Washington Irving (1783—1859) was an American short story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon" is a collection of essays and short stories. Stories range from the maudlin (such as "The Wife" and "The Widow and Her Son") to the picaresque ("Little Britain") and the comical ("The Mutability of Literature").