AMBROSE  BIERCE

When one thinks about America's greatest short story authors, the names Twain, Poe or Porter come to mind, but the writer of the best American short story is left out.

That marvelous piece of work, in my not humble opinion, is a very short Civil War story called:

 An Incident at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914.. maybe). If you haven't read it, do so.  You'll never forget it.

Mr. Bierce was a journalist, writer, satirist and comic wit. In 1914 he ventured into war-torn Mexico and was never heard of again.

Inspired by Samuel Johnson's kind-of satirical dictionary, he prepared his own dictionary over the years. His biting definitions caused this work to be called: 

The Devil's Dictionary.

Some of his definitions are accompanied by clever verse attributed to non-existing entities.

A few examples: (among the A's)

Archbishop, n. An ecclesiastical dignitary one point holier than a bishop,

     If I were a jolly archbishop,

     On Fridays I'd eat all the fish up -

     Salmon and flounder and smelts;

     On other days everything else.

     (By Joho Rem)

Admiration, n.  Our polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselves.

Adder, n. A species of snake. So called from its  habit of adding funeral outlays to the other expenses of living.

Ambidextrous, adj.  Able to pick with equal skill a right-hand pocket or a left.

Admonition, n.  Gentle reproof, as with a meat- axe. Friendly warning.

     Consigned, by way of admonition,

     His soul forever to perdition.

     (By Judibras)

Alliance, n.  In International politics, the union of two thieves who have their hands so deeply inserted in each other's pockets that they cannot separately plunder a third.

All written almost 150 years ago and still ringing true today!

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