initial commit of ebook 22842HEADmain

9 files changed, 2644 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6833f05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+* text=auto
+*.txt text
+*.md text
diff --git a/22842-8.txt b/22842-8.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9f62180
--- /dev/null
+++ b/22842-8.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,849 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Widow's Dog, by Mary Russell Mitford
+
+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: The Widow's Dog
+
+Author: Mary Russell Mitford
+
+Release Date: October 2, 2007 [EBook #22842]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WIDOW'S DOG ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+
+
+
+
+THE WIDOW'S DOG.
+
+By Mary Russell Mitford
+
+
+One of the most beautiful spots in the north of Hampshire--a part of the
+country which, from its winding green lanes, with the trees meeting over
+head like a cradle, its winding roads between coppices, with wide turfy
+margents on either side, as if left on purpose for the picturesque and
+frequent gipsy camp, its abundance of hedgerow timber, and its extensive
+tracts of woodland, seems as if the fields were just dug out of the
+forest, as might have happened in the days of William Rufus--one of the
+loveliest scenes in this lovely county is the Great Pond at Ashley End.
+
+Ashley End is itself a romantic and beautiful village, struggling down a
+steep hill to a clear and narrow running stream, which crosses the road
+in the bottom, crossed in its turn by a picturesque wooden bridge, and
+then winding with equal abruptness up the opposite acclivity, so that
+the scattered cottages, separated from each other by long strips of
+garden ground, the little country inn, and two or three old-fashioned
+tenements of somewhat higher pretensions, surrounded by their own
+moss-grown orchards, seemed to be completely shut out from this bustling
+world, buried in the sloping meadows so deeply green, and the hanging
+woods so rich in their various tinting, along which the slender wreaths
+of smoke from the old clustered chimneys went smiling peacefully in the
+pleasant autumn air. So profound was the tranquillity, that the slender
+streamlet which gushed along the valley, following its natural windings,
+and glittering in the noonday sun like a thread of silver, seemed to
+the unfrequent visiters of that remote hamlet the only trace of life and
+motion in the picture.
+
+The source of this pretty brook was undoubtedly the Great Pond, although
+there was no other road to it than by climbing the steep hill beyond
+the village, and then turning suddenly to the right, and descending by
+a deep cart-track, which led between wild banks covered with heath and
+feathery broom, garlanded with bramble and briar roses, and gay with
+the purple heath-flower and the delicate harebell,* to a scene even more
+beautiful and more solitary than the hamlet itself.
+
+     * One of the pleasantest moments that I have ever known, was
+     that of the introduction of an accomplished young American
+     to the common harebell, upon the very spot which I have
+     attempted to describe. He had never seen that English wild-
+     flower, consecrated by the poetry of our common language,
+     was struck even more than I expected by its delicate beauty,
+     placed it in his button-hole, and repeated with enthusiasm
+     the charming lines of Scott, from the Lady of the Lake:--
+
+          "For me,"--she stooped, and, looking round,
+          Plucked a blue harebell from the ground,--
+          "For me, whose memory scarce conveys
+          An image of more splendid days,
+          This little flower, that loves the lea,
+          May well my simple emblem be;
+          It drinks heaven's dew as blithe as rose
+          That in the King's own garden grows,
+          And when I place it in my hair,
+          Allan, a bard, is bound to swear
+          He ne'er saw coronet so fair."
+
+     Still greater was the delight with which another
+     American recognised that blossom of a thousand
+     associations--the flower sacred to Milton and Shakspeare--the
+     English primrose. He bent his knee to the ground in
+     gathering a bunch, with a reverential expression which I
+     shall not easily forget, as if the flower were to him an
+     embodiment of the great poets by whom it has been
+     consecrated to fame; and he also had the good taste not to
+     be ashamed of his own enthusiasm. I have had the pleasure of
+     exporting, this spring, to my friend Miss Sedgwick, (to
+     whose family one of my visiters belongs,) roots and seeds of
+     these wild flowers, of the common violet, the cowslip, and
+     the ivy, another of our indigenous plants which our
+     Transatlantic brethren want, and with which Mr. Theodore
+     Sedgwick was especially delighted. It will be a real
+     distinction to be the introductress of these plants into
+     that _Berkshire_ village of New England, where Miss
+     Sedgwick, surrounded by relatives worthy of her in talent
+     and in character, passes her summers.
+
+It was a small clear lake almost embosomed in trees, across which an
+embankment, formed for the purpose of a decoy for the wildfowl with
+which it abounded, led into a wood which covered the opposite hill; an
+old forest-like wood, where the noble oaks, whose boughs almost dipped
+into the water, were surrounded by their sylvan accompaniments of birch,
+and holly, and hawthorn, where the tall trees met over the straggling
+paths, and waved across the grassy dells and turfy brakes with which it
+was interspersed. One low-browed cottage stood in a little meadow--it
+might almost be called a little orchard--just at the bottom of the
+winding road that led to the Great Pond: the cottage of the widow King.
+
+Independently of its beautiful situation, there was much that was at
+once picturesque and comfortable about the cottage itself, with its
+irregularity of outline, its gable ends and jut-ting-out chimneys,
+its thatched roof and penthouse windows. A little yard, with a small
+building which just held an old donkey-chaise and an old donkey, a still
+older cow, and a few pens for geese and chickens, lay on one side of the
+house; in front, a flower court, surrounded by a mossy paling; a larger
+plot for vegetables behind; and, stretching down to the Great Pond on
+the side opposite the yard, was the greenest of all possible meadows,
+which, as I have before said, two noble walnut and mulberry-trees, and a
+few aged pears and apples, clustered near the dwelling, almost converted
+into that pleasantest appanage of country life, an orchard.
+
+Notwithstanding, however, the exceeding neatness of the flower-court,
+and the little garden filled with choice beds of strawberries, and
+lavender, and old-fashioned flowers, stocks, carnations, roses, pinks;
+and in spite of the cottage itself being not only almost covered with
+climbing shrubs, woodbine, jessamine, clematis, and musk-roses, and in
+one southern nook a magnificent tree-like fuchsia, but the old chimney
+actually garlanded with delicate creepers, the maurandia, and the lotus
+spermus, whose pink and purple bells, peeping out from between their
+elegant foliage, and mingling with the bolder blossoms and darker
+leaves of the passion-flower, give such a wreathy and airy grace to the
+humblest building;* in spite of this luxuriance of natural beauty, and
+of the evident care bestowed upon the cultivation of the beds, and the
+training of the climbing plants, we yet felt, we hardly could tell
+why, but yet we instinctively felt, that the moss-grown thatch, the
+mouldering paling, the hoary apple trees, in a word, the evidences of
+decay visible around the place, were but types of the fading fortunes of
+the inmates.
+
+     * I know nothing so pretty as the manner in which creeping
+     plants interwreath themselves one with another. We have at
+     this moment a wall quite covered with honeysuckles,
+     fuchsias, roses, clematis, passion flowers, myrtles,
+     scobsea, acrima carpis, lotus spermus, and maurandia
+     Barclayana, in which two long sprays of the last-mentioned
+     climbers have jutted out from the wall, and entwined
+     themselves together, like the handle of an antique basket.
+     The rich profusion of leaves, those of the lotus spermus,
+     comparatively rounded and dim, soft in texture and colour,
+     with a darker patch in the middle, like the leaf of the old
+     gum geranium; those of the maurandia, so bright, and
+     shining, and sharply outlined--the stalks equally graceful
+     in their varied green, and the roseate bells of the one
+     contrasting and harmonising so finely with the rich violet
+     flowers of the other, might really form a study for a
+     painter. I never saw anything more graceful in quaint and
+     cunning art than this bit of simple nature. But nature often
+     takes a fancy to outvie her skilful and ambitious
+     handmaiden, and is always certain to succeed in the
+     competition.
+
+And such was really the case. The widow King had known better days. Her
+husband had been the head keeper, her only son head gardener, of
+the lord of the manor; but both were dead; and she, with an orphan
+grandchild, a thoughtful boy of eight or nine years old, now gained a
+scanty subsistence from the produce of their little dairy, their few
+poultry, their honey, (have I not said that a row of bee-hives held
+their station on the sunny side of the garden?). and the fruit and
+flowers which little Tom and the old donkey carried in their season to
+Belford every market-day.
+
+Besides these their accustomed sources of income, Mrs. King and Tom
+neglected no means of earning an honest penny. They stripped the downy
+spikes of the bulrushes to stuff cushions and pillows, and wove the
+rushes themselves into mats. Poor Tom was as handy as a girl; and in the
+long winter evenings he would plait the straw hats in which he went to
+Belford market, and knit the stockings, which, kept rather for show than
+for use, were just assumed to go to church on Sundays, and then laid
+aside for the week. So exact was their economy.
+
+The only extravagance in which Mrs. King indulged herself was keeping
+a pet spaniel, the descendant of a breed for which her husband had been
+famous, and which was so great a favourite, that it ranked next to Tom
+in her affections, and next to his grandmother in Tom's. The first time
+that I ever saw them, this pretty dog had brought her kind mistress into
+no small trouble.
+
+We had been taking a drive through these beautiful lanes, never more
+beautiful than when the richly tinted autumnal foliage contrasts with
+the deep emerald hue of the autumnal herbage, and were admiring the fine
+effect of the majestic oaks, whose lower branches almost touched the
+clear water which reflected so brightly the bright blue sky, when Mrs.
+King, who was well known to my father, advanced to the gate of her
+little court, and modestly requested to speak with him.
+
+The group in front of the cottage door was one which it was impossible
+to contemplate without strong interest. The poor widow, in her neat
+crimped cap, her well-worn mourning gown, her apron and handkerchief
+coarse, indeed, and of cheap material, but delicately clean, her grey
+hair parted on her brow, and her pale intelligent countenance, stood
+leaning against the doorway, holding in one thin trembling hand a letter
+newly opened, and in the other her spectacles, which she had been fain
+to take off, half hoping that they had played her false, and that the
+ill-omened epistle would not be found to contain what had so grieved
+her. Tom, a fine rosy boy, stout and manly for his years, sat on the
+ground with Chloe in his arms, giving vent to a most unmanly fit of
+crying; and Chloe, a dog worthy of Edwin Landseer's pencil, a large and
+beautiful spaniel, of the scarce old English breed, brown and white,
+with shining wavy hair feathering her thighs and legs, and clustering
+into curls towards her tail and forehead, and upon the long glossy
+magnificent ears which gave so much richness to her fine expressive
+countenance, looked at him wistfully, with eyes that expressed the
+fullest sympathy in his affliction, and stooped to lick his hand, and
+nestled her head in his bosom, as if trying, as far as her caresses had
+the power, to soothe and comfort him.
+
+"And so, sir," continued Mrs. King, who had been telling her little
+story to my father, whilst I had been admiring her pet, "this Mr.
+Poulton, the tax-gatherer, because I refused to give him our Chloe, whom
+my boy is so fond of that he shares his meals with her, poor fellow, has
+laid an information against us for keeping a sporting dog--I don't know
+what the proper word is--and has had us surcharged; and the first that
+ever I have heard of it is by this letter, from which I find that I must
+pay I don't know how much money by Saturday next, or else my goods will
+be seized and sold. And I have but just managed to pay my rent, and
+where to get a farthing I can't tell. I dare say he would let us off now
+if I would but give him Chloe; but that I can't find in my heart to do.
+He's a hard man, and a bad dog-master. I've all along been afraid that
+we must part with Chloe, now that she's growing up like, because of our
+living so near the preserves--"
+
+"Oh, grandmother!" interrupted Tom, "poor Chloe!"
+
+"But I can't give her to _him_. Don't cry so, Tom! I'd sooner have my
+little goods sold, and lie upon the boards. I should not mind parting
+with her if she were taken good care of, but I never will give her to
+him."
+
+"Is this the first you have heard of the matter?" inquired my father;
+"you ought to have had notice in time to appeal."
+
+"I never heard a word till to-day."
+
+"Poulton seems to say that he sent a letter, nevertheless, and offers to
+prove the sending, if need be; it's not in our division, not even in our
+county, and I am afraid that in this matter of the surcharge I can
+do nothing," observed my father; "though I have no doubt but it's a
+rascally trick to come by the dog. She's a pretty creature," continued
+be, stooping to pat her, and examining her head and mouth with the air
+of a connoisseur in canine affairs, "a very fine creature! How old is
+she?"
+
+"Not quite a twelvemonth, sir. She was pupped on the sixteenth of last
+October, grandmother's birthday, of all the days in the year," said Tom,
+somewhat comforted by his visiter's evident sympathy.
+
+"The sixteenth of October! Then Mr. Poulton may bid good-bye to his
+surcharge; for unless she was six months old on the fifth of April, she
+cannot be taxed for this year--so his letter is so much waste paper.
+I'll write this very night to the chairman of the commissioners, and
+manage the matter for you. And I'll also write to Master Poulton, and
+let him know that I'll acquaint the board if he gives you any farther
+trouble. You're sure that you can prove the day she was pupped?"
+continued his worship, highly delighted. "Very lucky! You'll have
+nothing to pay for her till next half-year, and then I'm afraid that
+this fellow Poulton will insist upon her being entered as a sporting
+dog, which is fourteen shillings. But that's a future concern. As to
+the surcharge, I'll take care of that. A beautiful creature, is not she,
+Mary? Very lucky that we happened to drive this way." And with kind
+adieus to Tom and his grandmother, who were as grateful as people could
+be, we departed.
+
+About a week after, Tom and Chloe in their turn appeared at our cottage.
+All had gone right in the matter of the surcharge. The commissioners
+had decided in Mrs. King's favour, and Mr. Poulton had been forced to
+succumb. But his grandmother had considered the danger of offending
+their good landlord Sir John, by keeping a sporting dog so near his
+coverts, and also the difficulty of paying the tax; and both she and Tom
+had made up their minds to offer Chloe to my father. He had admired her,
+and everybody said that he was as good a dog-master as Mr. Poulton was a
+bad one; and he came sometimes coursing to Ashley End, and then perhaps
+he would let them both see poor Chloe; "for grandmother," added Tom,
+"though she seemed somehow ashamed to confess as much, was at the bottom
+of her heart pretty nigh as fond of her as he was himself. Indeed, he
+did not know who could help being fond of Chloe, she had so many pretty
+ways." And Tom, making manful battle against the tears that would start
+into his eyes, almost as full of affection as the eyes of Chloe herself,
+and hugging his beautiful pet, who seemed upon her part to have a
+presentiment of the evil that awaited her, sate down as requested in the
+hall, whilst my father considered his proposition.
+
+Upon the whole, it seemed to us kindest to the parties concerned, the
+widow King, Tom, and Chloe, to accept the gift. Sir John was a kind man,
+and a good landlord, but he was also a keen sportsman; and it was
+quite certain that he would have no great taste for a dog of such
+high sporting blood close to his best preserves; the keeper also would
+probably seize hold of such a neighbour as a scapegoat, in case of any
+deficiency in the number of hares and pheasants; and then their great
+enemy, Mr. Poulton, might avail himself of some technical deficiency to
+bring Mrs. King within the clutch of a surcharge. There might not always
+be an oversight in that Shylock's bond, nor a wise judge, young or old,
+to detect it if there were. So that, upon due consideration, my father
+(determined, of course, to make a proper return for the present) agreed
+to consider Chloe as his own property; and Tom, having seen her very
+comfortably installed in clean dry straw in a warm stable, and fed in a
+manner which gave a satisfactory specimen of her future diet, and being
+himself regaled with plum-cake and cherry brandy, (a liquor of which
+he had, he said, heard much talk, and which proved, as my father
+had augured, exceedingly cheering and consolatory in the moment of
+affliction,) departed in much better spirits than could have been
+expected after such a separation. I myself, duly appreciating the
+merits of Chloe, was a little jealous for my own noble Dash, whom she
+resembled, with a slight inferiority of size and colouring; much such
+a resemblance as Viola, I suppose, bore to Sebastian. But upon being
+reminded of the affinity between the two dogs, (for Dash came originally
+from the Ashley End kennel, and was, as nearly as we could make out,
+grand-uncle to Chloe,) and of our singular good fortune, in having two
+such beautiful spaniels under one roof, my objections were entirely
+removed. Under the same roof they did not seem likely to continue. When
+sent after to the stable the next morning, Chloe was missing. Everybody
+declared that the door had not been opened, and Dick, who had her
+in charge, vowed that the key had never been out of his pocket But
+accusations and affirmations were equally useless--the bird was flown.
+Of course she had returned to Ashley End. And upon being sent for to her
+old abode, Tom was found preparing to bring her to Aberleigh; and Mrs.
+King suggested, that, having been accustomed to live with them, she
+would, perhaps, sooner get accustomed to the kitchen fireside than to a
+stable, however comfortable.
+
+The suggestion was followed. A mat was placed by the side of the kitchen
+fire; much pains were taken to coax the shy stranger; (Dick, who loved
+and understood dogs, devoting himself to the task of making himself
+agreeable to this gentle and beautiful creature;) and she seemed so far
+reconciled as to suffer his caresses, to lap a little milk when sure
+that nobody saw her, and even to bridle with instinctive coquetry, when
+Dash, head and tail up, advanced with a sort of stately and conscious
+courtesy to examine into the claims of the newcomer. For the first
+evening all seemed promising; but on the next morning, nobody knew how
+or when, Chloe eloped to her old quarters.
+
+Again she was fetched back; this time to the parlour: and again she ran
+away. Then she was tied up, and she gnawed the string; chained up, and
+she slipped the collar; and we began to think, that unless we could find
+some good home for her at a distance, there was nothing for it but to
+return her altogether to Mrs. King, when a letter from a friend at Bath
+gave a new aspect to Chloe's affairs.
+
+The letter was from a dear friend of mine--a young married lady, with an
+invalid husband, and one lovely little girl, a damsel of some two years
+old, commonly called "Pretty May." They wanted a pet dog to live in
+the parlour, and walk out with mother and daughter--not a cross yelping
+Blenheim spaniel, (those troublesome little creatures spoil every body's
+manners who is so unlucky as to possess them, the first five minutes of
+every morning call being invariably devoted to silencing the lapdog and
+apologising to the visiter,)--not a pigmy Blenheim, but a large, noble
+animal, something, in short, as like as might be to Dash, with whom Mrs.
+Keating had a personal acquaintance, and for whom, in common with most
+of his acquaintances, she entertained a very decided partiality: I do
+not believe that there is a dog in England who has more friends than my
+Dash. A spaniel was wanted at Bath like my Dash: and what spaniel could
+be more like Dash than Chloe? A distant home was wanted for Chloe: and
+what home could open a brighter prospect of canine felicity than to be
+the pet of Mrs. Keating, and the playmate of Pretty May? It seemed
+one of those startling coincidences which amuse one by their singular
+fitness and propriety, and make one believe that there is more in the
+exploded doctrine of sympathies than can be found in our philosophy.
+
+So, upon the matter being explained to her, thought Mrs. King; and
+writing duly to announce the arrival of Chloe, she was deposited, with a
+quantity of soft hay, in a large hamper, and conveyed into Belford by my
+father himself, who would entrust to none other the office of delivering
+her to the coachman, and charging that very civil member of a very civil
+body of men to have especial care of the pretty creature, who was parted
+with for no other fault than an excess of affection and fidelity to her
+first kind protectors.
+
+Nothing could exceed the brilliancy of her reception. Pretty May, the
+sweet smiling child of a sweet smiling mother, had been kept up a full
+hour after her usual time to welcome the stranger, and was so charmed
+with this her first living toy, that it was difficult to get her to
+bed. She divided her own supper with poor Chloe, hungry after her long
+journey; rolled with her upon the Turkey carpet, and at last fell asleep
+with her arms clasped round her new pet's neck, and her bright face,
+coloured like lilies and roses, flung across her body; Chloe enduring
+these caresses with a careful, quiet gentleness, which immediately won
+for her the hearts of the lovely mother, of the fond father, (for to an
+accomplished and right-minded man, in delicate health, what a treasure
+is a little prattling girl, his only one!) of two grandmothers, of three
+or four young aunts, and of the whole tribe of nursery attendants. Never
+was debut so successful, as Chloe's first appearance in Camden Place.
+
+As her new dog had been Pretty May's last thought at night, so was it
+her first on awakening. He shared her breakfast as he had shared her
+supper; and immediately after breakfast, mother and daughter, attended
+by nurserymaid and footman, sallied forth to provide proper luxuries
+for Chloe's accommodation. First they purchased a sheepskin rug; then a
+splendid porcelain trough for water, and a porcelain dish to match, for
+food; then a spaniel basket, duly lined, and stuffed, and curtained--a
+splendid piece of canine upholstery; then a necklace-like collar with
+silver bells, which was left to have the address engraved upon the
+clasp; and then May, finding herself in the vicinity of a hosier and
+a shoemaker, bethought herself of a want which undoubtedly had not
+occurred to any other of her party, and holding up her own pretty little
+foot, demanded "tilk tocks and boo thoose for Tloë."
+
+For two days did Chloe endure the petting and the luxuries. On the third
+she disappeared. Great was the consternation in Camden Place. Pretty
+May cried as she had never been known to cry before; and papa, mamma,
+grandmammas, aunts, nursery and house-maids, fretted and wondered,
+wondered and fretted, and vented their distress in every variety of
+exclamation, from the refined language of the drawing-room to the
+patois of a Somersetshire kitchen. Rewards were offered, and handbills
+dispersed over the town. She was cried, and she was advertised; and at
+last, giving up every hope of her recovery, Mrs. Keating wrote to me.
+
+It happened that we received the letter on one of those soft November
+days, which sometimes intervene between the rough winds of October and
+the crisp frosts of Christmas, and which, although too dirty under foot
+to be quite pleasant for walking, are yet, during the few hours that the
+sun is above the horizon, mild enough for an open carriage in our shady
+lanes, strewed as they are at that period with the yellow leaves of the
+elm, whilst the hedgerows are still rich with the tawny foliage of the
+oak, and the rich colouring of the hawthorn and the bramble. It was such
+weather as the Americans generally enjoy at this season, and call by the
+pretty name of the Indian summer. And we resolved to avail ourselves of
+the fineness of the day to drive to Ashley End, and inform Mrs. King
+and Tom (who we felt ought to know) of the loss of Chloe, and our fear,
+according with Mrs. Keating's, that she had been stolen; adding our
+persuasion, which was also that of Mrs. Keating, that, fall into
+whatever hands she might, she was too beautiful and valuable not to
+ensure good usage.
+
+On the way we were overtaken by the good widow's landlord, returning
+from hunting, in his red coat and top-boots, who was also bound to
+Ashley End. As he rode chatting by the side of the carriage, we could
+not forbear telling him our present errand, and the whole story of poor
+Chloe. How often, without being particularly uncharitable in judging of
+our neighbours, we have the gratification of finding them even better
+than we had supposed! He blamed us for not having thought well enough
+of him to put the whole affair into his management from the first, and
+exclaimed against us for fearing that he would compare the preserves and
+the pheasant-shooting with such an attachment as had subsisted between
+his good old tenant and her faithful dog. "By Jove!" cried he, "I
+would have paid the tax myself rather than they should have been parted.
+But it's too late to talk of that now, for, of course, the dog is
+stolen. Eighty miles is too far even for a spaniel to find its way back!
+Carried by coach, too! I would give twenty pounds willingly to replace
+her with old Dame King and Master Tom. By the way, we must see what can
+be done for that boy--he's a fine spanking fellow. We must consult his
+grandmother. The descendant of two faithful servants has an hereditary
+claim to all that can be done for him. How could _you_ imagine that I
+should be thinking of those coverts? I that am as great a dog-lover as
+Dame King herself! I have a great mind to be very angry with you."
+
+These words, spoken in the good sportsman's earnest, hearty, joyous,
+kindly voice, (_that_ ought to have given an assurance of his kindly
+nature,--I have a religious faith in voices,) these words brought us
+within sight of Ashley End, and there, in front of the cottage, we saw
+a group which fixed our attention at once: Chloe, her own identical
+self--poor, dear Chloe, apparently just arrived, dirty, weary, jaded,
+wet, lying in Tom's arms as he sat on the ground, feeding her with
+the bacon and cabbage, his own and his grandmother's dinner, all the
+contents of the platter; and she, too happy to eat, wagging her tail as
+if she would wag it off; now licking Mrs. King's hands as the good old
+dame leant over her, the tears streaming from her eyes: now kissing
+Tom's honest face, who broke into loud laughter for very joy, and, with
+looks that spoke as plain as ever looks did speak, "Here I am come home
+again to those whom I love best--to those who best love me!" Poor dear
+Chloe! Even we whom she left, sympathised with her fidelity. Poor dear
+Chloe! there we found her, and there, I need not, I hope, say, we left
+her, one of the happiest of living creatures.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Widow's Dog, by Mary Russell Mitford
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WIDOW'S DOG ***
+
+***** This file should be named 22842-8.txt or 22842-8.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/2/8/4/22842/
+
+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.
diff --git a/22842-8.zip b/22842-8.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0578d6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/22842-8.zip
diff --git a/22842-h.zip b/22842-h.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad3076c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/22842-h.zip
diff --git a/22842-h/22842-h.htm b/22842-h/22842-h.htm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab29b41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/22842-h/22842-h.htm
@@ -0,0 +1,930 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
+
+<!DOCTYPE html
+   PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
+   "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" >
+
+<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en">
+  <head>
+    <title>
+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Widow's Dog, by Mary Russell Mitford
+    </title>
+    <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve">
+
+    body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify}
+    P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; }
+    H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; }
+    hr  { width: 50%; text-align: center;}
+    .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; }
+    blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;}
+    .mynote    {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;}
+    .toc       { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;}
+    .toc2      { margin-left: 20%;}
+    div.fig    { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; }
+    div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; }
+    .figleft   {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;}
+    .figright  {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;}
+    .pagenum   {display:inline; font-size: 70%; font-style:normal;
+               margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%;
+               text-align: right;}
+    pre        { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;}
+
+</style>
+  </head>
+  <body>
+<pre xml:space="preserve">
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Widow's Dog, by Mary Russell Mitford
+
+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: The Widow's Dog
+
+Author: Mary Russell Mitford
+
+Release Date: October 2, 2007 [EBook #22842]
+Last Updated: January 9, 2013
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WIDOW'S DOG ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+    <div style="height: 8em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h1>
+      THE WIDOW'S DOG.
+    </h1>
+    <h2>
+      By Mary Russell Mitford
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      <br /> <br /> <br />
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      One of the most beautiful spots in the north of Hampshire&mdash;a part of
+      the country which, from its winding green lanes, with the trees meeting
+      over head like a cradle, its winding roads between coppices, with wide
+      turfy margents on either side, as if left on purpose for the picturesque
+      and frequent gipsy camp, its abundance of hedgerow timber, and its
+      extensive tracts of woodland, seems as if the fields were just dug out of
+      the forest, as might have happened in the days of William Rufus&mdash;one
+      of the loveliest scenes in this lovely county is the Great Pond at Ashley
+      End.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Ashley End is itself a romantic and beautiful village, struggling down a
+      steep hill to a clear and narrow running stream, which crosses the road in
+      the bottom, crossed in its turn by a picturesque wooden bridge, and then
+      winding with equal abruptness up the opposite acclivity, so that the
+      scattered cottages, separated from each other by long strips of garden
+      ground, the little country inn, and two or three old-fashioned tenements
+      of somewhat higher pretensions, surrounded by their own moss-grown
+      orchards, seemed to be completely shut out from this bustling world,
+      buried in the sloping meadows so deeply green, and the hanging woods so
+      rich in their various tinting, along which the slender wreaths of smoke
+      from the old clustered chimneys went smiling peacefully in the pleasant
+      autumn air. So profound was the tranquillity, that the slender streamlet
+      which gushed along the valley, following its natural windings, and
+      glittering in the noonday sun like a thread of silver, seemed to the
+      unfrequent visiters of that remote hamlet the only trace of life and
+      motion in the picture.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The source of this pretty brook was undoubtedly the Great Pond, although
+      there was no other road to it than by climbing the steep hill beyond the
+      village, and then turning suddenly to the right, and descending by a deep
+      cart-track, which led between wild banks covered with heath and feathery
+      broom, garlanded with bramble and briar roses, and gay with the purple
+      heath-flower and the delicate harebell,* to a scene even more beautiful
+      and more solitary than the hamlet itself.
+    </p>
+<pre xml:space="preserve">
+     * One of the pleasantest moments that I have ever known, was
+     that of the introduction of an accomplished young American
+     to the common harebell, upon the very spot which I have
+     attempted to describe. He had never seen that English wild-
+     flower, consecrated by the poetry of our common language,
+     was struck even more than I expected by its delicate beauty,
+     placed it in his button-hole, and repeated with enthusiasm
+     the charming lines of Scott, from the Lady of the Lake:&mdash;
+
+          "For me,"&mdash;she stooped, and, looking round,
+          Plucked a blue harebell from the ground,&mdash;
+          "For me, whose memory scarce conveys
+          An image of more splendid days,
+          This little flower, that loves the lea,
+          May well my simple emblem be;
+          It drinks heaven's dew as blithe as rose
+          That in the King's own garden grows,
+          And when I place it in my hair,
+          Allan, a bard, is bound to swear
+          He ne'er saw coronet so fair."
+
+     Still greater was the delight with which another
+     American recognised that blossom of a thousand
+     associations&mdash;the flower sacred to Milton and Shakspeare&mdash;the
+     English primrose. He bent his knee to the ground in
+     gathering a bunch, with a reverential expression which I
+     shall not easily forget, as if the flower were to him an
+     embodiment of the great poets by whom it has been
+     consecrated to fame; and he also had the good taste not to
+     be ashamed of his own enthusiasm. I have had the pleasure of
+     exporting, this spring, to my friend Miss Sedgwick, (to
+     whose family one of my visiters belongs,) roots and seeds of
+     these wild flowers, of the common violet, the cowslip, and
+     the ivy, another of our indigenous plants which our
+     Transatlantic brethren want, and with which Mr. Theodore
+     Sedgwick was especially delighted. It will be a real
+     distinction to be the introductress of these plants into
+     that <i>Berkshire</i> village of New England, where Miss
+     Sedgwick, surrounded by relatives worthy of her in talent
+     and in character, passes her summers.
+</pre>
+    <p>
+      It was a small clear lake almost embosomed in trees, across which an
+      embankment, formed for the purpose of a decoy for the wildfowl with which
+      it abounded, led into a wood which covered the opposite hill; an old
+      forest-like wood, where the noble oaks, whose boughs almost dipped into
+      the water, were surrounded by their sylvan accompaniments of birch, and
+      holly, and hawthorn, where the tall trees met over the straggling paths,
+      and waved across the grassy dells and turfy brakes with which it was
+      interspersed. One low-browed cottage stood in a little meadow&mdash;it
+      might almost be called a little orchard&mdash;just at the bottom of the
+      winding road that led to the Great Pond: the cottage of the widow King.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Independently of its beautiful situation, there was much that was at once
+      picturesque and comfortable about the cottage itself, with its
+      irregularity of outline, its gable ends and jut-ting-out chimneys, its
+      thatched roof and penthouse windows. A little yard, with a small building
+      which just held an old donkey-chaise and an old donkey, a still older cow,
+      and a few pens for geese and chickens, lay on one side of the house; in
+      front, a flower court, surrounded by a mossy paling; a larger plot for
+      vegetables behind; and, stretching down to the Great Pond on the side
+      opposite the yard, was the greenest of all possible meadows, which, as I
+      have before said, two noble walnut and mulberry-trees, and a few aged
+      pears and apples, clustered near the dwelling, almost converted into that
+      pleasantest appanage of country life, an orchard.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Notwithstanding, however, the exceeding neatness of the flower-court, and
+      the little garden filled with choice beds of strawberries, and lavender,
+      and old-fashioned flowers, stocks, carnations, roses, pinks; and in spite
+      of the cottage itself being not only almost covered with climbing shrubs,
+      woodbine, jessamine, clematis, and musk-roses, and in one southern nook a
+      magnificent tree-like fuchsia, but the old chimney actually garlanded with
+      delicate creepers, the maurandia, and the lotus spermus, whose pink and
+      purple bells, peeping out from between their elegant foliage, and mingling
+      with the bolder blossoms and darker leaves of the passion-flower, give
+      such a wreathy and airy grace to the humblest building;* in spite of this
+      luxuriance of natural beauty, and of the evident care bestowed upon the
+      cultivation of the beds, and the training of the climbing plants, we yet
+      felt, we hardly could tell why, but yet we instinctively felt, that the
+      moss-grown thatch, the mouldering paling, the hoary apple trees, in a
+      word, the evidences of decay visible around the place, were but types of
+      the fading fortunes of the inmates.
+    </p>
+<pre xml:space="preserve">
+     * I know nothing so pretty as the manner in which creeping
+     plants interwreath themselves one with another. We have at
+     this moment a wall quite covered with honeysuckles,
+     fuchsias, roses, clematis, passion flowers, myrtles,
+     scobsea, acrima carpis, lotus spermus, and maurandia
+     Barclayana, in which two long sprays of the last-mentioned
+     climbers have jutted out from the wall, and entwined
+     themselves together, like the handle of an antique basket.
+     The rich profusion of leaves, those of the lotus spermus,
+     comparatively rounded and dim, soft in texture and colour,
+     with a darker patch in the middle, like the leaf of the old
+     gum geranium; those of the maurandia, so bright, and
+     shining, and sharply outlined&mdash;the stalks equally graceful
+     in their varied green, and the roseate bells of the one
+     contrasting and harmonising so finely with the rich violet
+     flowers of the other, might really form a study for a
+     painter. I never saw anything more graceful in quaint and
+     cunning art than this bit of simple nature. But nature often
+     takes a fancy to outvie her skilful and ambitious
+     handmaiden, and is always certain to succeed in the
+     competition.
+</pre>
+    <p>
+      And such was really the case. The widow King had known better days. Her
+      husband had been the head keeper, her only son head gardener, of the lord
+      of the manor; but both were dead; and she, with an orphan grandchild, a
+      thoughtful boy of eight or nine years old, now gained a scanty subsistence
+      from the produce of their little dairy, their few poultry, their honey,
+      (have I not said that a row of bee-hives held their station on the sunny
+      side of the garden?). and the fruit and flowers which little Tom and the
+      old donkey carried in their season to Belford every market-day.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Besides these their accustomed sources of income, Mrs. King and Tom
+      neglected no means of earning an honest penny. They stripped the downy
+      spikes of the bulrushes to stuff cushions and pillows, and wove the rushes
+      themselves into mats. Poor Tom was as handy as a girl; and in the long
+      winter evenings he would plait the straw hats in which he went to Belford
+      market, and knit the stockings, which, kept rather for show than for use,
+      were just assumed to go to church on Sundays, and then laid aside for the
+      week. So exact was their economy.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The only extravagance in which Mrs. King indulged herself was keeping a
+      pet spaniel, the descendant of a breed for which her husband had been
+      famous, and which was so great a favourite, that it ranked next to Tom in
+      her affections, and next to his grandmother in Tom's. The first time that
+      I ever saw them, this pretty dog had brought her kind mistress into no
+      small trouble.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      We had been taking a drive through these beautiful lanes, never more
+      beautiful than when the richly tinted autumnal foliage contrasts with the
+      deep emerald hue of the autumnal herbage, and were admiring the fine
+      effect of the majestic oaks, whose lower branches almost touched the clear
+      water which reflected so brightly the bright blue sky, when Mrs. King, who
+      was well known to my father, advanced to the gate of her little court, and
+      modestly requested to speak with him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The group in front of the cottage door was one which it was impossible to
+      contemplate without strong interest. The poor widow, in her neat crimped
+      cap, her well-worn mourning gown, her apron and handkerchief coarse,
+      indeed, and of cheap material, but delicately clean, her grey hair parted
+      on her brow, and her pale intelligent countenance, stood leaning against
+      the doorway, holding in one thin trembling hand a letter newly opened, and
+      in the other her spectacles, which she had been fain to take off, half
+      hoping that they had played her false, and that the ill-omened epistle
+      would not be found to contain what had so grieved her. Tom, a fine rosy
+      boy, stout and manly for his years, sat on the ground with Chloe in his
+      arms, giving vent to a most unmanly fit of crying; and Chloe, a dog worthy
+      of Edwin Landseer's pencil, a large and beautiful spaniel, of the scarce
+      old English breed, brown and white, with shining wavy hair feathering her
+      thighs and legs, and clustering into curls towards her tail and forehead,
+      and upon the long glossy magnificent ears which gave so much richness to
+      her fine expressive countenance, looked at him wistfully, with eyes that
+      expressed the fullest sympathy in his affliction, and stooped to lick his
+      hand, and nestled her head in his bosom, as if trying, as far as her
+      caresses had the power, to soothe and comfort him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      "And so, sir," continued Mrs. King, who had been telling her little story
+      to my father, whilst I had been admiring her pet, "this Mr. Poulton, the
+      tax-gatherer, because I refused to give him our Chloe, whom my boy is so
+      fond of that he shares his meals with her, poor fellow, has laid an
+      information against us for keeping a sporting dog&mdash;I don't know what
+      the proper word is&mdash;and has had us surcharged; and the first that
+      ever I have heard of it is by this letter, from which I find that I must
+      pay I don't know how much money by Saturday next, or else my goods will be
+      seized and sold. And I have but just managed to pay my rent, and where to
+      get a farthing I can't tell. I dare say he would let us off now if I would
+      but give him Chloe; but that I can't find in my heart to do. He's a hard
+      man, and a bad dog-master. I've all along been afraid that we must part
+      with Chloe, now that she's growing up like, because of our living so near
+      the preserves&mdash;"
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      "Oh, grandmother!" interrupted Tom, "poor Chloe!"
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      "But I can't give her to <i>him</i>. Don't cry so, Tom! I'd sooner have my
+      little goods sold, and lie upon the boards. I should not mind parting with
+      her if she were taken good care of, but I never will give her to him."
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      "Is this the first you have heard of the matter?" inquired my father; "you
+      ought to have had notice in time to appeal."
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      "I never heard a word till to-day."
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      "Poulton seems to say that he sent a letter, nevertheless, and offers to
+      prove the sending, if need be; it's not in our division, not even in our
+      county, and I am afraid that in this matter of the surcharge I can do
+      nothing," observed my father; "though I have no doubt but it's a rascally
+      trick to come by the dog. She's a pretty creature," continued be, stooping
+      to pat her, and examining her head and mouth with the air of a connoisseur
+      in canine affairs, "a very fine creature! How old is she?"
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      "Not quite a twelvemonth, sir. She was pupped on the sixteenth of last
+      October, grandmother's birthday, of all the days in the year," said Tom,
+      somewhat comforted by his visiter's evident sympathy.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      "The sixteenth of October! Then Mr. Poulton may bid good-bye to his
+      surcharge; for unless she was six months old on the fifth of April, she
+      cannot be taxed for this year&mdash;so his letter is so much waste paper.
+      I'll write this very night to the chairman of the commissioners, and
+      manage the matter for you. And I'll also write to Master Poulton, and let
+      him know that I'll acquaint the board if he gives you any farther trouble.
+      You're sure that you can prove the day she was pupped?" continued his
+      worship, highly delighted. "Very lucky! You'll have nothing to pay for her
+      till next half-year, and then I'm afraid that this fellow Poulton will
+      insist upon her being entered as a sporting dog, which is fourteen
+      shillings. But that's a future concern. As to the surcharge, I'll take
+      care of that. A beautiful creature, is not she, Mary? Very lucky that we
+      happened to drive this way." And with kind adieus to Tom and his
+      grandmother, who were as grateful as people could be, we departed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      About a week after, Tom and Chloe in their turn appeared at our cottage.
+      All had gone right in the matter of the surcharge. The commissioners had
+      decided in Mrs. King's favour, and Mr. Poulton had been forced to succumb.
+      But his grandmother had considered the danger of offending their good
+      landlord Sir John, by keeping a sporting dog so near his coverts, and also
+      the difficulty of paying the tax; and both she and Tom had made up their
+      minds to offer Chloe to my father. He had admired her, and everybody said
+      that he was as good a dog-master as Mr. Poulton was a bad one; and he came
+      sometimes coursing to Ashley End, and then perhaps he would let them both
+      see poor Chloe; "for grandmother," added Tom, "though she seemed somehow
+      ashamed to confess as much, was at the bottom of her heart pretty nigh as
+      fond of her as he was himself. Indeed, he did not know who could help
+      being fond of Chloe, she had so many pretty ways." And Tom, making manful
+      battle against the tears that would start into his eyes, almost as full of
+      affection as the eyes of Chloe herself, and hugging his beautiful pet, who
+      seemed upon her part to have a presentiment of the evil that awaited her,
+      sate down as requested in the hall, whilst my father considered his
+      proposition.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Upon the whole, it seemed to us kindest to the parties concerned, the
+      widow King, Tom, and Chloe, to accept the gift. Sir John was a kind man,
+      and a good landlord, but he was also a keen sportsman; and it was quite
+      certain that he would have no great taste for a dog of such high sporting
+      blood close to his best preserves; the keeper also would probably seize
+      hold of such a neighbour as a scapegoat, in case of any deficiency in the
+      number of hares and pheasants; and then their great enemy, Mr. Poulton,
+      might avail himself of some technical deficiency to bring Mrs. King within
+      the clutch of a surcharge. There might not always be an oversight in that
+      Shylock's bond, nor a wise judge, young or old, to detect it if there
+      were. So that, upon due consideration, my father (determined, of course,
+      to make a proper return for the present) agreed to consider Chloe as his
+      own property; and Tom, having seen her very comfortably installed in clean
+      dry straw in a warm stable, and fed in a manner which gave a satisfactory
+      specimen of her future diet, and being himself regaled with plum-cake and
+      cherry brandy, (a liquor of which he had, he said, heard much talk, and
+      which proved, as my father had augured, exceedingly cheering and
+      consolatory in the moment of affliction,) departed in much better spirits
+      than could have been expected after such a separation. I myself, duly
+      appreciating the merits of Chloe, was a little jealous for my own noble
+      Dash, whom she resembled, with a slight inferiority of size and colouring;
+      much such a resemblance as Viola, I suppose, bore to Sebastian. But upon
+      being reminded of the affinity between the two dogs, (for Dash came
+      originally from the Ashley End kennel, and was, as nearly as we could make
+      out, grand-uncle to Chloe,) and of our singular good fortune, in having
+      two such beautiful spaniels under one roof, my objections were entirely
+      removed. Under the same roof they did not seem likely to continue. When
+      sent after to the stable the next morning, Chloe was missing. Everybody
+      declared that the door had not been opened, and Dick, who had her in
+      charge, vowed that the key had never been out of his pocket But
+      accusations and affirmations were equally useless&mdash;the bird was
+      flown. Of course she had returned to Ashley End. And upon being sent for
+      to her old abode, Tom was found preparing to bring her to Aberleigh; and
+      Mrs. King suggested, that, having been accustomed to live with them, she
+      would, perhaps, sooner get accustomed to the kitchen fireside than to a
+      stable, however comfortable.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The suggestion was followed. A mat was placed by the side of the kitchen
+      fire; much pains were taken to coax the shy stranger; (Dick, who loved and
+      understood dogs, devoting himself to the task of making himself agreeable
+      to this gentle and beautiful creature;) and she seemed so far reconciled
+      as to suffer his caresses, to lap a little milk when sure that nobody saw
+      her, and even to bridle with instinctive coquetry, when Dash, head and
+      tail up, advanced with a sort of stately and conscious courtesy to examine
+      into the claims of the newcomer. For the first evening all seemed
+      promising; but on the next morning, nobody knew how or when, Chloe eloped
+      to her old quarters.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Again she was fetched back; this time to the parlour: and again she ran
+      away. Then she was tied up, and she gnawed the string; chained up, and she
+      slipped the collar; and we began to think, that unless we could find some
+      good home for her at a distance, there was nothing for it but to return
+      her altogether to Mrs. King, when a letter from a friend at Bath gave a
+      new aspect to Chloe's affairs.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The letter was from a dear friend of mine&mdash;a young married lady, with
+      an invalid husband, and one lovely little girl, a damsel of some two years
+      old, commonly called "Pretty May." They wanted a pet dog to live in the
+      parlour, and walk out with mother and daughter&mdash;not a cross yelping
+      Blenheim spaniel, (those troublesome little creatures spoil every body's
+      manners who is so unlucky as to possess them, the first five minutes of
+      every morning call being invariably devoted to silencing the lapdog and
+      apologising to the visiter,)&mdash;not a pigmy Blenheim, but a large,
+      noble animal, something, in short, as like as might be to Dash, with whom
+      Mrs. Keating had a personal acquaintance, and for whom, in common with
+      most of his acquaintances, she entertained a very decided partiality: I do
+      not believe that there is a dog in England who has more friends than my
+      Dash. A spaniel was wanted at Bath like my Dash: and what spaniel could be
+      more like Dash than Chloe? A distant home was wanted for Chloe: and what
+      home could open a brighter prospect of canine felicity than to be the pet
+      of Mrs. Keating, and the playmate of Pretty May? It seemed one of those
+      startling coincidences which amuse one by their singular fitness and
+      propriety, and make one believe that there is more in the exploded
+      doctrine of sympathies than can be found in our philosophy.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      So, upon the matter being explained to her, thought Mrs. King; and writing
+      duly to announce the arrival of Chloe, she was deposited, with a quantity
+      of soft hay, in a large hamper, and conveyed into Belford by my father
+      himself, who would entrust to none other the office of delivering her to
+      the coachman, and charging that very civil member of a very civil body of
+      men to have especial care of the pretty creature, who was parted with for
+      no other fault than an excess of affection and fidelity to her first kind
+      protectors.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Nothing could exceed the brilliancy of her reception. Pretty May, the
+      sweet smiling child of a sweet smiling mother, had been kept up a full
+      hour after her usual time to welcome the stranger, and was so charmed with
+      this her first living toy, that it was difficult to get her to bed. She
+      divided her own supper with poor Chloe, hungry after her long journey;
+      rolled with her upon the Turkey carpet, and at last fell asleep with her
+      arms clasped round her new pet's neck, and her bright face, coloured like
+      lilies and roses, flung across her body; Chloe enduring these caresses
+      with a careful, quiet gentleness, which immediately won for her the hearts
+      of the lovely mother, of the fond father, (for to an accomplished and
+      right-minded man, in delicate health, what a treasure is a little
+      prattling girl, his only one!) of two grandmothers, of three or four young
+      aunts, and of the whole tribe of nursery attendants. Never was debut so
+      successful, as Chloe's first appearance in Camden Place.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      As her new dog had been Pretty May's last thought at night, so was it her
+      first on awakening. He shared her breakfast as he had shared her supper;
+      and immediately after breakfast, mother and daughter, attended by
+      nurserymaid and footman, sallied forth to provide proper luxuries for
+      Chloe's accommodation. First they purchased a sheepskin rug; then a
+      splendid porcelain trough for water, and a porcelain dish to match, for
+      food; then a spaniel basket, duly lined, and stuffed, and curtained&mdash;a
+      splendid piece of canine upholstery; then a necklace-like collar with
+      silver bells, which was left to have the address engraved upon the clasp;
+      and then May, finding herself in the vicinity of a hosier and a shoemaker,
+      bethought herself of a want which undoubtedly had not occurred to any
+      other of her party, and holding up her own pretty little foot, demanded
+      "tilk tocks and boo thoose for Tloë."
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      For two days did Chloe endure the petting and the luxuries. On the third
+      she disappeared. Great was the consternation in Camden Place. Pretty May
+      cried as she had never been known to cry before; and papa, mamma,
+      grandmammas, aunts, nursery and house-maids, fretted and wondered,
+      wondered and fretted, and vented their distress in every variety of
+      exclamation, from the refined language of the drawing-room to the patois
+      of a Somersetshire kitchen. Rewards were offered, and handbills dispersed
+      over the town. She was cried, and she was advertised; and at last, giving
+      up every hope of her recovery, Mrs. Keating wrote to me.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It happened that we received the letter on one of those soft November
+      days, which sometimes intervene between the rough winds of October and the
+      crisp frosts of Christmas, and which, although too dirty under foot to be
+      quite pleasant for walking, are yet, during the few hours that the sun is
+      above the horizon, mild enough for an open carriage in our shady lanes,
+      strewed as they are at that period with the yellow leaves of the elm,
+      whilst the hedgerows are still rich with the tawny foliage of the oak, and
+      the rich colouring of the hawthorn and the bramble. It was such weather as
+      the Americans generally enjoy at this season, and call by the pretty name
+      of the Indian summer. And we resolved to avail ourselves of the fineness
+      of the day to drive to Ashley End, and inform Mrs. King and Tom (who we
+      felt ought to know) of the loss of Chloe, and our fear, according with
+      Mrs. Keating's, that she had been stolen; adding our persuasion, which was
+      also that of Mrs. Keating, that, fall into whatever hands she might, she
+      was too beautiful and valuable not to ensure good usage.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      On the way we were overtaken by the good widow's landlord, returning from
+      hunting, in his red coat and top-boots, who was also bound to Ashley End.
+      As he rode chatting by the side of the carriage, we could not forbear
+      telling him our present errand, and the whole story of poor Chloe. How
+      often, without being particularly uncharitable in judging of our
+      neighbours, we have the gratification of finding them even better than we
+      had supposed! He blamed us for not having thought well enough of him to
+      put the whole affair into his management from the first, and exclaimed
+      against us for fearing that he would compare the preserves and the
+      pheasant-shooting with such an attachment as had subsisted between his
+      good old tenant and her faithful dog. "By Jove!" cried he, "I would have
+      paid the tax myself rather than they should have been parted. But it's too
+      late to talk of that now, for, of course, the dog is stolen. Eighty miles
+      is too far even for a spaniel to find its way back! Carried by coach, too!
+      I would give twenty pounds willingly to replace her with old Dame King and
+      Master Tom. By the way, we must see what can be done for that boy&mdash;he's
+      a fine spanking fellow. We must consult his grandmother. The descendant of
+      two faithful servants has an hereditary claim to all that can be done for
+      him. How could <i>you</i> imagine that I should be thinking of those
+      coverts? I that am as great a dog-lover as Dame King herself! I have a
+      great mind to be very angry with you."
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      These words, spoken in the good sportsman's earnest, hearty, joyous,
+      kindly voice, (<i>that</i> ought to have given an assurance of his kindly
+      nature,&mdash;I have a religious faith in voices,) these words brought us
+      within sight of Ashley End, and there, in front of the cottage, we saw a
+      group which fixed our attention at once: Chloe, her own identical self&mdash;poor,
+      dear Chloe, apparently just arrived, dirty, weary, jaded, wet, lying in
+      Tom's arms as he sat on the ground, feeding her with the bacon and
+      cabbage, his own and his grandmother's dinner, all the contents of the
+      platter; and she, too happy to eat, wagging her tail as if she would wag
+      it off; now licking Mrs. King's hands as the good old dame leant over her,
+      the tears streaming from her eyes: now kissing Tom's honest face, who
+      broke into loud laughter for very joy, and, with looks that spoke as plain
+      as ever looks did speak, "Here I am come home again to those whom I love
+      best&mdash;to those who best love me!" Poor dear Chloe! Even we whom she
+      left, sympathised with her fidelity. Poor dear Chloe! there we found her,
+      and there, I need not, I hope, say, we left her, one of the happiest of
+      living creatures.
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 6em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+<pre xml:space="preserve">
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Widow's Dog, by Mary Russell Mitford
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WIDOW'S DOG ***
+
+***** This file should be named 22842-h.htm or 22842-h.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/2/8/4/22842/
+
+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.
+
+
+</pre>
+  </body>
+</html>
diff --git a/22842.txt b/22842.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7582a21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/22842.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,849 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Widow's Dog, by Mary Russell Mitford
+
+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: The Widow's Dog
+
+Author: Mary Russell Mitford
+
+Release Date: October 2, 2007 [EBook #22842]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WIDOW'S DOG ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+
+
+
+
+THE WIDOW'S DOG.
+
+By Mary Russell Mitford
+
+
+One of the most beautiful spots in the north of Hampshire--a part of the
+country which, from its winding green lanes, with the trees meeting over
+head like a cradle, its winding roads between coppices, with wide turfy
+margents on either side, as if left on purpose for the picturesque and
+frequent gipsy camp, its abundance of hedgerow timber, and its extensive
+tracts of woodland, seems as if the fields were just dug out of the
+forest, as might have happened in the days of William Rufus--one of the
+loveliest scenes in this lovely county is the Great Pond at Ashley End.
+
+Ashley End is itself a romantic and beautiful village, struggling down a
+steep hill to a clear and narrow running stream, which crosses the road
+in the bottom, crossed in its turn by a picturesque wooden bridge, and
+then winding with equal abruptness up the opposite acclivity, so that
+the scattered cottages, separated from each other by long strips of
+garden ground, the little country inn, and two or three old-fashioned
+tenements of somewhat higher pretensions, surrounded by their own
+moss-grown orchards, seemed to be completely shut out from this bustling
+world, buried in the sloping meadows so deeply green, and the hanging
+woods so rich in their various tinting, along which the slender wreaths
+of smoke from the old clustered chimneys went smiling peacefully in the
+pleasant autumn air. So profound was the tranquillity, that the slender
+streamlet which gushed along the valley, following its natural windings,
+and glittering in the noonday sun like a thread of silver, seemed to
+the unfrequent visiters of that remote hamlet the only trace of life and
+motion in the picture.
+
+The source of this pretty brook was undoubtedly the Great Pond, although
+there was no other road to it than by climbing the steep hill beyond
+the village, and then turning suddenly to the right, and descending by
+a deep cart-track, which led between wild banks covered with heath and
+feathery broom, garlanded with bramble and briar roses, and gay with
+the purple heath-flower and the delicate harebell,* to a scene even more
+beautiful and more solitary than the hamlet itself.
+
+     * One of the pleasantest moments that I have ever known, was
+     that of the introduction of an accomplished young American
+     to the common harebell, upon the very spot which I have
+     attempted to describe. He had never seen that English wild-
+     flower, consecrated by the poetry of our common language,
+     was struck even more than I expected by its delicate beauty,
+     placed it in his button-hole, and repeated with enthusiasm
+     the charming lines of Scott, from the Lady of the Lake:--
+
+          "For me,"--she stooped, and, looking round,
+          Plucked a blue harebell from the ground,--
+          "For me, whose memory scarce conveys
+          An image of more splendid days,
+          This little flower, that loves the lea,
+          May well my simple emblem be;
+          It drinks heaven's dew as blithe as rose
+          That in the King's own garden grows,
+          And when I place it in my hair,
+          Allan, a bard, is bound to swear
+          He ne'er saw coronet so fair."
+
+     Still greater was the delight with which another
+     American recognised that blossom of a thousand
+     associations--the flower sacred to Milton and Shakspeare--the
+     English primrose. He bent his knee to the ground in
+     gathering a bunch, with a reverential expression which I
+     shall not easily forget, as if the flower were to him an
+     embodiment of the great poets by whom it has been
+     consecrated to fame; and he also had the good taste not to
+     be ashamed of his own enthusiasm. I have had the pleasure of
+     exporting, this spring, to my friend Miss Sedgwick, (to
+     whose family one of my visiters belongs,) roots and seeds of
+     these wild flowers, of the common violet, the cowslip, and
+     the ivy, another of our indigenous plants which our
+     Transatlantic brethren want, and with which Mr. Theodore
+     Sedgwick was especially delighted. It will be a real
+     distinction to be the introductress of these plants into
+     that _Berkshire_ village of New England, where Miss
+     Sedgwick, surrounded by relatives worthy of her in talent
+     and in character, passes her summers.
+
+It was a small clear lake almost embosomed in trees, across which an
+embankment, formed for the purpose of a decoy for the wildfowl with
+which it abounded, led into a wood which covered the opposite hill; an
+old forest-like wood, where the noble oaks, whose boughs almost dipped
+into the water, were surrounded by their sylvan accompaniments of birch,
+and holly, and hawthorn, where the tall trees met over the straggling
+paths, and waved across the grassy dells and turfy brakes with which it
+was interspersed. One low-browed cottage stood in a little meadow--it
+might almost be called a little orchard--just at the bottom of the
+winding road that led to the Great Pond: the cottage of the widow King.
+
+Independently of its beautiful situation, there was much that was at
+once picturesque and comfortable about the cottage itself, with its
+irregularity of outline, its gable ends and jut-ting-out chimneys,
+its thatched roof and penthouse windows. A little yard, with a small
+building which just held an old donkey-chaise and an old donkey, a still
+older cow, and a few pens for geese and chickens, lay on one side of the
+house; in front, a flower court, surrounded by a mossy paling; a larger
+plot for vegetables behind; and, stretching down to the Great Pond on
+the side opposite the yard, was the greenest of all possible meadows,
+which, as I have before said, two noble walnut and mulberry-trees, and a
+few aged pears and apples, clustered near the dwelling, almost converted
+into that pleasantest appanage of country life, an orchard.
+
+Notwithstanding, however, the exceeding neatness of the flower-court,
+and the little garden filled with choice beds of strawberries, and
+lavender, and old-fashioned flowers, stocks, carnations, roses, pinks;
+and in spite of the cottage itself being not only almost covered with
+climbing shrubs, woodbine, jessamine, clematis, and musk-roses, and in
+one southern nook a magnificent tree-like fuchsia, but the old chimney
+actually garlanded with delicate creepers, the maurandia, and the lotus
+spermus, whose pink and purple bells, peeping out from between their
+elegant foliage, and mingling with the bolder blossoms and darker
+leaves of the passion-flower, give such a wreathy and airy grace to the
+humblest building;* in spite of this luxuriance of natural beauty, and
+of the evident care bestowed upon the cultivation of the beds, and the
+training of the climbing plants, we yet felt, we hardly could tell
+why, but yet we instinctively felt, that the moss-grown thatch, the
+mouldering paling, the hoary apple trees, in a word, the evidences of
+decay visible around the place, were but types of the fading fortunes of
+the inmates.
+
+     * I know nothing so pretty as the manner in which creeping
+     plants interwreath themselves one with another. We have at
+     this moment a wall quite covered with honeysuckles,
+     fuchsias, roses, clematis, passion flowers, myrtles,
+     scobsea, acrima carpis, lotus spermus, and maurandia
+     Barclayana, in which two long sprays of the last-mentioned
+     climbers have jutted out from the wall, and entwined
+     themselves together, like the handle of an antique basket.
+     The rich profusion of leaves, those of the lotus spermus,
+     comparatively rounded and dim, soft in texture and colour,
+     with a darker patch in the middle, like the leaf of the old
+     gum geranium; those of the maurandia, so bright, and
+     shining, and sharply outlined--the stalks equally graceful
+     in their varied green, and the roseate bells of the one
+     contrasting and harmonising so finely with the rich violet
+     flowers of the other, might really form a study for a
+     painter. I never saw anything more graceful in quaint and
+     cunning art than this bit of simple nature. But nature often
+     takes a fancy to outvie her skilful and ambitious
+     handmaiden, and is always certain to succeed in the
+     competition.
+
+And such was really the case. The widow King had known better days. Her
+husband had been the head keeper, her only son head gardener, of
+the lord of the manor; but both were dead; and she, with an orphan
+grandchild, a thoughtful boy of eight or nine years old, now gained a
+scanty subsistence from the produce of their little dairy, their few
+poultry, their honey, (have I not said that a row of bee-hives held
+their station on the sunny side of the garden?). and the fruit and
+flowers which little Tom and the old donkey carried in their season to
+Belford every market-day.
+
+Besides these their accustomed sources of income, Mrs. King and Tom
+neglected no means of earning an honest penny. They stripped the downy
+spikes of the bulrushes to stuff cushions and pillows, and wove the
+rushes themselves into mats. Poor Tom was as handy as a girl; and in the
+long winter evenings he would plait the straw hats in which he went to
+Belford market, and knit the stockings, which, kept rather for show than
+for use, were just assumed to go to church on Sundays, and then laid
+aside for the week. So exact was their economy.
+
+The only extravagance in which Mrs. King indulged herself was keeping
+a pet spaniel, the descendant of a breed for which her husband had been
+famous, and which was so great a favourite, that it ranked next to Tom
+in her affections, and next to his grandmother in Tom's. The first time
+that I ever saw them, this pretty dog had brought her kind mistress into
+no small trouble.
+
+We had been taking a drive through these beautiful lanes, never more
+beautiful than when the richly tinted autumnal foliage contrasts with
+the deep emerald hue of the autumnal herbage, and were admiring the fine
+effect of the majestic oaks, whose lower branches almost touched the
+clear water which reflected so brightly the bright blue sky, when Mrs.
+King, who was well known to my father, advanced to the gate of her
+little court, and modestly requested to speak with him.
+
+The group in front of the cottage door was one which it was impossible
+to contemplate without strong interest. The poor widow, in her neat
+crimped cap, her well-worn mourning gown, her apron and handkerchief
+coarse, indeed, and of cheap material, but delicately clean, her grey
+hair parted on her brow, and her pale intelligent countenance, stood
+leaning against the doorway, holding in one thin trembling hand a letter
+newly opened, and in the other her spectacles, which she had been fain
+to take off, half hoping that they had played her false, and that the
+ill-omened epistle would not be found to contain what had so grieved
+her. Tom, a fine rosy boy, stout and manly for his years, sat on the
+ground with Chloe in his arms, giving vent to a most unmanly fit of
+crying; and Chloe, a dog worthy of Edwin Landseer's pencil, a large and
+beautiful spaniel, of the scarce old English breed, brown and white,
+with shining wavy hair feathering her thighs and legs, and clustering
+into curls towards her tail and forehead, and upon the long glossy
+magnificent ears which gave so much richness to her fine expressive
+countenance, looked at him wistfully, with eyes that expressed the
+fullest sympathy in his affliction, and stooped to lick his hand, and
+nestled her head in his bosom, as if trying, as far as her caresses had
+the power, to soothe and comfort him.
+
+"And so, sir," continued Mrs. King, who had been telling her little
+story to my father, whilst I had been admiring her pet, "this Mr.
+Poulton, the tax-gatherer, because I refused to give him our Chloe, whom
+my boy is so fond of that he shares his meals with her, poor fellow, has
+laid an information against us for keeping a sporting dog--I don't know
+what the proper word is--and has had us surcharged; and the first that
+ever I have heard of it is by this letter, from which I find that I must
+pay I don't know how much money by Saturday next, or else my goods will
+be seized and sold. And I have but just managed to pay my rent, and
+where to get a farthing I can't tell. I dare say he would let us off now
+if I would but give him Chloe; but that I can't find in my heart to do.
+He's a hard man, and a bad dog-master. I've all along been afraid that
+we must part with Chloe, now that she's growing up like, because of our
+living so near the preserves--"
+
+"Oh, grandmother!" interrupted Tom, "poor Chloe!"
+
+"But I can't give her to _him_. Don't cry so, Tom! I'd sooner have my
+little goods sold, and lie upon the boards. I should not mind parting
+with her if she were taken good care of, but I never will give her to
+him."
+
+"Is this the first you have heard of the matter?" inquired my father;
+"you ought to have had notice in time to appeal."
+
+"I never heard a word till to-day."
+
+"Poulton seems to say that he sent a letter, nevertheless, and offers to
+prove the sending, if need be; it's not in our division, not even in our
+county, and I am afraid that in this matter of the surcharge I can
+do nothing," observed my father; "though I have no doubt but it's a
+rascally trick to come by the dog. She's a pretty creature," continued
+be, stooping to pat her, and examining her head and mouth with the air
+of a connoisseur in canine affairs, "a very fine creature! How old is
+she?"
+
+"Not quite a twelvemonth, sir. She was pupped on the sixteenth of last
+October, grandmother's birthday, of all the days in the year," said Tom,
+somewhat comforted by his visiter's evident sympathy.
+
+"The sixteenth of October! Then Mr. Poulton may bid good-bye to his
+surcharge; for unless she was six months old on the fifth of April, she
+cannot be taxed for this year--so his letter is so much waste paper.
+I'll write this very night to the chairman of the commissioners, and
+manage the matter for you. And I'll also write to Master Poulton, and
+let him know that I'll acquaint the board if he gives you any farther
+trouble. You're sure that you can prove the day she was pupped?"
+continued his worship, highly delighted. "Very lucky! You'll have
+nothing to pay for her till next half-year, and then I'm afraid that
+this fellow Poulton will insist upon her being entered as a sporting
+dog, which is fourteen shillings. But that's a future concern. As to
+the surcharge, I'll take care of that. A beautiful creature, is not she,
+Mary? Very lucky that we happened to drive this way." And with kind
+adieus to Tom and his grandmother, who were as grateful as people could
+be, we departed.
+
+About a week after, Tom and Chloe in their turn appeared at our cottage.
+All had gone right in the matter of the surcharge. The commissioners
+had decided in Mrs. King's favour, and Mr. Poulton had been forced to
+succumb. But his grandmother had considered the danger of offending
+their good landlord Sir John, by keeping a sporting dog so near his
+coverts, and also the difficulty of paying the tax; and both she and Tom
+had made up their minds to offer Chloe to my father. He had admired her,
+and everybody said that he was as good a dog-master as Mr. Poulton was a
+bad one; and he came sometimes coursing to Ashley End, and then perhaps
+he would let them both see poor Chloe; "for grandmother," added Tom,
+"though she seemed somehow ashamed to confess as much, was at the bottom
+of her heart pretty nigh as fond of her as he was himself. Indeed, he
+did not know who could help being fond of Chloe, she had so many pretty
+ways." And Tom, making manful battle against the tears that would start
+into his eyes, almost as full of affection as the eyes of Chloe herself,
+and hugging his beautiful pet, who seemed upon her part to have a
+presentiment of the evil that awaited her, sate down as requested in the
+hall, whilst my father considered his proposition.
+
+Upon the whole, it seemed to us kindest to the parties concerned, the
+widow King, Tom, and Chloe, to accept the gift. Sir John was a kind man,
+and a good landlord, but he was also a keen sportsman; and it was
+quite certain that he would have no great taste for a dog of such
+high sporting blood close to his best preserves; the keeper also would
+probably seize hold of such a neighbour as a scapegoat, in case of any
+deficiency in the number of hares and pheasants; and then their great
+enemy, Mr. Poulton, might avail himself of some technical deficiency to
+bring Mrs. King within the clutch of a surcharge. There might not always
+be an oversight in that Shylock's bond, nor a wise judge, young or old,
+to detect it if there were. So that, upon due consideration, my father
+(determined, of course, to make a proper return for the present) agreed
+to consider Chloe as his own property; and Tom, having seen her very
+comfortably installed in clean dry straw in a warm stable, and fed in a
+manner which gave a satisfactory specimen of her future diet, and being
+himself regaled with plum-cake and cherry brandy, (a liquor of which
+he had, he said, heard much talk, and which proved, as my father
+had augured, exceedingly cheering and consolatory in the moment of
+affliction,) departed in much better spirits than could have been
+expected after such a separation. I myself, duly appreciating the
+merits of Chloe, was a little jealous for my own noble Dash, whom she
+resembled, with a slight inferiority of size and colouring; much such
+a resemblance as Viola, I suppose, bore to Sebastian. But upon being
+reminded of the affinity between the two dogs, (for Dash came originally
+from the Ashley End kennel, and was, as nearly as we could make out,
+grand-uncle to Chloe,) and of our singular good fortune, in having two
+such beautiful spaniels under one roof, my objections were entirely
+removed. Under the same roof they did not seem likely to continue. When
+sent after to the stable the next morning, Chloe was missing. Everybody
+declared that the door had not been opened, and Dick, who had her
+in charge, vowed that the key had never been out of his pocket But
+accusations and affirmations were equally useless--the bird was flown.
+Of course she had returned to Ashley End. And upon being sent for to her
+old abode, Tom was found preparing to bring her to Aberleigh; and Mrs.
+King suggested, that, having been accustomed to live with them, she
+would, perhaps, sooner get accustomed to the kitchen fireside than to a
+stable, however comfortable.
+
+The suggestion was followed. A mat was placed by the side of the kitchen
+fire; much pains were taken to coax the shy stranger; (Dick, who loved
+and understood dogs, devoting himself to the task of making himself
+agreeable to this gentle and beautiful creature;) and she seemed so far
+reconciled as to suffer his caresses, to lap a little milk when sure
+that nobody saw her, and even to bridle with instinctive coquetry, when
+Dash, head and tail up, advanced with a sort of stately and conscious
+courtesy to examine into the claims of the newcomer. For the first
+evening all seemed promising; but on the next morning, nobody knew how
+or when, Chloe eloped to her old quarters.
+
+Again she was fetched back; this time to the parlour: and again she ran
+away. Then she was tied up, and she gnawed the string; chained up, and
+she slipped the collar; and we began to think, that unless we could find
+some good home for her at a distance, there was nothing for it but to
+return her altogether to Mrs. King, when a letter from a friend at Bath
+gave a new aspect to Chloe's affairs.
+
+The letter was from a dear friend of mine--a young married lady, with an
+invalid husband, and one lovely little girl, a damsel of some two years
+old, commonly called "Pretty May." They wanted a pet dog to live in
+the parlour, and walk out with mother and daughter--not a cross yelping
+Blenheim spaniel, (those troublesome little creatures spoil every body's
+manners who is so unlucky as to possess them, the first five minutes of
+every morning call being invariably devoted to silencing the lapdog and
+apologising to the visiter,)--not a pigmy Blenheim, but a large, noble
+animal, something, in short, as like as might be to Dash, with whom Mrs.
+Keating had a personal acquaintance, and for whom, in common with most
+of his acquaintances, she entertained a very decided partiality: I do
+not believe that there is a dog in England who has more friends than my
+Dash. A spaniel was wanted at Bath like my Dash: and what spaniel could
+be more like Dash than Chloe? A distant home was wanted for Chloe: and
+what home could open a brighter prospect of canine felicity than to be
+the pet of Mrs. Keating, and the playmate of Pretty May? It seemed
+one of those startling coincidences which amuse one by their singular
+fitness and propriety, and make one believe that there is more in the
+exploded doctrine of sympathies than can be found in our philosophy.
+
+So, upon the matter being explained to her, thought Mrs. King; and
+writing duly to announce the arrival of Chloe, she was deposited, with a
+quantity of soft hay, in a large hamper, and conveyed into Belford by my
+father himself, who would entrust to none other the office of delivering
+her to the coachman, and charging that very civil member of a very civil
+body of men to have especial care of the pretty creature, who was parted
+with for no other fault than an excess of affection and fidelity to her
+first kind protectors.
+
+Nothing could exceed the brilliancy of her reception. Pretty May, the
+sweet smiling child of a sweet smiling mother, had been kept up a full
+hour after her usual time to welcome the stranger, and was so charmed
+with this her first living toy, that it was difficult to get her to
+bed. She divided her own supper with poor Chloe, hungry after her long
+journey; rolled with her upon the Turkey carpet, and at last fell asleep
+with her arms clasped round her new pet's neck, and her bright face,
+coloured like lilies and roses, flung across her body; Chloe enduring
+these caresses with a careful, quiet gentleness, which immediately won
+for her the hearts of the lovely mother, of the fond father, (for to an
+accomplished and right-minded man, in delicate health, what a treasure
+is a little prattling girl, his only one!) of two grandmothers, of three
+or four young aunts, and of the whole tribe of nursery attendants. Never
+was debut so successful, as Chloe's first appearance in Camden Place.
+
+As her new dog had been Pretty May's last thought at night, so was it
+her first on awakening. He shared her breakfast as he had shared her
+supper; and immediately after breakfast, mother and daughter, attended
+by nurserymaid and footman, sallied forth to provide proper luxuries
+for Chloe's accommodation. First they purchased a sheepskin rug; then a
+splendid porcelain trough for water, and a porcelain dish to match, for
+food; then a spaniel basket, duly lined, and stuffed, and curtained--a
+splendid piece of canine upholstery; then a necklace-like collar with
+silver bells, which was left to have the address engraved upon the
+clasp; and then May, finding herself in the vicinity of a hosier and
+a shoemaker, bethought herself of a want which undoubtedly had not
+occurred to any other of her party, and holding up her own pretty little
+foot, demanded "tilk tocks and boo thoose for Tloe."
+
+For two days did Chloe endure the petting and the luxuries. On the third
+she disappeared. Great was the consternation in Camden Place. Pretty
+May cried as she had never been known to cry before; and papa, mamma,
+grandmammas, aunts, nursery and house-maids, fretted and wondered,
+wondered and fretted, and vented their distress in every variety of
+exclamation, from the refined language of the drawing-room to the
+patois of a Somersetshire kitchen. Rewards were offered, and handbills
+dispersed over the town. She was cried, and she was advertised; and at
+last, giving up every hope of her recovery, Mrs. Keating wrote to me.
+
+It happened that we received the letter on one of those soft November
+days, which sometimes intervene between the rough winds of October and
+the crisp frosts of Christmas, and which, although too dirty under foot
+to be quite pleasant for walking, are yet, during the few hours that the
+sun is above the horizon, mild enough for an open carriage in our shady
+lanes, strewed as they are at that period with the yellow leaves of the
+elm, whilst the hedgerows are still rich with the tawny foliage of the
+oak, and the rich colouring of the hawthorn and the bramble. It was such
+weather as the Americans generally enjoy at this season, and call by the
+pretty name of the Indian summer. And we resolved to avail ourselves of
+the fineness of the day to drive to Ashley End, and inform Mrs. King
+and Tom (who we felt ought to know) of the loss of Chloe, and our fear,
+according with Mrs. Keating's, that she had been stolen; adding our
+persuasion, which was also that of Mrs. Keating, that, fall into
+whatever hands she might, she was too beautiful and valuable not to
+ensure good usage.
+
+On the way we were overtaken by the good widow's landlord, returning
+from hunting, in his red coat and top-boots, who was also bound to
+Ashley End. As he rode chatting by the side of the carriage, we could
+not forbear telling him our present errand, and the whole story of poor
+Chloe. How often, without being particularly uncharitable in judging of
+our neighbours, we have the gratification of finding them even better
+than we had supposed! He blamed us for not having thought well enough
+of him to put the whole affair into his management from the first, and
+exclaimed against us for fearing that he would compare the preserves and
+the pheasant-shooting with such an attachment as had subsisted between
+his good old tenant and her faithful dog. "By Jove!" cried he, "I
+would have paid the tax myself rather than they should have been parted.
+But it's too late to talk of that now, for, of course, the dog is
+stolen. Eighty miles is too far even for a spaniel to find its way back!
+Carried by coach, too! I would give twenty pounds willingly to replace
+her with old Dame King and Master Tom. By the way, we must see what can
+be done for that boy--he's a fine spanking fellow. We must consult his
+grandmother. The descendant of two faithful servants has an hereditary
+claim to all that can be done for him. How could _you_ imagine that I
+should be thinking of those coverts? I that am as great a dog-lover as
+Dame King herself! I have a great mind to be very angry with you."
+
+These words, spoken in the good sportsman's earnest, hearty, joyous,
+kindly voice, (_that_ ought to have given an assurance of his kindly
+nature,--I have a religious faith in voices,) these words brought us
+within sight of Ashley End, and there, in front of the cottage, we saw
+a group which fixed our attention at once: Chloe, her own identical
+self--poor, dear Chloe, apparently just arrived, dirty, weary, jaded,
+wet, lying in Tom's arms as he sat on the ground, feeding her with
+the bacon and cabbage, his own and his grandmother's dinner, all the
+contents of the platter; and she, too happy to eat, wagging her tail as
+if she would wag it off; now licking Mrs. King's hands as the good old
+dame leant over her, the tears streaming from her eyes: now kissing
+Tom's honest face, who broke into loud laughter for very joy, and, with
+looks that spoke as plain as ever looks did speak, "Here I am come home
+again to those whom I love best--to those who best love me!" Poor dear
+Chloe! Even we whom she left, sympathised with her fidelity. Poor dear
+Chloe! there we found her, and there, I need not, I hope, say, we left
+her, one of the happiest of living creatures.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Widow's Dog, by Mary Russell Mitford
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WIDOW'S DOG ***
+
+***** This file should be named 22842.txt or 22842.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/2/8/4/22842/
+
+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.
diff --git a/22842.zip b/22842.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..569b603
--- /dev/null
+++ b/22842.zip
diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6312041
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements,
+metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be
+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
+Procedures for determining public domain status are described in
+the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org.
+
+No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in
+jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize
+this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright
+status under the laws that apply to them.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a3c2e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #22842 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22842)