Wright American Fiction

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MUCK-A-MUCK, the haughty, untaught, untrammeled son of the forest.—(After COOPER.) See page 13.

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Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, by G. W. CARLETON & CO., In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

TO
THE MEMORY
OF
THOMAS STARR KING
THIS BOOK
IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED

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PREFACE.

THE style and finish of the following sketches may make it sufficiently obvious to the reader, without further statement, that they are written with no higher ambition than that of filling the ephemeral pages of a weekly paper. But their publication in that form, has been the means of giving them a popularity which their author trusts justifies him in reproducing them in a collected and more permanent shape. The "Condensed Novels," to which this more particularly refers, claim no other originality in their general conception, than that shown by their title—a humorous condensation of the salient characteristics of certain writers, selected without reference to their standing or prominence in literature. In one or two instances the parody has been based upon some individual work—but in most cases the author has endeavored to show the general idiosyncrasies of each author.

For the other sketches, though comprising the greater part of the volume, their introduction here must rest solely upon the assumed popularity of the "Condensed Novels." They were selected from writings, scattered through the California press during a period of five or six years. Though based upon local scenery and local subjects, no one is better aware than their author, of their deficiency in local coloring, a deficiency which he nevertheless believes is made up by such general interest and abstract fidelity, as may make them applicable to any locality.

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CONTENTS.

I.—CONDENSED NOVELS.

• MUCK A MUCK. An Indian Novel, after Cooper. 16
• TERENCE DEUVILLE. By Ch—ls Lo—r. 21
• SELINA SEDILIA. By Miss B—dd—n and Mrs. H—y W—d. 29
• NINETY-NINE GUARDSMEN. By Al—x—ndr D—m—s. 40
• THE DWELLER OF THE THRESHOLD. By Sir Ed—d L. B—lw-r. 49
• THE HAUNTED MAN. By Ch—l—s D—k—ns. 56
• MISS MIX. By Ch—l—tte Br—nte. 67
• GUY HEAVYSTONE. By Author of Sword and Gun. 80
• MR. MIDSHIPMAN BREEZY. By Capt. M—ry—t. 90
• JOHN JENKINS. By T. S. A—rth—r. 101
• NO TITLE. By W—lk—e C—ll—ns. 108
• N. A French Paragraphic Novel. 119
• FANTINE. After the French of Victor Hugo. 125
• LA FEMME. After the French of M. Michelet. 132
• MARY MC GILLUP, a Southern Novel. 138

II.—CIVIC SKETCHES.

• A VENERABLE IMPOSTOR. 151
• FROM A BALCONY. 156
• MELONS. 163
• SURPRISING ADVENTURES OF MR. CHAS. SUMMERTON. 173
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• SIDEWALKINGS. 179
• A BOY'S DOG. 187
• CHARITABLE REMINISCENCES. 194
• SEEING THE STEAMER OFF. 200
• NEIGHBORHOODS I HAVE MOVED FROM. 206
• MY SUBURBAN RESIDENCE. 219
• A VULGAR LITTLE BOY. 227
• WAITING FOR THE SHIP. 230

III.—LEGENDS AND TALES.

• THE LEGEND OF MONTE DEL DIABLO. 237
• ADVENTURES OF PADRE VINCENTIO. 257
• THE LEGEND OF DEVIL'S POINT. 267
• THE DEVIL AND THE BROKER. 278
• THE OGRESS OF SILVER LAND. 284
• RUINS OF SAN FRANCISCO. 293
• NIGHT AT WINGDAM. 298