American Short Stories by Charles Sears Baldwin is a collection of selected stories and critical essays on the short story genre, written in the early 20th century. The compilation aims to showcase the evolution of the American short story, exploring its development from meandering anecdotes to a distinct and cohesive literary form. The collection features a variety of tales from notable American authors. PART I. THE TENTATIVE PERIOD Washington Irving – Rip Van Winkle William Austin – Peter Rugg, the Missing Man James Hall – The French Village Albert Pike – The Inroad of the Nabajo PART II. THE PERIOD OF THE NEW FORM Nathaniel Hawthorne – The White Old Maid Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – The Notary Of Périgueux Edgar Allan Poe – The Fall of the House of Usher Nathanıel Parker Willis – The Inlet of Peach Blossoms Carolıne Matilda Stansbury Kirkland – The Bee-Tree Fitz-James O’brien – What was It? A Mystery Francis Bret Harte – The Outcasts of Poker Flat Albert Falvey Webster – Miss Eunice’s Glove Bayard Taylor – Who was She? Henry Cuyler Bunner – The Love-Letters of Smith Harold Frederic – The Eve of the Fourth