The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Wishing Cap, by Mary Martha Sherwood
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'll have
to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.
Title: The Wishing Cap
Author: Mary Martha Sherwood
Release Date: September 25, 2020 [EBook #63295]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WISHING CAP ***
Produced by Carlos Colón, the University of California 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.)
Transcriber's Notes:
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_ and bold text by
=equal signs=.
Small uppercase have been replaced with regular uppercase.
Blank pages have been eliminated.
Variations in spelling and hyphenation have been left as in the
original.
FRONTISPIECE.
[Illustration: _See Page 11._]
THE
WISHING-CAP.
BY MRS. SHERWOOD,
AUTHOR OF "LITTLE HENRY AND HIS BEARER,"
&c. &c.
_NEW EDITION._
LONDON:
HOULSTON AND STONEMAN,
63, PATERNOSTER ROW.
THE WISHING-CAP.
There lived once a lady in London, who had a great deal of money, but
who had never given her heart to God. This lady had the care of five
children: four of them were brothers and sisters; and their names
were James and Edward, Charlotte and Louisa. The fifth child was an
orphan, and had no brothers or sisters. The name of this little boy was
Charles. Little Charles's papa and mamma had been dead only a very few
months: they were very pious people, and had brought up their little
boy in the fear of God. Charles thought of his papa and mamma every
day: he knew they were gone to heaven, and he knew, also, who that
blessed person was, for whose sake they had been received into that
happy place.
[Illustration]
Every day little Charles read a few chapters in a Bible which his papa
had given him, and he tried to remember the good things which had been
taught him: so God blessed little Charles, and helped him to be good.
It happened, one Sunday afternoon, in the Christmas holidays, that the
lady came into the children's play-room, and sat down among them. "I am
come," she said, "to drink tea with you this evening; after which we
will put on a wishing-cap; and then we shall see what fine things the
wishing-cap will produce."
The children were all pleased to see the lady sit down among them; and
while they were drinking their tea, they talked a great deal about the
wishing-cap.
"What can a wishing-cap be?" said Louisa, who was the youngest: "and
how can it bring fine things?"
"I never heard of a wishing-cap in all my life," said James. "I want
tea to be over, that we may see it."
"O!" said Charlotte, "I know what is meant by a wishing-cap. I remember
reading of a man, in a fairy tale, who had a wishing-cap; and when he
put this cap on, and wished for any thing, he had it immediately: but
I thought there were no such things really as wishing-caps, except in
fairy tales."
"Well, well," said the lady, "we shall see what kind of wishing-cap I
can make: but I must tell you, my wishing-cap is not so good a one as
the man's in the fairy tale; it will only produce such things as may be
easily had, it will not bring wonders to pass."
In this manner they went on talking till tea was over, and the
tea-things carried away. Then the lady drew her chair to the fire, and
bidding the children sit round her, she put her hand into her pocket,
and pulled out a sheet of white paper. She then folded up the paper
in the shape of a cap, and holding it up in her hand, "This is the
wishing-cap," she said; "you shall put it on, and try what it is good
for. Come, who will be the first to wear the cap?" Then the lady placed
the cap on Charlotte's head. "Now," she said, "think! what do you wish
for?"
[Illustration]
"But will what I wish for really come?" said Charlotte.
"Perhaps it may," answered the lady: "we shall know to-morrow morning."
"Then," said Charlotte, "I wish for a muslin frock, trimmed with satin
ribbon."
"Very well," said the lady. "Who comes next?"
"I! I!" cried James, snatching the cap from his sister's head, and
putting it on his own; "I wish for a rocking-horse."
"Now for me," said Edward; "give me the cap. I wish for a coachman's
whip. Now, Louisa, it is your turn."
"I wish for a wax doll, with flaxen hair, and blue eyes," said Louisa.
"Now you have all had your turns," said the lady, "but Charles: come,
Louisa, give the cap to Charles."
"There, take it," cried Louisa, throwing the cap at him, "and make
haste."
The cap fell at Charles's feet: he took it up, and laid it on the table.
"Put it on your head, you foolish boy," said James, "and wish a wish."
Charles smiled, but he did not offer to take up the cap.
"What are you about?" said James, giving him a push; "put on the cap,
and tell us your wish."
"Charles," said the lady, "don't you understand what you are to do? Put
on the cap, and don't be stupid."
"I thank you, Ma'am," answered Charles; "but I beg that you will not be
angry, if I don't put on the wishing-cap."
[Illustration]
"But you shall have it on," said James, taking it off the table, and
putting it on his head.
Charles took it quietly off his head, and laid it on the table.
The lady looked surprised; and drawing Charles to her, she said, "What
is the meaning of your behaviour? Why will you not play with us?"
"Perhaps you may not be pleased, if I tell you, Ma'am; and I do not
wish to make you angry," answered little Charles.
"But I will know," said the lady, looking vexed.
"My poor papa, when he was alive," said Charles, "used to tell me that
I ought not to wish for any thing but God's blessing: and he taught me
this verse--_Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you_: (Matt. vi. 33.) and
this is the reason why I do not like to put on the wishing-cap."
While little Charles was speaking, the rest of the children stood
staring and laughing; and when he had done, the lady pushed him away,
saying, "You are a strange, foolish boy, and not fit to play with other
children. Go to bed immediately."
Charles went up to his room. His cheeks were wet with tears, and his
heart was very sad. He remembered, that he once had a papa to lean his
head against when he was unhappy, and a dear mamma to wipe away his
tears; but they were both dead: yet still he had a Saviour to whom he
might freely go. So he tried to lift up his heart to this dear Saviour,
and laying his little head on his pillow, he fell asleep. In his sleep
he had a very sweet dream about heaven: and when he awoke in the
morning, he remembered these words in the Prophet Isaiah--_As one whom
his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you_. (Isaiah lxvi. 13.)
[Illustration]
While Charles was dressing himself, he heard a very great noise down
stairs. He made haste, and running into the play-room, he found the
rest of the children screaming and jumping for joy. Charlotte dressed
in a new muslin frock; Louisa with the wax doll she had wished for;
James riding on a large new rocking-horse; and Edward with a coachman's
whip.
"Look here, Master Charles," said James, "see what the wishing-cap
has brought us! Are you not sorry now that you were such a fool as to
refuse to put on the wishing-cap?" Then the rude boy began to shout
and halloo, riding up and down as hard as the horse would go; while
Edward kept cutting and lashing the heels of the wooden horse with his
coachman's whip, whistling, and smacking his lips, like a coachman;
Louisa sung to her doll; and Charlotte danced about in her new frock,
singing and laughing: and, all together, there was such a noise, that
it might have been heard to the end of the street; the boys every now
and then crying out, "Well, Master Charles, what do you think of us
now?"
Every thing went on very well, and all were in the greatest
good-humour, till Edward, without intending it, instead of lashing the
wooden legs of the horse, gave his brother a most terrible cut with his
long whip, over one knee, and across one hand. James, being made very
angry with the pain, jumped from his horse; and flying at his brother,
began to beat him with all his strength. Edward ran to his sisters for
help; and James followed, continuing to beat him, and saying, "You
sha'n't horse-whip me for nothing, Sir, I can tell you that."
At length, James pushed Edward against Louisa; by which means, her doll
was thrown down, and broken to pieces: and Edward, as he fell, caught
his foot in Charlotte's new frock, and tore it sadly.
Charlotte and Louisa now began to scream and cry in their turns; and
there was such a dreadful noise, that the lady came in haste to see
what was the matter.
The children were all quiet, as soon as they saw the lady, and very
much frightened too. "So," she said, "you have been fighting, you
naughty children, instead of enjoying the pretty things I got for you!
You, Charlotte, have torn your frock; and you, Louisa, have broken
your doll. And as to you, you naughty boys, you have been beating each
other: go up to your bed-rooms; and there you shall stay all day, and
have nothing but bread and water. As for the rocking-horse and the
whip, I shall send them back to the shop."
So the four children were taken up to their rooms; and the whip and the
rocking-horse were sent back to the shop: but little Charles was asked
to breakfast with the lady in the parlour. And she said to him, "I
begin to think your papa was a wise man, when he taught you to seek for
nothing but God's blessing: for I see that having the things we wish
for, does not always make us the happier."
Little Charles was much pleased, when he heard the lady speak so
kindly; and he asked her to forgive the other children, but she would
not.
[Illustration]
And now I will tell you how little Charles received at last what he had
secretly desired above all things, and how happy it made him.
About two months after this time, all the children were taken ill
with a fever which was then going about London. They all recovered,
however, but little Charles; for though the lady took great care of
him, because she now began to love him, and though a very skilful
doctor came often to see him, yet he got worse and worse. For many days
he could not speak, and did not know any body.
At last, the time of his death drew very near. He had been asleep; and
opened his eyes, while the lady was standing by his bed. He looked
quite cheerful; and holding out his hand to her, "I am going to die,
Ma'am," he said, "I feel death approaching; but I am very happy. That
dear Saviour whose love my father taught me to seek, is very near me,
though my eyes do not now see him. He comforts me with his promises,
and tells me that for his sake death shall be made easy to me."
[Illustration]
"It was because I desired his love alone, that I ceased to wish for
other things. I knew that they could not make me happy. All the world,
my papa taught me, could not make me happy without my Saviour's love.
And now I am going to this dear Saviour; and I know that he will
forgive my sins, because he gave me grace to seek him."
Then little Charles prayed that God would bless the lady, and the other
children under her care: and soon afterwards he died.
I am happy to tell you, that the lady never forgot little Charles's
words upon his dying bed. From that time, she gave her heart to seek
heavenly blessings instead of earthly possessions: and she used often
to say to the other children, when they were wishing for toys, or
other foolish things, "Remember little Charles; and, like him, put away
the wishing-cap."
And so I say to you, my dear little children, who may hereafter read
this story,--
DON'T PUT ON THE WISHING-CAP.
FINIS.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Wishing Cap, by Mary Martha Sherwood
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WISHING CAP ***
***** This file should be named 63295.txt or 63295.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/2/9/63295/
Produced by Carlos Colón, the University of California 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.)
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-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 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-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 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-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 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'll have to check the laws of the country where you
are located before using this ebook.
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm 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-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 The
Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, 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
works not protected by U.S. copyright law 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 in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the
mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, 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 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 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.
