Chapter XIV: Introduction: iii

CONTENTS v.

DEDICATION vii.

ARGUMENT ix.

PROEM xi.

CHAP. PAGE.

Alcott, Louisa: "Transcendental Wild Oats" IV. 68

American Early Writers: Some of them who were thought
Witty--Anne Bradstreet; Mercy Warren; Tabitha Tenney III. 47
Satirical Poem, by Mercy Warren III. 47
Mrs. Sigourney's Johnsonese Humor; Extracts from her
Note-Book III. 48
Miss Sedgwick's Witty Imagination, III. 49
Mrs. Caroline Gilman's humorous Poem, "Joshua's
Courtship" III. 49

Andersen, Hans, Reference to Woman Dramatist in his
Autobiography X. 196

Aphorisms by the Queen of Roumania (Carmen Sylva) I. 24

"Auction Extraordinary" VIII. 176

"Aunty Doleful's Visit," by M.K.D.--"If I can't do
anything else, I can cheer you up a little" VI. 118

Barnum and Phoebe Cary V. 102

Bates, Charlotte Fiske: "Hat, Ulster and All," Satirical
Poem, Quatrain and Epigram VIII. 175

"Beechers," Old Family Epigram applied to the I. 22

Behn, Aphra: Wrote Comedies; her unsavory Wit X. 195

Bellows, Isabel Frances: "A Fatal Reputation" (for
wit)--"A picnic, that most ghastly device of the human
mind" VII. 129

Bremer, Frederika, her genuine Humor; First Quarrel with
her "Bear" II. 41

Brine, Mary D.: Poems, "Kiss Pretty Poll" VIII. 158

" " "Thanksgiving Day--Then and Now" VIII. 159

Burleigh, Pun on, by Queen Elizabeth I. 16

Butter, Punning Poem on, by Caroline B. Le Row I. 18

Cary, Phoebe, "The wittiest woman in America": Her
quick retorts and merry repartees; her parodies and
humorous poems V. 101

Champney, Lizzie W.: "An Unruffled Bosom"--a Tragical
Tale of a Negress who "knew Washington" VIII. 171

Clarke, Lady, and her Irish Songs II. 44

Cleveland's, Elizabeth Rose, Pun I. 21

Cleaveland's, Mrs., "No Sects in Heaven" IV. 69

Clemmer, Mary: Her Life of Phoebe Cary V. 102

Comedies--Few written by Women; Five Englishwomen
produced successful; Susanna Centlivre wrote nearly
a score--contain some wit, but old-fashioned; Aphra
Behn wrote several comedies, witty but coarse X. 195

Cooke's, Rose Terry, "Knoware" IV. 68
" " " "Miss Lucinda's Pig" IV. 69
" " " Story of "A Gift Horse" IV. 71

Coolidge, Grace F.: "The Robin and Chicken" IX. 188

Conclusion. _See_ "Fireworks."

Cone, Helen Gray: Satirical Poems--"Cassandra Brown" IX. 180
" " " "The Tender Heart" IX. 182

Corbett, E.T.: "The Inventor's Wife," a Poetical Lament VIII. 170

_Critic_, article in, on "Woman's Sense of Humor" I. 13

Cynicism of Frenchwomen I. 23

Davidson, Lucretia: "Auction Extraordinary" (Sale of
Old Bachelors) VIII. 176

Deffand, Madame du I. 23

Diaz, Mrs. Abby M., writer of the famous "William
Henry Letters" IV. 69

Dodge, Mary Mapes--"inimitable satirist": "The Insanity
of Cain" IV. 68
" " " "Miss Molony on the Chinese Question"
(read before the Prince of Wales) IV. 69

"Dromy," Satirical Notes on Derivation of II. 35

"Eliot's, George," Humor; Examples from "Adam Bede"
and "Silas Marner" II. 45

Epigrams, Makers of I. 21
" by Jane Austen: on the Name of "Wake" I. 21
" " Lady Townsend: on the Herveys--applied to
the Beechers; on Walpole I. 22
" " Miss Evans: on a Musical Woman I. 22
" " Hannah More I. 22
" " "Ouida" I. 22
" " Miss Phelps I. 29
" " Mrs. Rose Terry Cooke I. 30
" " Mrs. A.D.T. Whitney I. 31
" " Marguerite de Valois; by Madame de Lambert;
by Sophie Arnould; by Madame de Sevigne I. 24
" " Lady Harriet Ashburton I. 25
" " Mrs. Carlyle, "herself an epigram;" by Hannah
F. Gould, on Caleb Cushing I. 26
" " "Gail Hamilton" I. 27
" " Kate Field I. 27
" Mrs. Whicher's "Widow Bedott" I. 31
" Marietta Holley's "Josiah Allen's Wife" I. 31

Eytinge, Margaret: "Indignant Polly Wog" VIII. 157

"Fanny, Aunt": _Jeu d'esprit_ on Minerva I. 29

"Fanny Fern's" Arithmetical Mania III. 54

"Fanny Forrester's" Letter to N.P. Willis III. 52

Ferrier's, Mary, Genial Wit; Scott's Description of her;
her "Sensible Woman," Satirical II. 39

"Fireworks": Miscellaneous Closing Display of Wit:
Mrs. Rollins' illustration of woman's quickness
at repartee X. 202
Mrs. Stanton's Reply to Horace Greeley; Miss Margaret
Fuller; Mademoiselle Mars X. 203
Madame Louisa Segur; Miss Cleveland; Lydia Maria Child X. 204
Madame de Stael; Madame Recamier X. 206

French Women's Cynicism I. 23

"Gail Hamilton" IV. 68

Gaskell's, Mrs., Humor II. 36

"Gell and Gill" I. 21

Genlis, Madame de X. 196

Genuine Fun--Sketches from C.M. Kirkland IV. 67

Gilman, Mrs. Caroline: A New England Ballad, "Joshua's
Courtship" III. 49

Gordon, Anna A.: "'Skeeters have the Reputation" VIII. 160

"Grace Greenwood's" many Puns I. 17

" " "Mistress O'Rafferty on the Woman
Question" VI. 108

Greek Lady's Wit I. 15

Hale, Lucretia P.: "Peterkin Letters" IV. 69

" " " "The First Needle," a poetical Bit
of History VIII. 150

Hall, Louisa: "The Indian Agent"--"With affectionate
interest he looked into the very depths of their
pockets" VI. 103

"Hamilton, Gail": "Both Sides," an amusing poetical
Satire IX. 191

Holley's, Miss, "Samantha" IV. 69

Hudson's, Mary Clemmer, Opinions on Wit; her Anecdotes
of Phoebe Cary V. 100

Humor, Miss Jewett's I. 27

Irish Fun VI. 107

Jewett, Sarah Orne: "The Circus at Denby" VII. 141

Jones', Amanda T., Poem, "Dochther O'Flannigan and his
Wondherful Cures" VI. 109

Kirkland, Caroline M.: "Borrowing Out West" IV. 67

Le Row, Caroline B.: Poetic Pun on the "Butter Woman" I. 18

Lothrop, Harriette W. (_nom de plume_ "Margaret Sidney"):
"Why Polly Doesn't Love Cake" IX. 189

"Lover and Lever," Epigram on, by C.F. Bates I. 28

McDowell, Mrs., "Sherwood Bonner:" "Aunt Anniky's Teeth" V. 85
"My soul and body is a-yearnin' fur a han'sum chaney set
o' teef" V. 86
Pen-Portrait of Dr. Alonzo Babb V. 87
His first Tooth V. 89
How Anniky Lost her "Teef" V. 91
Ned Cuddy's Letter V. 94
Specimens of her Wit: The Radical Club--a Satirical Poem V. 97

McLean, Miss Sallie: "Cape Cod Folks" IV. 69

Mitford's, Mary Russell, "Talking Lady" II. 36

Mohl, Madame I. 25

Montagu's, Lady, Famous Speech I. 14

More's, Hannah, Contest of Wit with Johnson II. 34

Morgan's, Lady, A "Fast Horse" I. 16

" " Receptions II. 44

Mott, Lucretia X. 204

Moulton, Louisa Chandler: "The Jane Moseley was a
Disappointment" VII. 144

Mowatt, Anna Cora: Her Popular Play of "Fashion" X. 196

Murfree, Miss (_nom de plume_ "Charles Egbert Craddock"):
"A Blacksmith in Love" VII. 135

"New York to Newport"--a Trip of Trials VII. 144

Old-fashioned Wit--Examples: Bon-mots of "Stella"; Jane
Taylor; Miss Burney; Mrs. Barbauld II. 32
Hannah More II. 33

"Ouida's" Epigrams I. 22

Parodies: Phoebe Cary's on "Maud Muller" not justifiable;
Grace Greenwood on Mrs. Sigourney IX. 186
Lilian Whiting's on Kingsley's "Three Fishers" IX. 187

Perry, Carlotta: "A Modern Minerva" IX. 179

Pickering, Julia: "The Old-Time Religion"--"I allus did
dispise dem stuck-up 'Piscopalians" VI. 114

Poems, Laughable and Satirical:
"The First Needle," L.P. Hale VIII. 150
"The Funny Story," J. Pollard VIII. 152
"Wanted, a Minister," M.E.W. Skeels VIII. 153
"The Middy of 1881," May Croly Roper VIII. 156
"Indignant Polly Wog," M. Eytinge VIII. 157
"Kiss Pretty Poll," M.D. Brine VIII. 158
"Thanksgiving Day--Then and Now," M.D. Brine VIII. 159
"Concerning Mosquitoes," A.A. Gordon VIII. 160
"The Stilts of Gold;" "Just So," M.V. Victor VIII. 161
"The Inventor's Wife," E.T. Corbett VIII. 170
"An Unruffled Bosom," L.W. Champney VIII. 171
"Hat, Ulster and All," C.F. Bates VIII. 175
"Auction Extraordinary," L. Davidson VIII. 176
"A Sonnet," J. Pollard VIII. 152

Puns:
Miss Mary Wadsworth's; Louisa Alcott's; Grace
Greenwood prolific in; a Mushroom Pun;
a Pillar-sham Pun I. 17
Horseshoe Pun I. 18
Miss Cleveland's I. 21
Queen Elizabeth's I. 16

"Radical Club," Satirical Poem V. 97

Rollins, Mrs. Alice Wellington, article in _Critic_ I. 13

" " " " VII. 122

Rollins, Mrs. Ellen H. (_nom de plume_ "E.H. Arr"),
pre-eminently gifted as a humorist--Extracts from her
"Old-Time Child Life" VII. 124
"Effect of the Comet" VII. 126
"Doctrines are pizen things" VII. 128

Roper, May Croly: Poem VIII. 156

Schayer, Mrs. Julia, Author of "Struggling Genius," an
amusing Domestic Drama; Extracts from the Play,
"Nursery," "Study," and "Dining-Room" Scenes X. 196

"Sherwood Bonner." _See_ McDowell, Mrs.

Sigourney, Mrs., her melancholy Style IX. 186

Skeels, Mrs. M.E.W.: Satirical Poem VIII. 153

Thanksgiving Growl, A (poetical) VI. 120

Verplanck's, Mrs., Comedy, "Sealed Instructions" X. 196

Victor, Metta Victoria: "Miss Slimmins Surprised" IV. 81

" " " "The Stilts of Gold" (a
reminiscence of Hood's "Miss
Kilmansegg and her Precious
Leg") VIII. 161

"Vokes Family" Farces (written by an aunt of the
performers), "Belles of the Kitchen" and "Fun in a Fog" X. 196

Waldron, Adelaide Cilley, "Kitten Tactics" IX. 190

Walker's, Mrs., famous Epigram I. 28

Weissenthurn, Madame von: her Comedies fill fourteen
volumes X. 196

Whicher, Mrs., "Widow Bedott" IV. 68

White's, Richard Grant. Opinion of Woman's Wit I. 13

Whiting, Miss Lilian: "The Three Poets" IX. 187

Williams, Alice: "Plighted," IX. 183

Wilson, Arabella: "O Sextant of the Meetinouse" VIII. 177

Woman's Wit, Search for, Neglected by Men I. 13

Women Poets generally Despondent I. 14

" Humorous Newspaper Correspondents: Mrs. Runkle;
Mrs. Rollins; Gail Hamilton IX. 185

Women Inclined to Ridicule Foibles of their Sex IX. 186

Woolson, Constance Fenimore: Her "Miss Lois"
(housekeeping, with Chippewa squaws for servants) VII. 139