This fourth volume of Marshall P. Wilder's ten-part anthology gathers American humorous writing from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collection moves between verse and prose, with pieces by Joel Chandler Harris, James Whitcomb Riley, Eugene Field, and Carolyn Wells, among others. A striking excerpt from Owen Wister's The Virginian appears, depicting a cowboy audience subjected to a stern Calvinist sermon—a rare moment of narrative tension amid the lighter fare.

Structure and Variety

The volume is organized as a miscellany, alternating poems and short prose pieces without thematic grouping. This structure creates a rhythm of shifting voices and forms. For instance, John G. Saxe's ballad "The Briefless Barrister" is followed by Carolyn Wells's economical verse, then a prose sketch by Frederick A. Cozzens. The juxtaposition of different meters and tones—from dialect poems to satirical dialogues—keeps the reading experience varied. The table of contents lists over forty works, suggesting a deliberate effort to showcase a range of American humorists.

Recurring Images and Motifs

Several pieces employ images of poverty and legal trouble. Saxe's barrister is "in shabby habiliments drest," with a coat "shockingly worn" and a purse containing "not half a crown." The motif of financial distress recurs in J.T. Trowbridge's "The Coupon Bonds" and Nixon Waterman's "Cheer for the Consumer." Another recurring image is the domestic sphere: Josiah Allen's Wife recounts buying a sewing machine, while Carolyn Wells writes of "An Economical Pair." These everyday settings ground the humor in recognizable situations.

Movement Between Scenes

The anthology shifts abruptly from urban to rural, from parlor to prairie. Wister's excerpt places the reader in a Western setting where a preacher addresses cowboys. The language becomes more colloquial and descriptive: "Stone upon stone he built the black cellar of his theology." This contrasts with the earlier, more formal verse of Saxe. The movement between scenes is not explained by the editor; readers must adapt to each new context. This abruptness mirrors the variety of American life at the time.

Voice and Dialect

Many selections employ dialect or regional speech. James Whitcomb Riley's "The Raggedy Man" and "Ponchus Pilut" use Midwestern vernacular, while William Henry Drummond's "De Stove Pipe Hole" is written in a French-Canadian dialect. Joel Chandler Harris's "My Honey, My Love" draws on African American dialect from the Uncle Remus tradition. These voices are presented without gloss, assuming a reader familiar with the sounds. The variety of dialects underscores the anthology's aim to represent a broad American humor.

Readers approaching this volume should expect a sampler rather than a unified work. The editor provides no introductions or notes, so each piece stands alone. The humor ranges from gentle satire to broad comedy, and the dialect pieces may require slow reading. This collection offers a glimpse into the tastes of early 20th-century American readers, preserving voices that might otherwise be lost.