Some acute American critics have discovered that Mark Twain's humor--so much of it as is contained in this volume at any rate--has lost its savor. Strangely enough the ordinary reader does not arrive at the same conclusion, for to his untrained perception the book seems to overflow with comic incident and humorous expression. All, or nearly all, who have laughed over Tom Sawyer, will not fail to heartily enjoy the predicaments of vagabond "Huck," and marvel at the address with which he lies himself out of the most difficult straits. Their sympathies too will be claimed for runaway Jim, whose colored skin only served to disguise his "white inside." They will wax merry over the poetic justice meted out to the King and Duke, and hold their sides over Tom Sawyer's expedients for making the escape of Jim difficult, after the manner of "the most approved authorities." They will even reflect deeply over the state of society portrayed by the author and admire the ingenuity with which the different dialects are sustained by the various characters to whom they are proper. Finally they will conclude that rarely have they read a more thoroughly interesting and mirth-provoking book, or one that so entirely satisfied their anticipations. As to the many illustrations that accompany the letter-press, we can give them no higher praise than by saying that the artist has thoroughly understood the conceptions of the author, and has embodied them in forms which appeal to the reader's eyes as strongly as the pictures presented by Mark Twain possess the mind.