I'm cheating a bit to include this section under "Fiction," but it seems the best place. Here you'll find a selection of (primarily) short Victorian humor pieces, some of which are fictional and some of which are humorous accounts of actual personal experiences, or personal opinions (such as Mark Twain's commentary on "Magnanimous Incident Literature"). Many of these pieces ran in their respective magazines' editorial or "lighter vein" sections, but some ran as full feature articles. All have been chosen for their ability to give us a chuckle, even over a hundred years since they were written.

The Druggist's Peculiar Orders (Boston Herald, no date)

A look at the various intriguing spellings druggists encounter when trying to fill prescriptions.

Scene in "Our Sanctum;" or, a Peep Behind the Curtain (Godey's, 1860)

A look, presumably by Godey's editors, at the sorts of dreadful submissions a magazine receives.

The Habiliments of Grief, from a Commercial Point of View (Godey's, 1863)

[Literary] Heroines, by Augusta Worthen (Godey's, 1863)

A reader bemoans the cruelties inflicted by authors upon hapless heroines, who are beset with all manner of sorrows - along with a reminder that readers may find enough unfortunates to sympathize with in real life!

Paris Items (Godey's, 1867)

Some humorous snippets regarding life in France.

Godey's Armchair: Parisian Items (Godey's, 1868)

Abigail Shout's Protest (Godey's, 1868)

Abigail's protest is against "those authors who write books for the million and adulterate their English with whole pages of French, and Latin, and Greek, and I don't know what else, for I don't know a word of either, nor one from the another when I see it." And if you've read a bit of Victorian literature, you'll know just what she means....

Godey's Armchair (Godey's, 1868)

Various bits of short humor.

The Wedding of Polly Ann Peachblossom, by Mary Ann Worthy (Godey's Lady's Book, 1873)

A humorous look at wedding styles and customs in America.

Our Soirée Musicale (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1875)

A delightful bit of humor that explores Victorian pomposity - as a social group discovers that one of its potential members is (gasp) in trade!

Social Lectures: On Swells, by Lewis Hough (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1875)

Whether you prefer to call them swells, bloods or dandies, this tongue-in-cheek article explains how to become one if you aren't "born" one.

About Magnanimous-Incident Literature, by Mark Twain (Atlantic Monthly, 1878)

Twain's humorous views of "inspirational" stories and their inevitable logical outcomes - such as the noble dog who is healed by a physician and brings another injured dog to the healer's doorstep the next day... and the next... and the next...

Six Weeks After Marriage (Demorest, 1879)

What life is like at the breakfast table once the first bloom of married bliss has worn off...

How I Made Soap, by Florence Burnham (Demorest, 1880)

Suffice it to say that the process did not go according to the directions!

How the Craze Spreads (Demorest, 1882)

How fashions in décor and bric-a-brac spread.

The Taste Supply Association (Century Magazine, 1882)

For those who aren't sure how to decorate their homes tastefully, this "association" will supply all their needs!

Chrysander's Quest (Century Magazine, 1883B)

A young knight seeks wisdom from seamstresses.

On Higher Education for Women (humor), by Pinkie Rosebud (Century Magazine, 1883)

A humorous look at the "evils" of higher education for women.

Characters in Backs (The Impressions of a Noticing Eye) (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1886)

What a discerning eye can learn about a person by looking at them from the back!

A Bob-Tail Car, by Brander Matthews (Century Magazine, 1886B)

A tram ride in New York.

The Coupon Letter of Introduction, by Bill Nye (Century Magazine, 1887A)

What if letters of introduction spoke the truth?

Documentary Proof of Self-Defense, by Bill Nye (Century Magazine, 1887A)

What your burglar should sign before you bash him over the head...

English as She Is Taught, by Mark Twain (Century Magazine, 1887)

Mark Twain's delightful introduction to the book by that name - a 19th-century compilation of school-child bloopers that, as Twain points out, is an interesting commentary on the American educational system. (Get the book itself in our Bookstore!)

How I Tried to Write a Story, by H. Frith (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1888)

An amusing account of an author's efforts to "break in" that will ring just as true with writers today!

The Patent-Protected Man (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1890)

A humorous look at some eccentricities of men's fashions.

A Boomopolis Wedding, by John Kendrick Bangs (Harper's Monthly, 1891)

Funny Names (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1891)

Some genuine names given to babies and registered at Somerset House.

The NPMC [Natural Products Manufacturing Corp] (The Strand, 1893A)

A humorous, fictional look at the problem of adulteration.

Inventions Overdue, by Arnold White (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1894)

Much has been invented, this author notes, but there is still room for more - he eagerly awaits such inventions as instantaneous transportation, the harvesting of volcanic energy for home heating, noiseless pavements, and... colour photography! (Well, at least he wouldn't have been completely disappointed!)

Spring-Clean, by Verax (Girl's Own Paper, 1895)

A writer expresses concern over this peculiar "occult form of worship" that takes place in English households every spring!

In the Realm of Fiction (Century Magazine, 1895B)

The hero and heroine of the modern novel carry on a "heated discussion" of the evolution of the modern woman in literature.

The Dialect Store, by Charles Battell Loomis (Century Magazine, 1897A)

A humorous look at the trend toward tales and poetry written in dialect.

My Poetry and the Police/A Righteous Retribution, by Alfred Slade (Windsor Magazine, 1897A)

A poet's dream... Or nightmare...

What They Will Say on Jubilee Day, by W. Pett Ridge (Windsor Magazine, 1897B)

Speculations on what one might overhear in the crowds attending Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee.

Gallicized English, by Rupert Hughes (Century Magazine, 1898)

From "rostbif" to the "ha-i-la-i-fe," a look at how Victorian French publications adopt and adapt the popular English phrases of the day.

A Perennial Fever, by Charles Battle Loomis (Century Magazine, 1898B)

What happens when a man catches "hen fever."

Edwin's Razor, by Angelina Brown (The Strand, 1901B)

A Study in Backs (Lady's Realm, 1901)

From the back: The respectable woman, the horsey woman, the vulgar woman, the "new" woman, and so on.

Books of Etiquette, by Leonard Larkin (The Strand, 1903A)

A humorous look at some of the more obvious, or ridiculous, bits of advice in contemporary books of etiquette.