Sentence:  Towards the end of his life, Twain took Jane Austen as one of his stock jibes and the items collected here (No. 23), dating from 1896 to 1909, show how much he enjoyed needling his <WSD>Austenite</WSD> friends, Howells in particular. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  a fan or admirer of Jane Austen; someone who studies the works of Jane Austen.