (April, 1835, _Southern
Literary Messenger_), _The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall_
(June, 1835, _Southern Literary Messenger_), _King Pest: a Tale
Containing an Allegory_ (September, 1835, _Southern Literary
Messenger_), _Shadow: a Parable_ (September, 1835, _Southern Literary
Messenger_), _Ligeia_ (September, 1838, _American Museum_), _The Fall
of the House of Usher_ (September, 1839, _Burton's Gentleman's
Magazine_), _William Wilson_ (1839: _Gift for_ 1840), _The
Conversation of Eiros and Charmion_ (December, 1839, _Burton's
Gentleman's Magazine_), _The Murders in the Rue Morgue_ (April, 1841,
_Graham's Magazine_), _A Descent into the Maelstrom_ (May, 1841,
_Graham's Magazine_), _Eleonora_ (1841: _Gift_ for 1842), _The Masque
of the Red Death_ (May, 1842, _Graham's Magazine_), _The Pit and the
Pendulum_ (1842: _Gift for 1843_), _The Tell-Tale Heart_ (January,
1843, _Pioneer_), _The Gold-Bug_ (June 21 and 28, 1843, _Dollar
Newspaper_), _The Black Cat_ (August 19, 1843, _United States Saturday
Post_), _The Oblong Box_ (September, 1844, _Godey's Lady's Book_),
_The Angel of the Odd_ (October, 1844, _Columbian Magazine_), _"Thou
Art the Man"_ (November, 1844, _Godey's Lady's Book_), _The Purloined
Letter_ (1844: _Gift_ for 1845), _The Imp of the Perverse_ (July,
1845, _Graham's Magazine_), _The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether_
(November, 1845, _Graham's Magazine_), _The Facts in the Case of M.
Valdemar_ (December, 1845, _American Whig Review_), _The Cask of
Amontillado_ (November, 1846, _Godey's Lady's Book_), and _Lander's
Cottage_ (June 9, 1849, _Flag of Our Union_). Poe's chief collections
are: _Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque_ (1840), _Tales_ (1845),
and _The Works of the Late Edgar Allan Poe_ (1850-56). These titles
have been dropped from recent editions of his works, however, and the
stories brought together under the title _Tales_, or under
subdivisions furnished by his editors, such as _Tales of
Ratiocination_, etc.
Caroline Matilda Stansbury Kirkland (1801-1864) wrote of the frontier
life of the Middle West in the mid-nineteenth century. Her principal
collection of short stories is _Western Clearings_ (1845), from which
_The Schoolmaster's Progress_, first published in _The Gift_ for 1845
(out in 1844), is taken. Other stories republished in that collection
are _The Ball at Thram's Huddle_ (April, 1840, _Knickerbocker
Magazine_), _Recollections of the Land-Fever_ (September, 1840,
_Knickerbocker Magazine_), and _The Bee-Tree_ (_The Gift_ for 1842;
out in 1841). Her description of the country schoolmaster, "a puppet
cut out of shingle and jerked by a string," and the local color in
general of this and other stories give her a leading place among the
writers of her period who combined fidelity in delineating frontier
life with sufficient fictional interest to make a pleasing whole of
permanent value.
George William Curtis (1824-1892) gained his chief fame as an
essayist, and probably became best known from the department which he
conducted, from 1853, as _The Editor's Easy Chair_ for _Harper's
Magazine_ for many years. His volume, _Prue and I_ (1856), contains
many fictional elements, and a story from it, _Titbottom's
Spectacles_, which first appeared in Putnam's Monthly for December,