Project Gutenberg's Miss Heck's Thanksgiving Party, by Ida Hamilton Munsell
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: Miss Heck's Thanksgiving Party
or Topsy Up To Date
Author: Ida Hamilton Munsell
Release Date: December 1, 2013 [EBook #44319]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MISS HECK'S THANKSGIVING PARTY ***
Produced by Charlene Taylor, Emmy and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Miss Heck's Thanksgiving Party or, Topsy Up to Date.
[Illustration]
By
IDA HAMILTON MUNSELL.
[Illustration]
Dedicated to
The Woman's Club
Of Evanston, Illinois.
MISS
HECK'S
THANKSGIVING
PARTY
OR
TOPSY
UP TO DATE
(Copyrighted by the Author.)
_To the Woman's club of Evanston_:
Devoted, as it is, to "mutual helpfulness in all the
affairs of life," and to a union of effort towards
attaining the "higher development of humanity," this
little brochure is dedicated by one of its members.
MISS HECK'S THANKSGIVING PARTY;
or, TOPSY
UP TO DATE
IDA HAMILTON MUNSELL, B. M.
Any person with but half an eye could recognize at a glance the
extraordinary character of Miss Myra Heck! And furthermore, if
novelists did not show such decided preferences for white-skinned
heroines, Miss Heck would long since have won the world-wide renown
which of right belongs to her. But, unfortunately, Miss Myra was
born of black parents away down in the sunny southland, and the dark
hue of skin and wisps of woolly curls which are characteristic of
the negro race have descended upon their offspring. This is the more
unfortunate in that this daughter--now a young woman of twenty-four or
thereabouts--is possessed of really uncommon talents, while her brain
teems at all times with schemes worthy of a French diplomat; and were
she fair and dainty as to exterior, she would not now be occupying
the situation of "maid of all work" in the little town where we first
discovered her.
Yet, notwithstanding the accidental disadvantages which hamper this
bright maid, she has managed to achieve at least local distinction in
more directions than one. Few families are there in Rexville who have
not at one time or another availed themselves of Miss Heck's services.
Servants of any degree of ability are exceedingly rare in Rexville,
so that Miss Myra could easily reign as the bright particular star
in the domestic firmament of the universe, were it not for certain
peculiarities of temperament, added to an ugly habit of prevaricating,
together with a too confident disposition to presume upon her mistress'
willingness to permit her cook to parade the streets dressed in silks
and satins from her own wardrobe.
But, because of this scarcity of help, and in view of the general
ability possessed by Miss Heck, her employers have shut their eyes to
such peccadillos as these so often, that by dint of much experience
the young woman has at last possessed herself of such power that she
rules the mistresses of Rexville with a rod of iron. She has indeed
reached the conclusion that although one family may decide to forego
the benefit of her assistance in their household because of some little
peculiarity of hers, nevertheless she is sure of a position with some
other lady on the street before twenty-four hours shall have sped. So
she oscillates back and forth--like a pendulum--from one kitchen to
another throughout the length and breadth of Rexville. Her period of
tarrying varies according to the blindness of her mistress and the
condition of the master's pocket-book, for this latter article shortly
feels the drain of Miss Myra's extravagant habits, and sooner or later
collapses into empty space. Then self-defense demands that the sable
goddess of the cuisine depart to new fields and pastures green until
such time as self-denial and rigid economy shall have once more filled
the purse, and brought a return of the prosperity which had been
temporarily suspended.
Thus you see that even though Miss Heck has not attained the national
reputation of which she is worthy, she has at least in one small
corner of the earth won for herself glory and renown. In this little
town, if nowhere else, her name is a household word. It is difficult
to draw a correct word picture of this wily maid; her talents, too,
are so numerous and varied that one hesitates which to portray first.
Possibly, we can convey a better idea of her personality if we describe
one particular scheme of hers and its outcome.
* * * * *
It was the day before Thanksgiving, in the year of our Lord 1892, and
Miss Myra sat upon the floor of her mother's dingy little parlor deeply
absorbed in thought. She was working just at present for banker Holmes'
people, but fortunately for herself the entire family had gone east a
week before Thanksgiving in order to eat turkey in good old-fashioned
comfort with relatives not seen for months. This left Miss Myra free
to enjoy life to the uttermost. To be sure she carried the key to
the big house in her pocket, and daily went through the pretense of
airing and then dusting the premises. She also had access to the cold
storage room, which privilege augmented greatly the bill of fare at
her father's shanty. Her parents had since earliest childhood greatly
admired their offspring, and this ability of hers to vary the supply
and quality of their edibles on occasion did not at all diminish this
fond regard.
Miss Myra had enjoyed her freedom now for seven whole days; she had
walked the streets at morning, noon and night, dressed always in
her best, and this best was no mean style, for the young woman was
possessed of a figure neat and trim, while every cent of her earnings
went into clothes with which she might easily outshine the rest of
the working girl population of Rexville. She had, during these past
seven days, neither baked nor swept, set the table, or made the beds
for anybody. In fact, she had lived an existence of unalloyed pleasure
which comes from that idleness so dear to the African heart. But now
she owned--to herself, at least--that she was tired. The dull monotony
wearied her.
What could she do to create a new sensation? she asked herself, while
she sat with her feet crossed under her, tailor-fashion, upon the bare
floor. One dingy brown hand, with its hue of pallor on the palm, moved
restlessly to and fro through her crown of wool and roughened its
carefully plastered locks until they stood out in grotesque tangles all
about her head. At length a bright idea occurred to her; she laughed
aloud; a merry chime of bells could not make sweeter music. "I'se hit
it this time, sure, mammy," she called out to the woman who was bending
over a steaming tub in an outer room. Her mother wiped her hands
hastily upon the skirt of her gown and went into the parlor where Miss
Myra yet sat upon the floor.
"Hit what, chile? What mischief has you got in dat hed of yourn dis
time, I'd like to know?" she asked eagerly, as she threw her ponderous
body into a chair. "Grand scheme, mammy; the best I'se had yet,"
announced the girl, as she slowly untangled her feet from beneath her
dress and rose from the floor.
"It's bound ter be a first rate one den shuah enough, Myrie," the woman
said admiringly, as she watched the supple form stretch itself to
relieve the cramped feeling of the limbs caused by her long continued
crouching attitude.
"What you goin' do dis time, chile? tell your poor old mammy," the
negress went on, seeing the young woman made no haste to unbosom
herself of her scheme.
"Wall, then, old lady, if you _must_ know, here goes! but don't let it
take your bref away," the girl replied with provoking deliberateness,
and she crossed the room to where a small cracked mirror hung upon
the wall; here she proceeded to re-arrange her hair, holding the
pins in her mouth as she did so, tantalizing yet further the anxious
mother. "The longer you wait, the better it'll seem, mammy," Miss
Myra said after a few moments. The old lady made no reply; she always
let "Myrie" have her own way; she had found by experience that it was
not easy to do otherwise. At length even the critical taste of Miss
Myra seemed satisfied with the vision she beheld in the little glass,
for she turned away with a contented sigh, as she did so exclaiming,
"I'se gwine to give a Thanksgiving party here, mammy, tomorrer night!
And it'll be a swell affair, tew, take my wurd for it!" Then she put
on her coat and hat, blew a kiss from the ends of her fingers toward
the old negress yet sitting stupid with amazement in the rickety
rocking-chair, and with another ringing, happy laugh went out into the
storm. The sky was lead-colored, the wind blew fiercely and flung the
snowflakes which were falling rapidly with spiteful force against the
girl, until her heavy garments were soon hidden by a soft covering of
white. But not even the fleecy crystals of snow had power to change the
hue of the ebony face, and Miss Myra, who was a sensitive young woman,
could not but feel a sensation of disgust as she thought, "I must look
blacker than ever by contrast."
On down the street she walked rapidly; here and there she paused long
enough at some house to leave an invitation for the cook or coachman to
attend her Thanksgiving party; but at the end of two hours this part of
her preparation was ended.
It was time, then, she decided, to turn her attention to further
details of her audacious plan; and retracing her steps she soon found
herself at banker Holmes' door. Here she entered, and for a long
time busied herself with necessary preparations for the morrow's
festivities. As twilight fell, she closed the house once more and
walked rapidly homeward. That she had not been idle, the next night's
feast would show.
* * * * *
Any one passing by Jim Heck's tumbled-down cottage Thanksgiving night
would have been astonished at the number of gleaming lights flashing
out upon the snow through the cracked and grimy window-panes, and would
have stopped for a moment to listen to the sounds of revelry within
doors. A fiddle squeaked in a lively, even if discordant fashion, while
a banjo made frantic efforts to keep it company. There was a sound,
too, as if of many feet dancing an old-fashioned break-down, which made
the shanty fairly tremble under the unwonted strain upon its frail
supports.
The aroma of hot coffee also floated out upon the crisp air, mingled
with an odor of more substantial viands, which appealed strongly to the
imagination of a passing tramp who had paused to look through a window
void of shade or curtain.
Suddenly the dance ended; the music ceased with one last unearthly
squeak, and for the space of a single moment almost perfect silence
reigned, and then it seemed as though just previously a cyclone of
noise had been running riot.
At this juncture from the doorway of the combined dining-room and
kitchen the host himself announced in his most gracious manner, "Supper
am suhved, ladies and gemmin; choose youah pardners and walk out!"
With one hand he pulled down the draperies which had been improvised
for the occasion, and which had so far kept the glories of the feast
hidden from view; whilst with the other he politely motioned his guests
to cross the hospitable threshold. For a second nobody stirred; a
bashfulness as sudden as it was unusual seemed to have seized old and
young alike. Then a tall mulatto took his late "partner" by the arm
and made a hasty exit into the supper room. This was the signal for
a general stampede for seats; but when the full glories of the scene
impressed themselves upon the senses of the bewildered guests, each and
all stood as if rooted to the spot, staring with eyes and mouth wide
open at the unexpected grandeur.
At the head of the table stood Miss Myra herself. But such a Miss Myra!
Accustomed to see her always in the latest style, they had, "up to
date," never beheld her attired like this.
Solomon in all his glory, the lilies of the field in their beauty, were
as nothing compared to her!
She wore a trained robe of richest ivory satin, elaborately trimmed
with point lace; the dusky neck and arms shone like polished ebony
against the glimmering sheen of the satin.
She stood perfectly silent for a moment, her head uplifted, and with
a haughty smile upon her lips, did her utmost to impress these humble
admirers with this transitory grandeur.
"Yes, it jis' is indeed Mis Holmes' weddin' dress, nuffin' else, you
simpletons," she said calmly, as if announcing the most commonplace
fact. "An' dis yeah is her linen, and dat's her coffee; and it's
her silber, too," she added calmly, as she moved her hands here and
there, pointing out the objects which she named. "But dat is nobody's
business but mine; you uns has nuffin' to do but enjoy de good things
I'se provided. Sit down, goosies, and let der feast proceed," she
commanded in an imperious manner, and set the example by seating
herself--with due regard for her long-trained gown--at the head of the
table.
This proceeding elicited tumultuous applause, and from that moment
until the gray dawn began to lighten the east, the fun was fast and
furious.
Of all races in the world none can equal the African in its abandon
of enjoyment. From the far-off homes of their ancestors, where the
tropical sun forces vegetation into luxuriance and raises the blood
to well-nigh fever heat, the negroes of the South have derived the
power to live in and for the present only. "Foolish!" you say? Well,
probably. Yet, after all, how much of human wretchedness results from
either idle regrets for an unalterable past, or causeless care for an
undiscoverable future? Be this as it may, at Miss Myra's Thanksgiving
party shouts of laughter, bursts of negro melody, the shuffling of
feet, all these sounds became more and more tumultuous as the night
waned.
In the early morning dusky forms might have been seen entering many a
back or side door in Rexville, and many a mistress complained that day
of inattention to duty; but the darkies never told the secret of their
all-night festivities.
For many and many a day the glories of Miss Heck's Thanksgiving party
lingered in the minds and on the tongues of the favored guests.
Upon the return of the banker's wife, that worthy lady found all her
belongings in the same condition, apparently, as when she left home.
Miss Myra was shrewd enough to skillfully effect this result, and if
ever her conscience troubled her in reference to her late "grand ball,"
she always quieted its qualms by saying: "What Mis Holmes don't know
ain't gwine ter hurt her none! 'Tain't right ter be selfish in dis
wurld noway! If der Lawd don't make no ekal division of things, why
I'll jes have ter help, an' dat's all ther is about hit!"
* * * * *
It must have been at least a year after the occurrence before the
banker's wife learned of the party at which her possessions had played
so very conspicuous and magnificent a part; and by this time Miss Heck
had left her employ, being maid of all work at the parsonage, and hence
beyond all need of censure from outsiders, since it was perfectly
evident that her reverend employer was trying to convert this Topsy (up
to date) from the error of her ways and to pluck one more brand from
the burning, adding yet another jewel to his anticipated dazzlingly
brilliant crown.
But at last accounts the worthy man's efforts had not met with that
measure of success which usually have crowned his ministrations. Miss
Heck appears to be a rather difficult "subject."
Topsy yet reigns over all the mistresses of Rexville, and condescends
to work for them all in turn.
Her impartiality is sublime!
EVANSTON, November, 1895.
_PRESS OF W. B. CONKEY COMPANY, CHICAGO._
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Miss Heck's Thanksgiving Party, by
Ida Hamilton Munsell
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MISS HECK'S THANKSGIVING PARTY ***
***** This file should be named 44319.txt or 44319.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/4/4/3/1/44319/
Produced by Charlene Taylor, Emmy and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
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
www.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 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-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 are 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 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 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
contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the
Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
For additional contact information:
Dr. Gregory B. Newby
Chief Executive and Director
[email protected]
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 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-tm electronic
works.
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
with anyone. For forty 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:
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.
