The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Child and the Dream: A Christmas Story This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title: The Child and the Dream: A Christmas Story Author: Marion Cook Stow Release date: December 29, 2021 [eBook #67034] Most recently updated: October 18, 2024 Language: English Original publication: United States: The Metropolitan Press Credits: Charlene Taylor, Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHILD AND THE DREAM: A CHRISTMAS STORY *** This edition consists of but 357 copies. This book is Number 237 [Illustration: Marion Cook.] _The Child & the Dream_ [Illustration: THE CHILD] _The Child and the Dream_ A CHRISTMAS STORY BY MARION COOK MCMVIII THE METROPOLITAN PRESS PORTLAND, OREGON TO MY SEVEREST CRITIC, AGED SEVEN COPYRIGHT 1908 BY MARION COOK I. The Child II. The Dream III. The Gift _The Child_ This, little Dear-My-Love, is the story of a Child whom I am sure you would have loved. For people did love her very much, she was so quaint and dear. She was a remarkably bright Child and the beauty of her being bright was that she did not know it. She did bright things and said bright things and it never entered her mind to marvel at her own cleverness. However, I doubt if she would have thought of what I am going to tell you, had it not been for the Storyist. It was somewhat absurd, the whole thing; yet it was an experience one would not soon forget. It began, little Dear-My-Love, on a certain morning when the Child stood looking out of the window of her own pretty room. She was watching two little birds which sat huddled close together on the branch of a big fir tree; but she really wasn’t thinking about the birds. She had heard Lady-Mother say at breakfast that it lacked but two weeks of Christmas, and she had not yet selected her Gift for Lady-Mother. She was so extremely particular about what it should be that it was difficult to decide upon anything. Presently the Child had an idea; and the more she thought of it, the more splendid it seemed as a surprise for Lady-Mother. You see, little Dear-My-Love, she wasn’t old enough to be very wise and so sometimes she did rather queer things. A few moments later she knocked at the door of the Storyist. She found her writing, as usual, but the Storyist was patient about interruptions and this time she set the Child lovingly upon her knee and asked what she could do for her. “I’d like some story-paper,” said the Child. “You may have all you wish,” proffered the Storyist, handing her a pad of scratch-paper. The Child fingered it critically. “Will it do?” she asked. The Storyist smiled. “I think it will――for you,” she said. “But you see I want it very nice,” explained the Child, “because it’s for a Christmas story I’m going to write. That is, the story isn’t _about_ Christmas, but it’s for a Christmas present.” The Storyist appeared interested. “So?” she said. “Who is it for? But I think I can guess,” she added quickly. “Well, if you know please don’t tell,” cautioned the Child. Then she asked, “May I see what you’re writing?” “Certainly,” assented the Storyist, and showed her a typewritten sheet. The Child read: “‘Her voice was that smooth and slippery-like that you found yourself swallowing what she said without realizing till afterward that the words stuck in your throat.’” She read it a second time, but was sure she didn’t quite understand. “Is it hard?” she inquired. The Storyist looked thoughtful. “Not very,” she replied. “You just have to know what you want to say and then say it the best you can.” It sounded reasonable and the Child grew encouraged. “She’d be surprised to see it in a paper, wouldn’t she?” she laughed. The Storyist agreed that she would. When she went out she held tightly several sheets of typewriter paper and a newly-sharpened soft pencil. She was eager to begin. She set herself down at the tiny desk Lady-Mother had given her and everything was still for a long time. Of course she was very little to think of trying to write a story, but O, little Dear-My-Love, she knew perfectly well _just_ what she wanted to say! And so she worked very hard indeed and wrote as fast as she could make her letters. _The Dream_ And that night, little Dear-My-Love, an odd thing happened. It was some time after Lady-Mother had kissed her and, turning out the light, had gone softly away, that the Child heard a voice say, right in her ear: “It’s very queer.” She started up in bed. “What’s queer?” she said. But no one answered her. She sank back again upon the pillow and wondered if she had been dreaming. If she had―― “What did you say was queer?” It was some one else speaking this time, and the Child raised herself on her elbow and listened intently. Then the first voice said, “Why, about the train, you know. She might have known it would be troublesome. Of course, if it weren’t so long I could manage it better, but as it is――” and the voice trailed off into a sigh. The Child waited to hear no more. “What makes you ‘sigh like a furnace’?” she said. She had heard the Storyist quote Shakespeare with good effect. The voice answered her; its tones were very sweet. “O, I didn’t know you were awake!” it said. “Is this where you always sleep?” “Yes,” answered the Child. “Do you like it?” “It’s very pretty,” said the voice. “It must be a relief to have a room small enough for convenience. Why, even this foot-board――” “O, is that where you are?” asked the Child. “I’ve been looking all over but I couldn’t see you. Why, you’re Lady Arabella!” she cried, as she caught sight of a small figure, elaborately dressed, balancing itself on one end of the foot-board. “How did you get here?” “Well, I simply had to come,” said Lady Arabella. “I had to get where it was warmer. Did I hear you say something about a furnace?” The Child looked at her in surprise. “Yes; were you cold?” she asked. “I should say,” replied Arabella. “Those marble halls are just dreadfully cold; they’re positively frigid. Sometimes we dance as you told us to, and that warms us up. But I was too tired to-night to dance.” If Arabella could have seen the Child’s face she would have noticed how sorry and disturbed it looked. But it was too dark in the room for her to see distinctly. “I’m sure I never thought of that,” said the Child, and her tone was penitent. “You see, I thought you would like the marble halls. But I never had any ’sperience with them myself. Why don’t you put on extra wraps when you feel so cold?” “Extra wraps!” repeated Arabella. “I haven’t any. The only kinds of clothes I have are dinner gowns and ball gowns. They’re not very warm, you know. I often tie handkerchiefs around my throat when that gets cold, but they are only ‘dreams of lace’ and don’t do much good. Don’t you think you could get me a wrap or two?” “Yes indeed, I can,” answered the Child. “I’ll see about it to-morrow.” “And a matinee for mornings,” Arabella suggested. “Something that won’t soil, especially as I have to spend all my mornings in the conservatory.” “What makes you stay there?” asked the Child. “Why not go somewhere else?” She was by this time sitting up in bed, her hands clasped about one knee, intensely interested. “I have to,” answered Arabella, with another sigh. “I have to do what you tell me to.” “It’s too bad,” declared the Child; “I’ll change that to-morrow, too.” Then she suddenly remembered her manners. “Won’t you sit down?” she asked. “How can I up here?” Arabella replied. “My train is in the way. If you could help me down I should like it.” So the Child reached out her two hands and, lowering Arabella to the bed, placed her carefully upon the counterpane. “Aren’t you going to bring Sir Marmaduke, too?” asked her visitor in dismay. “Is he up there? I didn’t see him,” said the Child. “He and I were talking when you first woke up,” answered Arabella. “Don’t you remember? Certainly he is here. He has to be always at my side, you know. At least, that’s what you said.” “So I did,” acknowledged the Child. Then she began to laugh. “O, dear!” she gasped, “I didn’t think how it would be, you see――his _always_ being with you! O, I didn’t really mean that! It’s _too_ funny!” and the bed shook so that Sir Marmaduke almost fell off the foot-board. The next moment she turned to Arabella. “You don’t object to it, do you?” she asked seriously. “Well,” Arabella admitted, whispering very softly so that Sir Marmaduke might not hear and the Child had to bend low to catch the words, “to tell the truth, it does get pretty tiresome. Yes, I rather wish he wasn’t with me _all_ the time. If you could fix it so that we could be together just on special occasions, you know――” “I see,” said the Child quickly; “I’ll fix it to-morrow to suit you. I have plenty of paper left.” Then she turned to Sir Marmaduke and helped him to a seat quite a little away from Arabella. She thought that relief for the much afflicted heroine could not come too soon. “You don’t talk much, do you?” she observed to Sir Marmaduke. “I didn’t know you were such a quiet man.” “Well,” he answered, twirling his moustache and settling his cravat after his change of position, “it’s a case of necessity. You said I did nothing but listen to the music of her voice. To be sure, _I_ don’t mind,” gallantly turning to Arabella, “but I think she’d like to have me talk more.” Arabella blushed prettily. “Yes, it would be more interesting for me,” she agreed. It was the Child that sighed this time. “If you’d rather, I’ll change it so you can talk more. And I’ll make your train shorter, too,” she said to Arabella. “Five yards is altogether too much.” She began to wonder if she could remember all the alterations that had to be made. There seemed to be so many things she hadn’t thought of. An odd sound coming from Arabella’s side of the bed arrested her attention. She appeared to be in some trouble. “What is the matter?” asked the Child. “O, I do wish I could yawn!” “Why don’t you?” “I can’t,” replied Arabella. “My fan isn’t here. I forgot to bring it.” “Do you have to have that before you can yawn?” “You said so,” was the answer. “You said I gave nothing but gentle yawns behind my fan.” “O, I’d forgotten,” said the Child. “But what makes you want to yawn?” “Because I’m sleepy, you little goosey,” returned Arabella impatiently. “I guess you’d be sleepy, too, if you could never have a wink of sleep from one week’s end to the other!” “I guess I would,” the Child confessed. “But why can’t you sleep when you want to?” Arabella eyed the Child with astonishment. “I should think you’d know,” she said. “You don’t seem to remember that my hair is spun gold, and how could I ever get it combed again if I should lie down and get it all tangled? It would be so much nicer if it were just hair. Don’t you think you could――” “O, yes, of course I can,” the Child answered. It began to look discouraging. “And just look at my eyes,” went on Arabella. “Do you see anything queer about them?” The Child looked. “They’re very bright.” “Yes,” pursued the other, “that’s because they’re stars, you see. But I could see much better out of them if they were just regular eyes, I think. Don’t you?” “Of course you could,” said the Child. “Anybody could.” “I’m glad you think so. It will be a relief to have eyes like other people. If my eyes were once fixed I shouldn’t care so much about my ears.” “Your ears? What is the matter with them?” demanded the Child. “You’re queer not to remember,” returned Arabella. “They’re only pink shells and they roar so I can’t hear well half the time. There are other things, too; my mouth, for instance. You made that a lovely ripe red cherry, which is, to say the least, inconvenient and even tempting!” The Child sighed again. “I wanted to make you beautiful,” she explained apologetically. “Yes, I know,” Arabella replied; “but I think I’d rather be good than beautiful. It means more.” “But you _are_ good, aren’t you?” asked the Child. “I don’t know,” doubtfully answered Arabella, “you didn’t pay much attention to that. I guess I’m too uncomfortable to be good. I suppose you think that I am not real and it doesn’t matter, but you see I _am_ real――to you. You had to think me out. And so _I_ can only be what _you_ are――that is, what you love and think and want. Do you understand?” “I see,” the Child reflected. “And it’s the real that counts,” continued Arabella. “You can’t always judge from the outside――either of people or things.” “No,” put in the Child eagerly, “I know that. It’s that way with my sums. Sometimes I will do my figures so carefully and the example will look lovely when, after all, it’s full of mistakes.” “And there’s another thing,” replied Arabella, “your pride, I mean. As a matter of fact, you’re writing this story for yourself and not for Lady-Mother. And, candidly,” she added, “it’s nothing to be proud of. We’re not much of a success!” It was blunt but the Child knew that it was true. She was silent for a time, then she said, “It would be a good deal of trouble to make you all over again and, anyway, I guess I don’t know enough――yet. You won’t mind if I don’t?” she inquired anxiously. “Not a bit,” Arabella assured her. The Child was getting sleepy and Arabella saw it. “Come,” she said to Sir Marmaduke. “We’re staying too long.” He rose obediently. “O, must you go?” asked the Child politely. “Do come again and――that is――of course maybe you couldn’t――but still――” her voice grew fainter and fainter. Arabella and Sir Marmaduke faded away and presently―― It was the Storyist bending over her. “Good morning,” she said. “It’s time to get up.” The Child rubbed her eyes. And _you_ know, little Dear-My-Love, that she had been asleep all the while! _The Gift_ You remember, little Dear-My-Love, how it feels just before Christmas. Well, it was that kind of a morning. Nearly everyone carried mysterious bundles, and Christmas sights and sounds were everywhere. The Child was very happy. She and the Storyist were on their way to buy the Gift. She felt that she needed advice. She had been surprisingly meek and quiet the last few days. “What made you give up your plan?” asked the Storyist. “Didn’t it suit you?” “No,” said the Child. “Besides, the people in it weren’t happy.” “How do you know?” the Storyist returned. And then the Child related the Dream. It was all very interesting and the Storyist listened attentively. “So you see,” concluded the Child, “it wouldn’t do.” The Storyist thought. “What do you think a Gift ought to be like?” she asked. “It ought to be something beautiful all through, and something good and real and that would make people glad,” the Child answered. She had thought it out quite carefully. The Storyist promised to do the best she could. They spent a good deal of time looking in the shops and at last made their purchase. Now it doesn’t matter, little Dear-My-Love, just what it was; only it was something that Lady-Mother needed and it was nice and the Child was satisfied with it. “But there’s only one Gift,” remarked the Storyist on their way home, “that is really everything that you say a Gift ought to be.” “What is that?” asked the Child. The Storyist looked down at her very tenderly. “Love,” she said. And after that, little Dear-My-Love, people often wondered that she was such a thoughtful Child and tried so hard to make everybody comfortable. But _you_ know why. [Illustration] Here endeth the Story of The Child and The Dream, by Marion Cook, as done by The Metropolitan Press Transcriber’s Notes: ――Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). ――Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected. *** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHILD AND THE DREAM: A CHRISTMAS STORY *** Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed. Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. START: FULL LICENSE THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license. Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works 1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. 1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. 1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it without charge with others. 1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States. 1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: 1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed: This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. 1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. 1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. 1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™. 1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License. 1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. 1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. 1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided that: • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.” • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works. • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work. • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works. 1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. 1.F. 1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. 1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. 1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem. 1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. 1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. 1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause. Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™ Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life. Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org. Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws. The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS. The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate. While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate. International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate. Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org. This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.