
By
Acknowledgment
I.—THE BENCHLEY-WHITTIER CORRESPONDENCE
II—FAMILY LIFE IN AMERICA
PART 1
PART 2
PART 3
III—THIS CHILD KNOWS THE ANSWER—DO YOU?
The Well-Informed Children's Hour
IV—RULES AND SUGGESTIONS FOR WATCHING AUCTION BRIDGE
A light‑hearted stroll through the witty mind of a classic humorist, this collection offers a series of charmingly absurd vignettes that blend literary gossip with everyday mishaps. The opening piece spins a mock‑serious investigation into a misplaced hat and a lost letter between the author and the venerable poet John Greenleaf Whittier, turning a simple coat‑exchange into a comedic mystery laced with dry sarcasm and affectionate ribbing. From imagined scandals of Byron to the author’s own diary entries, the prose sparkles with the kind of clever observation that makes ordinary moments feel delightfully exaggerated.
Interspersed with playful illustrations, the book wanders into broader reflections on American family life and the quirks of contemporary culture, all delivered in a breezy, conversational tone. Listeners will appreciate the gentle rhythm of the narrator’s voice as it guides them through each anecdote, offering both laughter and a nostalgic glimpse into early‑20th‑century social commentary.
Language
en
Duration
~5 hours (316K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Afra Ullah, Josephine Paolucci, Joshua Hutchinson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
Release date
May 18, 2005
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1889–1945
A master of dry, self-mocking comedy, this American humorist turned everyday confusion into an art form. His essays, columns, and comic performances helped define smart magazine humor in the first half of the 20th century.
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