Project Gutenberg's Old Jabe's Marital Experiments, by Thomas Nelson Page

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere 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


Title: Old Jabe's Marital Experiments
       1908

Author: Thomas Nelson Page

Release Date: November 16, 2007 [EBook #23513]
Last Updated: March 8, 2018

Language: English

Character set encoding: UTF-8

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OLD JABE'S MARITAL EXPERIMENTS ***




Produced by David Widger






OLD JABE'S MARITAL EXPERIMENTS

By Thomas Nelson Page

Charles Scribner's Sons New York, 1908

Copyright, 1891, 1904, 1906


Old Jabe belonged to the Meriwethers, a fact which he never forgot or
allowed anyone else to forget; and on this he traded as a capital,
which paid him many dividends of one kind or another, among them being a
dividend in wives. How many wives he had had no one knew; and Jabe's own
account was incredible. It would have eclipsed Henry VIII and Bluebeard.
But making all due allowance for his arithmetic, he must have run these
worthies a close second. He had not been a specially good “hand” before
the war, and was generally on unfriendly terms with the overseers.
They used to say that he was a “slick-tongued loafer,” and “the laziest
nigger on the place.” But Jabe declared, in defiance, that he had been
on the plantation before any overseer ever put his foot there, and he
would outstay the last one of them all, which, indeed, proved to be
true. The overseers disappeared with the end of Slavery, but Jabe
remained “slick-tongued,” oily, and humorous, as before.

When, at the close of the war, the other negroes moved away, Jabez,
after a brief outing, “took up” a few acres on the far edge of the
plantation, several miles from the house, and settled down to spend
the rest of his days, on what he called his “place,” in such ease
as constant application to his old mistress for aid and a frequently
renewed supply of wives could give.

Jabe's idea of emancipation was somewhat one-sided. He had all the
privileges of a freed-man, but lost none of a slave. He was free, but
his master's condition remained unchanged: he still had to support him,
when Jabez chose to call on him, and Jabez chose to call often.

“Ef I don' come to you, who is I got to go to!” he demanded.

This was admitted to be a valid argument, and Jabez lived, if not on the
fat of the land, at least on the fat of his former mistress's kitchen,
with such aid as his current wife could furnish.

He had had several wives before the war, and was reputed to be none too
good to them, a fact which was known at home only on hearsay; for he
always took his wives from plantations at a distance from his home.

The overseers said that he did this so that he could get off to go to
his “wife's house,” and thus shirk work; the other servants said it
was because the women did not know him so well as those at home, and he
could leave them when he chose.

Jabez assigned a different reason:

“It don' do to have your wife live too nigh to you; she 'll want t' know
too much about you, an' you can't never git away from her”--a bit of
philosophy the soundness of which must be left to married men.

However it was, his reputation did not interfere with his ability to
procure a new wife as often as occasion arose. With Jabez the supply was
ever equal to the demand.

Mrs. Meriwether, his old mistress, was just telling me of him one day
in reply to a question of mine as to what had become of him; for I had
known him before the war.

“Oh! he is living still, and he bids fair to outlast the whole colored
female sex. He is a perfect Bluebeard. He has had I do not know how many
wives and I heard that his last wife was sick. They sent for my son,
Douglas, the doctor, not long ago to see her. However, I hope she is
better as he has not been sent for again.”

At this moment, by a coincidence, the name of Jabez was brought in by a
maid.

“Unc' Jabez, m'm.”

That was all; but the tone and the manner of the maid told that Jabez
was a person of note with the messenger; every movement and glance were
self-conscious.

“That old--! He is a nuisance! What does he want now? Is his wife worse,
or is he after a new one?”

“I d' n' kn', m'm,” said the maid, sheepishly, twisting her body and
looking away, to appear unconcerned. “Would n' tell me. He ain' after
_me!_

“Well, tell him to go to the kitchen till I send for him. Or--wait:
if his wife 's gone, he 'll be courting the cook if I send him to the
kitchen. And I don't want to lose her just now. Tell him to come to the
door.”

“Yes, 'm.” The maid gave a half-suppressed giggle, which almost became
an explosion as she said something to herself and closed the door.
It sounded like, “Dressed up might'ly--settin' up to de cook now, I
b'lieve.”

There was a slow, heavy step without, and a knock at the back door; and
on a call from his mistress, Jabez entered, bowing low, very pompous and
serious. He was a curious mixture of assurance and conciliation, as he
stood there, hat in hand. He was tall and black and bald, with white
side-whiskers cut very short, and a rim of white wool around his head.
He was dressed in an old black coat, and held in his hand an ancient
beaver hat around which was a piece of rusty crape.

“Well, Jabez?” said his mistress, after the salutations were over, “How
are you getting along!”

“Well, mist'is, not very well, not at all well, ma'am. Had mighty bad
luck. 'Bout my wife,” he added, explanatorily. He pulled down his lips,
and looked the picture of solemnity.

I saw from Mrs. Meriwether's mystified look that she did not know what
he considered “bad luck.” She could not tell from his reference whether
his wife was better or worse.

“Is she--ah? What--oh--how is Amanda?” she demanded finally, to solve
the mystery.

“Mandy! Lord! 'm, 'Mandy was two back. She 's de one runned away wid Tom
Halleck, an' lef' me. I don't know how _she_ is. I never went ahter
her. I wuz re-ally glad to git shet o' her. She was too expansive. Dat
ooman want two frocks a year. When dese women begin to dress up so much,
a man got to look out. Dee ain't always dressin' fer _you!_”

“Indeed!” But Mrs. Meriwether's irony was lost on Jabez.

“Yes, 'm; dat she did! Dis one 's name was Sairey.” He folded his hands
and waited, the picture of repose and contentment.

“Oh, yes. So; true. I 'd forgotten that 'Mandy left you. But I thought
the new one was named Susan!” observed Mrs. Meriwether.

“No, 'm; not de _newes_' one. Susan--I had her las' Christmas; but she
would n' stay wid me. She was al'ays runnin' off to town; an' you know a
man don' want a ooman on wheels. Ef de Lawd had intended a ooman to have
wheels, he 'd 'a' gi'n 'em to her, would n' he?”

“Well, I suppose he would,” assented Mrs. Meriwether. “And this one is
Sarah? Well, how is----?”

“Yes, 'm; dis one was Sairey.” We just caught the past tense.

“You get them so quickly, you see, you can't expect one to remember
them,” said Mrs. Meriwether, frigidly. She meant to impress Jabez; but
Jabez remained serene.

“Yes, 'm; dat 's so,” said he, cheerfully. “I kin hardly remember 'em
myself.”

“No, I suppose not.” His mistress grew severe. “Well, how 's Sarah?”

“Well, m'm, I could n' exactly say--Sairey she 's done lef me--yes, 'm.”
 He looked so cheerful that his mistress said with asperity:

“Left you! She has run off, too! You must have treated her badly?”

“No, 'm. I did n'. I never had a wife I treated better. I let her had
all she could eat; an' when she was sick----”

“I heard she was sick. I heard you sent for the doctor.”

“Yes, 'm; dat I did--dat 's what I was gwine to tell you. I had a doctor
to see her _twice_. I had two separate and _indifferent_ physicians:
fust Dr. Overall, an' den Marse Douglas. I could n' do no mo' 'n dat,
now, could I?”

“Well, I don't know,” observed Mrs. Meriwether. “My son told me a week
ago that she was sick. Did she get well?”

The old man shook his head solemnly.

“No, 'm; but she went mighty easy. Marse Douglas he eased her off. He is
the bes' doctor I ever see to let 'em die easy.”

Mingled with her horror at his cold-blooded recital, a smile flickered
about Mrs. Meriwether's mouth at this shot at her son, the doctor; but
the old man looked absolutely innocent.

“Why did n 't you send for the doctor again?” she demanded.

“Well, m'm, I gin her two chances. I think dat was 'nough. I wuz right
fond o' Sairey; but I declar' I 'd rather lost Sairey than to _broke_.”

“You would!” Mrs. Meriwether sat up and began to bristle. “Well, at
least, you have the expense of her funeral; and I 'm glad of it,” she
asserted with severity.

“Dat 's what I come over t' see you 'bout. I 'm gwine to give Sairey a
fine fun'ral. I want you to let yo' cook cook me a cake an'--one or two
more little things.”

“Very well,” said Mrs. Meriwether, relenting somewhat; “I will tell her
to do so. I will tell her to make you a good cake. When do you want it?”

“Thank you m'm. Yes, m'm; ef you 'll gi' me a right good-sized
cake--an'--a loaf or two of flour-bread--an'--a ham, I 'll be very much
obleeged to you. I heah she 's a mighty good cook?”

“She is,” said Mrs. Meriwether; “the best I 've had in a long time.”
 She had not caught the tone of interrogation in his voice, nor seen the
shrewd look in his face, as I had done. Jabez appeared well satisfied.

“I 'm mighty glad to heah you give her sech a good character; I heahed
you 'd do it. I don' know her very well.”

Mrs. Meriwether looked up quickly enough to catch his glance this time.

“Jabez--I know nothing about her character,” she began coldly. “I know
she has a vile temper; but she is an excellent cook, and so long as she
is not impudent to me, that is all I want to know.”

Jabez bowed approvingly.

“Yes, 'm; dat 's right. Dat 's all I want t' know. I don' keer nothin'
'bout de temper; atter I git 'em, I kin manage 'em. I jist want t'
know 'bout de char-àcter, dat 's all. I did n' know her so well, an'
I thought I 'd ax you. I tolt her ef you 'd give her a good char-àcter,
she might suit me; but I 'd wait fer de cake--_an_' de ham.”

His mistress rose to her feet.

“Jabez, do you mean that you have spoken to that woman already!”

“Well, yes, 'm; but not to say _speak_ to her. I jes kind o' mentioned
it to her as I 'd inquire as to her char-àcter.”

“And your wife has been gone--how long! Two days!”

“Well, mist'is, she 's gone fer good, ain't she!” demanded Jabez. “She
can't be no mo' gone!”

“You are a wicked, hardened old sinner!” declared the old lady,
vehemently.

“Nor, I ain't, mist'is; I clar' I ain't,” protested Jabez, with
unruffled front.

“You treat your wives dreadfully.”

“Nor, I don't, mist'is. You ax 'em ef I does. Ef I did, dee would n'
be so many of 'em anxious t' git me. Now, would dee? I can start in an'
beat a' one o' dese young bloods aroin' heah, now.” He spoke with pride.

“I believe that is so, and I cannot understand it. And before one
of them is in her grave you are courting another. It is horrid--an
old--Methuselah like you.” She paused to take breath, and Jabez availed
himself of the pause.

“Dat 's de reason I got t' do things in a kind o' hurry--I ain' no
Methuselum. I got no time t' wait.”

“Jabez,” said Mrs. Meriwether, seriously, “tell me how you manage to
fool all these women.”

The old man pondered for a moment.

“Well, I declar,' mist'is, I hardly knows how. Dee wants to be fooled.
I think it is becuz dee wants t' see what de urrs marry me fer, an' what
dee done lef' me. Woman is mighty curi-some folk.”

I have often wondered since if this was really the reason.






End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Old Jabe's Marital Experiments, by
Thomas Nelson Page

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OLD JABE'S MARITAL EXPERIMENTS ***

***** This file should be named 23513-0.txt or 23513-0.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/3/5/1/23513/

Produced by David Widger

Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
will be renamed.

Creating the works from public domain print editions 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-tm electronic works to
protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  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-tm 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-tm License (available with this file or online at
http://gutenberg.org/license).


Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works

1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
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-tm electronic works in your possession.
If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
Gutenberg-tm 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-tm 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-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm 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-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
individual work is in the public domain 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-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm 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-tm 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-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
the copyright status of any work in any country outside 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-tm License must appear prominently
whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm 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 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

1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
from the public domain (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-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
1.E.9.

1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm 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-tm 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-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.

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-tm 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-tm work in a format other than
“Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version
posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (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-tm
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-tm 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-tm electronic works provided
that

- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm 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-tm
     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-tm 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-tm works.

1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm 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
public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm 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-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg-tm 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 F3.  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 MERCHANTIBILITY 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-tm electronic works in accordance
with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm 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-tm
work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.


Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm

Project Gutenberg-tm 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, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm 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-tm 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 web page at http://www.pglaf.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.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
http://pglaf.org/fundraising.  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 principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
page at http://pglaf.org

For additional contact information:
     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
     Chief Executive and Director
     gbnewby@pglaf.org


Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
spread 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 http://pglaf.org

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: http://pglaf.org/donate


Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works.

Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.


Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain 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 Web site which has the main PG search facility:

     http://www.gutenberg.org

This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
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.