diff options
| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 02:15:02 -0700 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 02:15:02 -0700 |
| commit | a344fd6370739fe36d008931f9a3a798c26895d1 (patch) | |
| tree | 4e532fbeb93be54ffe3f14acf09ab01af9cc57e5 /24937.txt | |
Diffstat (limited to '24937.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 24937.txt | 2024 |
1 files changed, 2024 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/24937.txt b/24937.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a4570d8 --- /dev/null +++ b/24937.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2024 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mike Marble, by Uncle Frank + +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: Mike Marble + His Crotchets and Oddities. + +Author: Uncle Frank + +Release Date: March 29, 2008 [EBook #24937] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MIKE MARBLE *** + + + + +Produced by Jeannie Howse, Chuck Greif and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + + + + + + * * * * * + + +-----------------------------------------------------------+ + | Transcriber's Note: | + | | + | Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. For | + | a complete list, please see the end of this document. | + | | + +-----------------------------------------------------------+ + + * * * * * + + [Illustration: MIKE'S CROTCHETS IN WAR-TIME.] + + + + +UNCLE FRANK'S +BOY'S & GIRL'S +LIBRARY, +BY + +FRANCIS C. WOODWORTH, + +EDITOR OF WOODWORTH'S YOUTH'S CABINET. + +[Illustration] + + + + +MIKE MARBLE: + +HIS CROTCHETS AND ODDITIES. + +With Tinted Illustrations. + +BY + +UNCLE FRANK, + +AUTHOR OF "A PEEP AT OUR NEIGHBORS," "THE PEDDLER'S BOY," +"THE DIVING BELL," "WILLOW LANE STORIES," ETC. + + + + +BOSTON: +PHILLIPS, SAMPSON & COMPANY, +PUBLISHERS. + + + + +Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852, +By PHILLIPS, SAMPSON & CO., +In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for +the District of Massachusetts. + + + +STEREOTYPED BY +BILLIN & BROTHERS, +No. 10 NORTH WILLIAM STREET, N.Y. +WRIGHT & HASTY, +Printers, 3 Water Street, Boston. + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + PAGE + +CHAPTER I. +ABOUT CROTCHETS 7 + +CHAPTER II. +CROTCHETY FOLKS 15 + +CHAPTER III. +LIGHTS AND SHADOWS 27 + +CHAPTER IV. +CHIPS FROM BIRCH WOODS 35 + +CHAPTER V. +A PAIR OF THIEVES 54 + +CHAPTER VI. +PAYING HIM OFF 68 + +CHAPTER VII. +MIKE'S CROTCHETS IN WAR-TIME 92 + +CHAPTER VIII. +THE BUMBLE-BEES' NEST 109 + +CHAPTER IX. +HOW A BARN WAS BUILT 127 + +CHAPTER X. +ANOTHER BLOCK OF MARBLE 134 + +CHAPTER XI. +MIKE MARBLE'S LAST DAYS 150 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS. + + +MIKE'S CROTCHETS IN WAR-TIME (Frontispiece) + +VIGNETTE TITLE-PAGE 1 + +THE BOY IN THE WOODS 48 + +OLD IRONSIDES AND THE CHILDREN 63 + +A CRYING SPELL 77 + +PAYING FOR MISCHIEF 124 + +MIKE MARBLE AND THE BEGGAR 135 + +MIKE MARBLE IN HIS OLD AGE 147 + + + + +MIKE MARBLE. + + +CHAP. I. + +ABOUT CROTCHETS. + + +Don't be frightened, reader, at what you see on the title-page of this +book, or at the head which I have given to my first chapter. Don't let +the idea creep into your head, that I am going to give you a dull and +sleepy essay on music. It is not the _crotchets_ which you find in +the singing-book, that I intend to talk about; I leave them to those +who know more about them than I do. There is a man of my acquaintance, +whom I could hunt up without much trouble, and who, if you should ever +choose to give him a chance, would talk you deaf, and write you blind, +about this sort of crotchets, together with all the members of that +noisy family--breves, semibreves, minims, and what not! I'll refer you +to him, for all the mysteries of the _gamut_. Whenever you want to +learn them, I assure you he would like no better fun than to teach +them to you. I'll not interfere with his trade. + +My business is with another family of crotchets. Webster--Noah +Webster, the man who made the spelling-book, out of which Uncle Frank +learned to say, or rather to drawl his letters--gives, in his large +dictionary, as one of the definitions of the word _crotchet_, this: "a +peculiar turn of mind, a whim, a fancy." Here you have just that kind +of crotchet that I am going to deal with. Mr. Webster could not have +hit my crotchet more exactly, if he had taken aim at it on purpose. +It is a _peculiar turn of mind_, or, if you prefer it, a _whim_, or a +_fancy_, that I shall talk about, for an hour or so, perhaps longer. +Indeed, I am not perfectly sure but I shall find a whole flock of +whims and fancies, because, you know, "birds of a feather flock +together," and, in that case, I shall give you a peep at a score or +two of whims and fancies. + +Now, who knows but these crotchets will be worth hearing about? People +write large, thick volumes, on drier topics than whims and +fancies--that is, to my way of thinking--and I suppose their books +are read. Certainly they expect to have them read, or they would not +make them. Then why may not my book on crotchets find readers? + +If I were to write a book on _warts_ and _corns_, don't you think the +book would get read? I do. I have not the least doubt of it. Suppose, +now, it were published in the newspapers, that _Messrs. Phillips, +Sampson & Company_, one of the largest and most respectable publishing +houses in the Union, are about to issue a volume, entitled _Freaks of +the Wart Family_, from the pen of Uncle Frank, a man who, first and +last, has printed a good deal of sense, together with some nonsense, +and who, in this volume, has succeeded in stringing together some of +the strangest things that ever saw the light. Suppose that some +newspaper should give that item of news, don't you think folks would +get the book, when it was published? and don't you think they would +read it, or, at all events, skim it over, to see what kind of stuff +Uncle Frank had been emptying out of his brain? I think so. + +Well, warts and corns are to the body what whims and crotchets are to +the mind. The body has freaks--the mind has freaks. Warts don't +exactly _belong_ to the body. That is, there could be a very good sort +of a body, without a single wart on it; and indeed, if you please, a +man would be a more perfect man, if there were no warts about him, +from head to foot. So of crotchets. I don't pretend that a person has +any thing to boast of, because his head is full of crotchets. Perhaps +he would be better without them. _Perhaps_ he would. But warts and +crotchets are both found among mankind. Both are freaks of nature, so +to speak; of course, both are worth examining. One thing at a time, +though. Let us turn our attention, at present, to _crotchets_. + + + + +CHAP. II. + +CROTCHETY FOLKS. + + +A crotchety person, according to this same Noah Webster, whom I have +quoted before, is one who has whims or crotchets in the brain. Now a +word about these crotchety folks. + +I'll tell you what it is, my friend. The older I grow, the more I feel +inclined to let every man and woman, every boy and girl, act out +himself, or herself. "That is a singular fellow," we often hear it +said. "He's as odd as Dick's hat-band. I don't know what to think of +him. He seems to be a good sort of a man. But he _is_ odd. His head is +as full of crotchets as it can hold." + +When I hear a person talk in this style, I feel like saying, "Stop a +moment, my dear sir. He's 'a good sort of a man--_but_,' you say. That +shows you are not precisely satisfied with his goodness; and pray, +what is the matter with it? Why don't you like it, sir? What +particular fault have you to find with it? Come, out with it now." + +Press a man, who is talking in this way about a crotchety neighbor, +right up to the point, and you will generally find that the reason he +does not like him is because he has a different way of saying and +doing things from his own. + +Now I believe that some folks are odd because they cannot help it. +True, there are a great many who are odd, just for the sake of being +odd. They are ambitious to be known as singular people. We will let +them pass. They certainly work hard to earn the name they love to be +known by; and perhaps we ought not to try to rob them of it, or to say +any thing very severe about their taste. We will let them pass. + +But there are a multitude of other people who are odd, and whose +oddities cannot be accounted for in the same way. They are odd, +because they were born so. They are odd, because they cannot help +being odd. If they should try, with all their might, to do as most of +their neighbors do, they would make perfect dunces of themselves; for +every body, old or young, makes a dunce of himself, and nothing else, +whenever he undertakes to be what he is not--whenever he undertakes to +be somebody else. He is not very well acquainted with the race he +belongs to, who, as he goes through the world, does not get this truth +hammered into him. + +Why, at this very moment, I can think of at least a dozen odd people, +whom I am in the habit of meeting every day, and who, I verily +believe, could no more help their oddities and crotchets than some of +their neighbors could help having warts come out on their hands. The +crotchets are natural and unavoidable in one case--the warts are +natural and unavoidable in the other. + +These are my notions about crotchety people, in general, and I have +thrown them out, as one throws out feather beds from the garret +windows, when the house is on fire--so that the articles that are to +be thrown afterward may find a good soft spot to alight on, and not +get damaged by their fall. + +The truth is, I am going to introduce to you an old gentleman, who +had a large head, tolerably well filled with crotchets; and as it is +such a common thing for people to raise a hue and cry against every +body who has any oddities about him, I thought I would put you on your +guard a little, by a word of apology for that entire race of people, +who are odd because they cannot be any thing else. + +This old gentleman, who, by the way, was a great friend of the little +folks, is _Mike Marble_. I introduce him to you as an _old_ gentleman. +But, although he was old, when I first saw him, I must not forget +that he was young once--as young as any of my readers--and that he +played his part as a boy, as well as his part as a man. There are a +good many anecdotes afloat about him and his odd way of doing things, +before he grew up to manhood. My grandfather knew him when he was a +lad at school. I believe he and Mike were nearly of the same age. + +That grandfather of mine, now I think of it, was a great story-teller. +I have sometimes nearly half made up my mind, while casting about me, +to find some new mine of stories for my young readers, that I would +put my thinking cap on, and see if I could not recollect a budget of +my grandfather's stories, large enough to fill a book. I am not sure +but I will do so one of these days; and, if I do, I shall print the +budget, depend upon it. + +My grandfather and Mike Marble were as dear to each other as if they +had been brothers. They lived not far apart, and went to school +together. For some of Mike's crotchets I am indebted to this old +friend of his. Others I picked up, here and there, among old people +that knew him, and others still I got from a personal acquaintance +with him in his old age. + +You will excuse me, if I call him _Mike_ sometimes. He was always so +called, when he was a boy, I believe. And while you are excusing me +for calling him _Mike_--you see I take you to be very kind and +obliging--you will please excuse me, also, if I happen to prefix the +title of _Uncle_ to that nickname; for he was known, far and near, as +_Uncle Mike_ in his later days. + +It is true that _Michael_ was his name correctly and honestly spelled +out. But it is equally true that Michael was a name to which he seldom +had to answer. At school, and among his playmates, it was always +_Mike_. I really believe, from what I have heard my grandfather say, +that not half the boys and girls in his neighborhood could have been +convinced, by any common arguments, that his name was Michael. Indeed, +I remember having heard that once, when a schoolmate called the fellow +by the long name, just to see how it would seem, he and the other boy +both burst right out into a perfect roar of laughter over the sound +of it. "For pity's sake," said he, when he got over his laughing fit, +"don't call me by that hard name again, as long as I live;" and, as he +seemed to be quite in earnest, none of the boys ever addressed him by +any other name than _Mike_, after that. + + + + +CHAP. III. + +LIGHTS AND SHADOWS. + + +"But who is _Mike Marble_? where does he live? what sort of a man is +he? what kind of oddities has he got?" + +My little friend, your questions come out so fast, and there is such a +long string of them, that they make me think of the way a whole pack +of fire crackers go off, when you touch a coal to one of them, and +throw the whole into the street. I am going to tell you ever so many +things about this same Mike Marble. Before I get through with him, you +will get very well acquainted with him, I think. But Uncle Frank, you +know, has got some oddities himself. When he has got any thing to do, +he, too, has his own way of doing it. + +Some people, I suppose, if they were treating you to a few chapters in +the history of this singular man, would weave the threads together in +a different manner from mine. They would begin, very likely, by +telling where the chap was born, who were his father and mother, how +many brothers and sisters he had, what their names were, whether he +had any uncles and aunts, and if he had, what kind of uncles and aunts +they were, and all that sort of thing. And they would describe Mike's +appearance exactly--tell you whether he had black eyes or blue, gray +eyes or brown, red eyes or green. But I don't see much use in that. + +Indeed, I am not sure but I shall keep you ignorant as to how he +looked, and let you learn what there is worth learning in his +character--for character is the great thing, after all, you know--by +the stories I shall tell of him. I might, it is true, take every +branch, and leaf, and bud, and flower, of his character, and pick it +all to pieces, and show you, in this way, what he was made of. But you +would get tired of all that. So I'll take another course. I'll tell +you what he said and did--what he said and did at different times, at +different periods in his life, and in different circumstances. Don't +you think this is the best way to make you acquainted with him? I do; +for, if you find out what a person says, and does, and thinks, you +find out what he is. + +One or two things, however, I must say about this Mike Marble, by way +of general introduction. + +He was born at a very interesting period--about nine years before the +breaking out of the American Revolution. He was quite an old man +before he went to his final rest. Indeed, it is but a few years since +I saw his weather-beaten face, all lighted up with smiles. Unlike many +other men, when they get to be old, he never made a practice of +carping at every thing he saw about him, because it was not exactly in +the style of 1776. He believed that there was wisdom among our +grandfathers and grandmothers, but that there is wisdom, also, among +their grand-children. + +I have told you that he had some oddities. I have hinted, too, in a +sort of whisper, that I do not consider a man an absolute Pagan, +because he happens to be a little odd. Something more than this I +could say of Uncle Mike, odd as he was; but I guess you will find out +what I think of him, before I get through. Suffice it to say, that, +while I didn't like him _because_ he was odd, I did like him, _in +spite_ of his oddities. He was a fine old man. As the world goes, he +was a most excellent man. He had his faults, a plenty of them; though +I have sometimes thought + + "That e'en his failings lean'd to virtue's side." + +Some of them did, I know. He had his faults, nevertheless. I confess +that. He always had them, no doubt. Faults are common things among +mankind and womankind. But, with your consent, we will trip lightly +over all that part of our hero's history which is shaded with +blemishes. + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAP. IV. + +CHIPS FROM BIRCH WOODS. + + +One of the worst things I ever heard of in the history of Mike, +according to the best of my recollection, was the way he served Billy +Birch's dog. You must know something about this Billy Birch. _Burt_ +was his real name. But it was changed into Birch by his neighbors, for +a reason which I will give you by and bye. + +Mr. Burt was a pretty good sort of a man, in his own estimation, but +not greatly or generally beloved by his neighbors. He was a +church-going man, and had a knack, somehow or other, of getting along +decently with the forms--the outside garments, so to speak--of +religion. It was really astonishing how glibly he would _talk_ about +religion. But as to the practical part of it, he did not succeed as +well. That was up-hill work for the old man. + +He found it exceedingly difficult to keep himself "unspotted from the +world." Some of his nearest neighbors thought they could count a great +many worldly spots upon him. I don't know how that was, as I never was +acquainted with the man, and ought not to judge him too harshly. +Indeed, Uncle Frank must endeavor to keep in mind, that with what +measure we mete it shall be measured to us again. But from all the +shreds and patches of his history that have come down to the present +day, Mr. Birch does seem to have been a selfish man, and a great deal +too fond of money. + +My young friend, it is one of the most difficult things in this +world, to act up to the spirit of the golden rule of our Lord, and do +to others as we would have them do to us, when we are as full as we +can hold of selfishness. You may lay that thought up in your memory. + +Billy Birch found that truth out. What did he care how many +newly-planted hills of corn and rows of peas his hens might scratch +up, provided the corn was not his corn, and the peas were not his +peas, and provided he did not have to suffer for the scratching? Not a +mill. He would sit, smoking his pipe--for he was a great smoker--in +the old, straight-backed oak chair on the stoop, as cool as a +cucumber, while the biggest rooster on his premises, the lord of the +whole barn-yard, was leading a regiment of hens and petty roosters in +a crusade upon Squire Chapman's corn-field across the way; and if the +Squire or one of his boys came over to inform him what havoc the hens +were making, and to ask him what to do with the troublesome creatures, +the old man would perhaps take his pipe out of his mouth, and, after +slowly puffing out a cloud of smoke, would say, "Why, drive them out, +to be sure!" + +What did he care, if his old mare--who, by the way, was a very nervous +sort of a mare, and could not stay long in one spot--what did he care, +if the old creature did jump over the six-rail fence around the good +parson's field of clover, and eat what she wanted, and trample down, +in her nervous way of doing things, a good share of the rest of the +clover? Why, it didn't hurt _him_ any. The old miser! It wasn't _his_ +field of clover that Katy trampled down. And besides, didn't he pay +his minister's tax? and didn't the minister and his family live in +better style than he and his family could afford to live in? + +Katy loved clover. _He_ wasn't to blame for that, and he didn't know +that Katy was to blame. It was a very natural taste, that of his old +mare. And why didn't the parson, he should like to know, build his +fence higher, if he didn't want his clover eaten up by other people's +horses? + +What was it to Billy Birch, if his dog did kill a neighbor's sheep, +now and then? What did he care, what should he care? If they were his +own sheep, that would alter the case. But Caesar never killed his +master's sheep. Wasn't that kind in Caesar? And as to this sheep-biting +habit of his, why it is the _nature_ of dogs to kill sheep. Caesar +_must_ kill somebody's sheep; and if he hadn't picked out a good fat +one from this flock, it would have been somebody else's flock. What is +the use in making such a fuss about a sheep or two? The loss of one +sheep won't break any body. What can't be cured, must be endured. +People must take care of their sheep, if they don't want them to be +killed. + +That is the way this selfish, narrow-minded farmer reasoned and +talked. You can see, plainly enough, that he was not the sort of man +to be very much respected in the neighborhood. He was not respected. +In fact, there was not, in all the parish, a more generally unpopular +man than Billy Birch. + +The boys, I have heard, bore him a grudge of long standing. It related +to the huckleberries and hazel nuts in the old man's birch woods. +There were bushels of huckleberries, and almost as many hazel nuts, in +those woods. But would you have thought of such a thing? Mr. Birch +forbade the boys picking any of his huckleberries or hazel nuts. Ever +so many huckleberries decayed on the bushes every year, or were left +to be harvested by the birds, because Mr. Birch's family could not +pick them all themselves, and he was so tight that he would not let +any body else pick them. He was like the dog in the manger, you see. +He could not eat the hay himself, and he would not let any body else +eat it. + +But the meanest thing that I ever heard of his doing, was this: In +these same woods--the woods where the huckleberries and hazel nuts +grew--there were great multitudes of birch trees, of different species +and among the rest, some of that species which goes by the name, among +children, of _black birch_. I need not tell any of my country readers +about this kind of birch. They know it well enough. They have eaten +birch bark, many a time; and, for ought I know, some of them have +felt a tingling sensation in the region of the back and legs, brought +about by the use of birch twigs in the hands of some schoolmaster. + +Well, Moses Ramble was crossing Billy Birch's woods one day in the +spring of the year. For awhile, he whistled along, as merry-hearted as +the blue birds that had just returned from their southern tour, and +who were chirping on the branches over his head, breaking off, now and +then, a few sprigs of birch, from the trees along his path. By and +bye, he sat down on the fence, to rest himself, still going on with +his whistling, at intervals, when his mouth was not too much occupied +with the birch to interfere with the music. + + [Illustration: THE BOY IN THE WOODS.] + +While the merry young fellow was sitting here, feeling at peace with +all the world, and not dreaming but all the world was at peace with +him, he heard a slight rustling behind him, and, looking over his +shoulder, whom should he see but Billy Birch himself, leaning against +a chestnut tree, and looking as if he were angry enough to bite in two +a hoe handle. + +What on earth the man was doing there, history does not inform us, +though it used to be more than hinted among the younger citizens in +that neighborhood, that he was prowling about in those woods as a spy +on the movements of the boys. They said he was just the man for such +business. + +Moses did not like the appearance of the face that was lowering on +him; and, although he was innocent of the slightest intention of doing +any harm on the man's premises, he thought it would be safer for him +to walk off than it would be to stay there. So he leaped from the +fence, and began, leisurely, to walk home. + +"Stop, you young heathen!" said Billy Birch. + +The little fellow did stop, and stood as still as the old chestnut +tree, against which the lord of those woods was leaning. + +"What are you _munching_ there, sir?" + +Moses, having no suspicion at all that he had been doing any harm to +the estate of the old man, replied, frankly and plainly, that he was +eating birch. + +"Aha!" said the farmer, "you are, eh? I'll teach you to eat my birch. +I'll give you as much birch as you will want for a fortnight!" + +And he took the twig which Moses was gnawing out of his hands, and +whipped him with it, until he made the poor fellow cry out with pain +and mortification. + +"There, you thief!" he said, after flogging him to his heart's +content, "that will teach you to steal my birch, I guess." + +From that day the selfish farmer began to be called _Birch_, in that +section of the country; and it was not many months before his name was +almost as effectually changed as if he had applied to the legislature +of the state to have that body change it for him. + + + + +CHAP. V. + +A PAIR OF THIEVES. + + +About that dog of Billy Birch. Have I not promised to tell you +something about him, and the accident that happened to him, which +accident Mike Marble might have prevented, if he had made the attempt? +I have a good mind to tell you about these matters, at any rate, +whether I have made such a promise or not. + +Mind now, reader, that, in telling this story, I don't mean to have it +understood that I think Mike did right. I'll grant that he did wrong. +But I mention the fact to show what sort of mischief Mike was up to, +and what sort of blemishes those were, which I confess he had in his +character; for, as I think I said before, this trick was about as bad +a thing as I ever heard of his being guilty of. + +Caesar got to be a great hero in the sheep-killing business--a perfect +Nimrod of a dog. It sometimes happens, I fancy, that soldiers who +spend more of their time in war, actually shooting people and cutting +their throats, after a while, get to liking the trade, and take +pleasure in slaughtering human beings, just as a carpenter or a +printer might take pleasure in _his_ trade. Well, it got to be +somewhat so with Caesar, it would seem; for it often came to pass that +two or three sheep would be killed in one night, when, of course, a +single fat one would supply his appetite bountifully for several days, +at least. He must have liked the business, or he would have contented +himself with killing only a sufficient number of sheep to keep him in +food. + +The neighbors who suffered from Caesar's favorite amusement, +complained, now and then, to his master. But it did no good. "They +must keep their sheep out of the way," the selfish man would say. +"Caesar is a capital family dog. I don't know what I should do without +him--he is so faithful." That was as much satisfaction as they could +ever get. Billy Birch would not shut up his dog at night, and as for +killing him, that was out of the question. He would rather lose his +best horse than Caesar. True, the neighbors might have sued the owner +of the dog, and have got the value of their lost sheep in that way. +But they were generally peaceable folks, and had a great dread of +going to law, especially with one of their own neighbors. The result +was, that Caesar's business prospered more and more every day. + +It was in the full tide of his success as a sheep-killer, that he +came, one day, into Mr. Marble's door yard, and took his station near +the wood pile. Mike saw him, and knew well enough what he came for. +His father had just been slaughtering an ox, and some of the dainty +pieces of the animal were lying on the wood pile, the scent of which +had brought Caesar to the spot. No doubt, having feasted on mutton so +long, he had got a little sick of it, and thought he would make a +dinner on beef. He was a dainty fellow, you perceive. + +I don't know what put it into Mike's head to play the trick he did on +Caesar. But he had no sooner seen him smelling around among the refuse +pieces of the ox's carcass, than he determined to punish him, if +possible, for his notorious crimes. So, without saying a word to any +body, he gathered up all the choice bits which had tempted the dog to +the yard, and placed them within a few feet of the heels of Mr. +Marble's old chaise horse, who was standing there, hitched to a gate +post, waiting patiently for somebody to come and harness him. + +Now this horse, who was called _Old Ironsides_, was as famous for his +kicking habits as Caesar was for his sheep-killing. He seemed to take +up kicking as a sort of amusement, to while away his leisure hours. +It was a wonder that Mr. Marble kept him; for he had kicked the old +chaise to pieces several times; and as to his stable, he made nothing +of kicking off all the boards within reach of his heels, every few +nights, just for the fun of the thing, and to show what mighty deeds +he could do with his heels. + +It is no more than an act of simple justice to Old Ironsides, however, +to say, that he was as gentle as a lamb to the children of his master. +They could do any thing with him. Often, when he was standing at the +door, or in his stable, they would go close to him, and pat him on his +neck, and play with him, as if he were one of their own number; and +the old fellow would take all their fun good-humoredly. Among all his +sins in the kicking line--and he had a great many, first and last, to +answer for--he never kicked either of the children. They all loved +him, in fact; and many is the dainty morsel he received from their +hands. + +Well, to go on with the story of Mike's piece of mischief. The dog, +as he had expected, trotted along after the pieces of meat, and +commenced eating, without any suspicions of harm, right under the +_battery_ of the old horse. There he remained for some moments, as +Mike says, taking as much comfort eating his dinner, as if he were +dining on one of his father's sheep. + + [Illustration: OLD IRONSIDES AND THE CHILDREN.] + +Old Ironsides took no notice of the dog. Indeed, he rather appeared +half asleep. He often shut his eyes, by the way, as he was standing at +a post, and dosed, and nodded, much after the fashion of some men, +when they set out to listen to a sermon on Sunday. All the time, +however, Mike had a crotchet in his head. + +"Halloo, old fellow!" he shouted, "what are you about there?" + +In an instant Old Ironsides was wide awake, and, seeing at a glance +what was going on behind, he pricked up his ears, uttered one brief +snort, and away went his heels like lightning. Poor Caesar! When he +touched this planet again--for Old Ironsides had sent him up towards +the moon, much farther than I should want to go, in that style--he was +a lost dog. Old Ironsides, who proved to be as great a hero, in his +way, as Caesar was, had killed him. The great enemy of sheepdom had +ceased to breathe. + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAP. VI + +"PAYING HIM OFF;" + +OR, AN ODD WAY OF SHOWING REVENGE. + + +Jacob Grumley, who was sometimes nicknamed _Grumble_, on account of a +habit he had of finding fault with every thing and every body, went to +the same school with Mike Marble. Now Mike was as remarkable for his +cheerful and amiable disposition, as Jacob was for his ill nature. In +half of the cases where the latter would get angry, and storm, and +rage, and fret, and foam, like a hyena, or a Bengal tiger, the other +would remain as cool as a cucumber, or, perhaps, burst out into a +hearty laugh. + +One day, when several of the schoolboys, including Michael and Jacob, +were playing ball on the fine lawn in front of the school house, a +dispute occurred between the young grumbler and another boy, and Mike +ventured to suggest to Jacob, as kindly as he could, that he was in +the wrong. + +"You little meddlesome dunce!" said Jacob, all in a blaze of anger, +"I'll teach you to mind your own business, and let other people's +quarrels alone." And, suiting his action to his words, he struck Mike +in the face so hard that the blood ran from his nose in a stream. + +Well, what do you think Mike did, then? I know what some boys would +have done, if they had been in his place. They would have struck +Jacob, at any cost. That is the way they would have taken their +revenge. That is the way, indeed, that Mike's school-fellows advised +him to take his revenge. Half a dozen of them, at least, surrounded +him, and urged him to flog Jacob. + +"I'd pay him off for it," said one. + +"The rascal!" said another. "I'd make him smart for it." + +"And we'll all stand by you," said one, "if you'll flog him." + +"Mike wasn't a bit to blame, either," added another. "If I were in his +place, if I wouldn't make Jake see stars, then--" + +The remainder of the speech was lost to every body but the speaker, as +all the boys, by this time, were talking at once. It is a wonder to +me that they did not take the matter altogether into their own hands, +and give Jake the flogging which they thought he so richly deserved; +for Michael was a great favorite among them, and they could not bear +to see him abused. But I believe they contented themselves with +letting off ever so many vials of wrath, in the shape of words; and +Jake Grumble, finding how matters stood, walked sulkily away. + +"Now, Mike, what are you going to do?" asked one of the boys. + +"Do about what?" asked the injured boy. + +"About the bloody nose that Jake gave you," was the reply. + +"I'm going to see if I can't stop its bleeding," said Mike. + +"No, I don't mean that," said the other. "I mean what are you going to +do to Jake?" + +"Oh," said Mike, "I guess I'll pay him off, one of these days." + +"And why not now?" the boy asked. + +"I've got as much on my hands as I can attend to, just now," said +Mike. + +How do you suppose Jake felt, that day, after his cruel treatment of +one of his playmates? What do you suppose were his feelings, when he +found out what all the boys thought of his conduct; and when he had +time to reflect upon the folly and wickedness of what he had done? +Perhaps you can guess pretty well how he felt. Possibly you have +yourself wronged some one of your playmates, and recollect how you +felt about it, when you had a chance to get away somewhere, alone, to +think over your conduct. If so, you can give a pretty rational guess +as to the kind of feelings that were at work in Jake's bosom, on his +way home from school that day. + +He did not go home in company with the rest of the boys and girls who +went in the same direction. He was in the habit of doing so. But he +felt so much ashamed on account of what he had done, that he could not +bear to see the faces of any of the children. + +Instead of taking the public road that led directly to his father's +house, he went through the gate that led into Deacon Stark's pasture, +and followed the cart-path through the woods. It was a great deal +farther that way. But he went through the woods so as to get clear of +his playmates. One of the deacon's hired men saw the boy, leaning +against the fence, just at the edge of the woods. Poor fellow! he was +crying, as if his heart would break. So the man said. Jake got the +worst of it, in that affair. Don't you think he did? + +But I have not got through with the story yet, and I must go on with +it. + + [Illustration: A CRYING SPELL.] + +Time passed on--days, weeks, and even months, came and went--but +Mike did not "pay off" the boy who had so unjustly abused him. His +companions urged him to do it, until they got out of patience, and +concluded to give the matter up. + +As for Jake, it was as much as he could do to look Mike in the face. +He avoided him, as much as possible, and seemed to be unhappy whenever +he came near him. But Mike, on his part, treated the boy who had +injured him just as if nothing had happened. + +I have often noticed, that where there has been any difficulty +between two persons, the one who was at fault is more apt to cherish +unkind feelings than the one who was innocent. It was so in this case. +Jacob treated Michael as if it were Michael rather than himself, who +had been in the wrong. He never spoke to him, when he could help it; +and when he did say any thing to him, he spoke peevishly, and pressed +the words between his teeth, as if he had the lockjaw. + +One day, during that interesting season of the year when the farmers +are busy making hay, Jake had occasion to pass through Mr. Marble's +meadow, with his fishing rod, on his way to the "deep hole," where, as +every body in the neighborhood knew, multitudes of sun fish and perch +were always to be found, ready for a nice bit of an angle-worm. + +Jake, being a little thirsty--for it was a very warm day--went up to +the tree under which Mr. Marble kept the refreshments for his hired +men, and took up the wooden bottle to drink. There was nothing wrong, +perhaps, in the liberty he took, though I think it would have been +quite as well, if he had asked Mr. Marble's consent in the first +place. But we will let that pass. Jake had a different way of doing +things. + +As I said, he took up the bottle to drink. But the moment he did so, +Ranter, Mr. Marble's old dog, who lay under the tree, where he had +been stationed to keep watch, thinking his master's property was in +danger, flew at the boy, and caught him by the arm. Poor Jake! he +yelled lustily, you may be sure. But it did no good. Ranter held him +in his jaws, as tight as if he were a woodchuck or a rabbit, instead +of a school-boy. + +Mike was spreading hay, at the time, some twenty yards off, or more +and hearing the boy crying for help, and looking in the direction from +which the voice came, he saw Jake fast in the clutches of the dog. In +an instant he shouted, as loud as he could scream, "Here, Ranter! +here, Ranter!" and in another instant, Ranter let go of the poor boy, +and bounded away towards his young master. + +Jake, as you may suppose, and as Mike found, when he went to him, was +very badly bitten. The blood ran from his arm quite as freely as it +did from Mike's nose, some time before that. + +"Did Ranter hurt you much?" asked Mike, kindly. + +"Very badly, I'm afraid," said Jake, almost frantic with pain and +fright. + +Mike said he was sorry, and expressed his wonder that Ranter could be +so cruel. Then he ran and called his father, who was busy in another +part of the meadow, when the accident happened, and who did not hear +Jake's call for help. Mr. Marble had the boy taken to his house, +where his wound was nicely dressed, and where the utmost care was +taken of him by the whole family, among whom Mike was the foremost. It +was two or three days before it was thought prudent to remove the +sufferer to his father's house; and during that time there was no one, +not even Jacob's own mother, who was more kind and attentive to him +than Mike Marble. + +The time came when the wounded boy was able to go home. An hour or two +before the wagon was to come for him, he was sitting in an easy +chair, with the wounded arm lying on a pillow, and Mike, as usual, was +at his side. There happened to be no one else in the chamber besides +the two boys. + +"Mike," said the other, "I want to say something to you." + +"What is it?" asked Mike. + +"I don't know how to say it," was the answer. + +And there was a pause. Jacob had undertaken a task which was entirely +new to him, and he did not know how to begin it. At length he tried +again: + +"Mike," said he, "I struck you once--it was a good while ago--do you +remember it?" + +"Yes," Mike said. + +"Well, I am sorry I struck you," said Jacob, and burst into tears. + +"I knew you were sorry," said Mike, "and I have forgiven you, long +ago." + +"_Do_ you forgive me?" asked Jacob, earnestly. + +"I do, from my heart," said Mike. + +Then followed another flood of tears. This time it was a good while +before Jacob could speak, so as to be understood, and when he did +speak, it was only to say, + +"Oh, Mike, you are _so_ kind! You seem like a brother to me." + +Jacob's father came into the room just at this moment, and nothing +more was said by either of the boys on the subject which so deeply +affected Jacob. But Mike saw, plainly enough, that the heart of the +boy who had injured him was melted, and he was satisfied. + +How warmly Jacob pressed Mike's hand, when he bade him "good bye," and +started for home. + +Not long after that, Mike met one of the boys who had urged him so +strongly to return the blow that Jacob gave him. + +"Well," said Mike, "I've done it." + +"Done what?" asked the other boy. + +"Paid him off," said Mike. + +"What, Jake Grumble?" + +"Yes." + +"Good. Tell me all about it." + +And Mike did tell him all about it. + +"Well, I do say for it, Mike," said the other boy, after listening to +the whole story, "you are just the queerest fellow that I ever saw or +heard of." + +"But don't you think that was about the best way to pay him off, +after all?" asked Mike. + +"Well," said the other boy, after a moment's pause, "I declare I don't +know but it was, when I come to think of it." + +And don't _you_ think it was the best way to pay him off, reader? I +do, and I should be glad if every body would learn to pay such debts +in very much the same way. It may be a very queer mode of taking +revenge. But it seems to me quite a sensible one; and I am sure it is +a thousand times better than the mode that people so often choose. If +I am not greatly mistaken, indeed, it is just the mode that is +recommended in the word of God, which says, "If thine enemy hunger, +feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink; for, in so doing, thou +shalt heap coals of fire on his head." + + + + +CHAP. VII. + +MIKE'S CROTCHETS IN WAR-TIME. + + +You have heard a great deal about the Revolutionary War. You have +heard what hardships our forefathers went through, while they were +fighting the battles of liberty. But I doubt if you can form, in your +own mind, any thing like a true picture of what those brave men +suffered. Why, many of them had to go barefoot, for whole weeks at a +time, right in the heart of winter. They could hardly get food to eat; +and many and many a time, if it had not been for the thought that they +were engaged in a good cause, and that God was on their side, they +must have been discouraged, and given up all as lost. But they did not +give up. They stood firm at their post, until they either fell before +their enemies, or perished by fatigue and exposure. + +When the tidings came to the neighborhood where Mike Marble lived, +that Washington's noble band were suffering every thing but death at +Valley Forge, every man and woman, that could boast of any thing in +the shape of a heart, were moved with pity. And they were not the +people to let their kind feelings go off in fog and smoke. They were +not blustering people. They believed in _acting_, as well as in +_talking_. When they had heard the sad news, the next question was, +"Can we _do_ any thing?" That question was soon answered. The next +was, "_What_ can we do?" Well, it was pretty soon found out that all +could do something--that some could do one thing, and some another; +but that every family in the parish could do something. + +So they went to work. The mothers and daughters went to knitting +stockings, and making under garments for the soldiers. Every chest of +drawers, and wardrobe, and closet in the house was ransacked, to find +bed-quilts and blankets for the army. And the fathers and sons, they +went to work, with a right good will, to get shoes, and hats, and +coats, and other articles of wearing apparel, so as to have them ready +at the time the agent from the commander-in-chief should pass through +the place. + +The younger branches of the families in that neighborhood, too, caught +the spirit of their fathers and mothers. I must tell you a story about +the agency of the little folks in furnishing supplies for the army. + +Mike Marble asked his father, one day, if he might call a meeting of +the boys and girls at his house, to talk over war matters. The old man +laughed, and said he might, if he chose. "But what do you children +expect to do for the army, Mike?" he added. "What can you do, I +should like to know?" + +"I don't know, father," was the reply, "but I guess we can all do +something; I'm pretty sure I can, for one." + +Well, the meeting was called. The schoolmaster gave out notice, one +afternoon, that all the boys and girls were invited to Mr. Marcus +Marble's house, the next Wednesday, at "early candlelight," and, to +quote the precise language of Mike's invitation--for he had it all +written out, and the schoolmaster read it word for word--that business +of importance would be brought before the meeting, which would be +made known at that time. + +When the hour of "early candlelight" arrived, and, indeed, before the +hour of late daylight had closed, there was a crowd of boys and girls +assembled in Mr. Marble's kitchen, to talk over matters and things +about the war. They appointed a chairman, (if chairman he could be +called, who had numbered less than a dozen summers,) the object of the +meeting was stated, and they went as orderly to work in their +deliberations, as if they had been playing statesmen for half a +century. Only one grown person--Mr. Marble--was admitted into the +kitchen, and he was there only as a listener. He did not take any part +in the proceedings. + +My grandfather was the chairman of the evening, and the principal +orator was Mike Marble. His speech at the time was not reported, nor +have I any notes of it at hand. But my grandfather used to say it was +one of the most eloquent addresses he ever heard in his life. I can +easily believe it. One half of what is necessary in an orator is _to +feel_ what he says. If he feels, it is not so much, matter in what +shape the words come from his mouth. I am a firm believer in a good +style. People who speak in public ought to use chaste and elegant +language. But a good style, and ever so good a delivery, are worth but +little, unless the speaker has a soul, and unless he can make his +hearers feel because he feels. + +Mike was in earnest. It looked a little like boy's play, to be sure, +to see that group of children there, talking about great principles. +But it was something more than play. Mike was in earnest, and his +words, as he was describing the sufferings of the army at Valley +Forge, came warm and flowing from his heart. If the character of a +speech can be judged of from the effect it has, certainly the one from +Mike Marble deserves a high rank; for he carried all the boys and +girls along with him. Other speeches were made; but Mike was the +Webster of the evening. + +Well, what do you think that little band of patriots resolved to do? I +doubt whether you can guess. The first thing they did was to find out +how much cash each one had laid aside, to be used for spending money +on such occasions as Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and Training day. + +"For my part," said Mike, "I would rather never spend another cent for +sugar plums in my life, than to have the soldiers go barefoot on the +snow. I tell you what it is, fellow-countrymen--(Mr. Marble was +observed by the chairman to bite his lips, to keep in a good round +laugh, when those words, _fellow-countrymen_, came out)--I tell you +what it is, the things that are wanted now are boots, and shoes, and +stockings, and jackets--and not gingerbread, and sugar plums, and +spruce beer, and gimcracks of that kind." + +When the little patriots came to count up their money, they found it +amounted to more than ten dollars. And it was none of your paltry +continental stuff. It was all made up of good hard silver and copper. + +The next thing they did was to appoint a treasurer, to take charge of +the money, and to see that it was paid over to Washington's agent, who +was to be instructed to pay it all out in shoes. And that was not all +these young statesmen did. They resolved that they would give to the +army every cent of all the spending money they might get, as long as +the war lasted. Didn't they do their work pretty well, my little lad? +I think they did. They did what they could. La Fayette and Washington +did no more. You will smile when I tell you one thing which was +proposed that evening. One of the boys thought it would be a good plan +to turn over to the poor soldiers all the stockings and shoes +belonging to the assembly. He thought they could get along better +walking on the snow with their bare feet, than the troops could. But +some one, with a little more forethought than this generous-hearted +speaker, suggested that the soldiers at Valley Forge would find it +difficult to get on such stockings and shoes as the Blue Hill boys had +to bestow. So that scheme failed. But it shows what stuff those lads +were made of. It shows what kind, generous, noble, self-denying hearts +beat in their bosoms. + +I declare to you I am more than ever proud of my native land, when I +think what our ancestors did, in old times, to obtain our freedom for +us. God grant that we may know how to value our blessings, that we may +ever be thankful for them, and that we may not abuse the liberty that +has been given to us. I do not want my young readers to grow up, with +their hearts full of the spirit of war. I love peace more than war. +War I know to be a terrible thing. Seldom, very seldom would I go to +war--never, unless for some great principle, such as that for which +our forefathers contended. No, I do not wish to have you get your +heads and hearts full of the war spirit. But I do want you to be +patriots. I want you to love your country; to be willing to make +sacrifices for it; to look upon it as the brightest and dearest spot +on earth. Our liberty cost a great deal--a great deal of money, of +hardship, of suffering, and, what is more valuable than all, a great +deal of blood. It cost too much to be lightly valued--too much to be +trifled with. Take care that you never get into the habit which some, +who are much older than you, have fallen into, of looking upon the +union of these states as a matter, after all has been said and done, +of not much consequence. I tell you the bonds which bind us together +is a sacred one; and, next to the tie which binds us together in +families, ought to be, to you and to me, the dearest tie on earth. + + + + +CHAP. VIII. + +THE BUMBLE-BEES' NEST. + + +All the boys and girls who live in the country, and probably a large +share of those who live in the city, know the bumble-bee. We had a +little different name for him in our neighborhood. _Bumble-bee_ was, +however, the only name the family was known by, in Willow Lane, and I +think it quite possible that such a corruption, (if it is a +corruption, and the wise ones tell us it is, though I should like to +see them beat the notion into the head of any one of the hundred +children who went to our school,) is very common in New England. + +The nests of these insects, you may not be aware, are made in the +ground. These nests are frequently found in meadows, about the time +the grass is mowed; and it not unfrequently happens that the mower +disturbs one of these nests with his scythe, in which case, the first +information the poor man obtains of the existence of the nest is from +a score or two of the bumble-bees themselves--(we'll call them +_bumble-bees_, for the sake of peace, though I must confess I feel a +great partiality for the name by which I knew the rogues when I used +to be familiar with their nests)--the bumble-bees themselves, who fly +into his face, before he has time to retreat, and sting him until they +get tired of the sport. + +In these nests, there is usually more or less honey. Sometimes there +is half a pint, or more. This honey is very palatable; and it is not +an uncommon thing for children to brave the danger of being stung by +the bees, for the sake of capturing a nest and getting possession of +its treasures. For myself, I never was ambitious of getting renown by +such means as besieging a bumble-bee's nest. + +I'll tell you what I did perform, though, once on a time, which was +closely connected with the race of insects I am speaking of. It is a +common tradition among country boys, that white-faced bumble-bees +never sting, and that you can take them in your hands with perfect +safety. This tradition may have truth at the bottom of it, or it may +not. I cannot tell, and I shall not stop to debate the question now. +It is certain that there is an insect, very much resembling the +bumble-bee, and of about the same size, who, nevertheless, is a very +different fellow. This is the chap that bores holes into dry wood, as +nicely as you can bore with a gimlet, on which account he is sometimes +called the borer. This insect does not sting. No thanks to him, +though, for not stinging. He has no instrument to sting with. For +aught I know, he may have ever so good a _will_ to sting; but he has +no _power_ to do so, any more than a grasshopper or a butterfly. + +Well, I wanted to show some of the boys, one day, how smart I was. I +had an idea that I could teach them something, and at the same time +get the credit for a little bit of bravery. + +"Do you see that saucy chap there," I asked, "on that clover blossom?" + +"Yes," said one of the boys, "it is a bumble-bee." This time I must be +permitted to say the spelling of the word, because the boys in +pronouncing it, give the sound of the _b_, and I, as a historian, +must report their conversation faithfully. + +"Well." I said, "what will you give me, if I'll take this fellow in my +hand." + +It was intimated that nothing could be expected from the boys, but +that the bumble-bee would be likely to give me something which I would +remember, until "the cows came home." I don't know what period in the +future that intended to point to, but I know that was a common +expression among us all--one which we used, I suppose, without +stopping to think what it meant, or how it got into use. + +"I dare do it," I said. I was as bold as a lion. + +"You had better not," said the boys. + +I did it, though. I caught the bumble-bee, and held him fast in my +hand. But if ever a poor fellow got handsomely and foolishly stung, I +was that unfortunate youth; and the worst of it was, that while I was +dancing about, and wringing my hand, and crying, on account of the +pain, my companions were doing quite another thing: they were holding +a laughing concert, at my expense. + +It is hardly necessary to add, that my white-faced bumble-bee turned +out to be an enemy in disguise. After that event, I made a closer +examination of the faces of this class of insects, and became +satisfied that there was one tribe of bumble-bees who wore a face of a +pale yellow color, resembling somewhat the genuine borer, but who, for +all that, could sting as well as any of their race with black faces. + +This feat was as near as I ever got toward the glory of capturing a +nest of bumble-bees. I have tasted the honey which came from their +nests, though, many a time, and I have seen other boys capture the +nests. + +Billy Bolton was a great fellow at that kind of sport. Billy lived +with Uncle Mike. He did _chores_--to use a word common enough in New +England, though, possibly, not an elegant one--on Mr. Marble's farm; +that is, he went for the cows and drove them to pasture, fed the pigs +and poultry, brought water and chips for the "women folks," and ran of +errands. + +It was a favorite sport with Billy, in the summer time, to hunt for +bumble-bees' nests, and to "take them up," as the process of capturing +them was called. Uncle Mike did not like to indulge the boy in this +kind of sport. Perhaps he thought it a cruel and unfeeling kind of +fun; and I know he had too kind a heart, to see a boy growing up in +his family with a taste for cruelty to animals of any kind. At any +rate, the danger connected with the sport was enough to condemn it in +the mind of Mr. Marble. + +He had forbidden Billy and his own children having any thing to do +with the sport. Still, it seemed Billy found means to amuse himself, +now and then, in a sly way, by taking up a bumble-bees' nest. + +One day, Mr. Marble and his men were engaged in the meadow, raking hay +and carting it into the barn. Billy was in the meadow, too, at work +among the hay, raking after the cart, I presume, as that used to be +the task always allotted to me when I was of his age. In a corner of +the lot, at some distance from the place where Mr. Marble and his men +were at work, there was a large bottle containing water--nothing but +water, reader; there was no rum drank on Mr. Marble's farm. Billy was +sent after the bottle. He was gone a good while--longer, Mr. Marble +thought, than was necessary. The matter was examined, when it turned +out that Billy had got into trouble with a nest of bumble-bees. He had +discovered a nest of these wretches, it appears; and, the temptation +to wage war against them being very strong, he had stopped a moment, +just to take up the nest. + +Poor fellow! It proved to be a _taking in_, instead of a _taking up_, +and the taking in was on the other side. When he saw that the +bumble-bees had outwitted him, he snatched up the bottle, which he had +thrown down, and which was lying near, and ran, as fast as his legs +would let him, towards the place where the men were at work. But the +bees flew faster than he could run. It was a comic scene enough to see +the fellow running at the top of his speed, and some fifty bumble-bees +after him, once in a while giving expression to their feelings, by +saluting him, in their peculiar way, in the face and on the neck. +Didn't the poor fellow scream? + + [Illustration: PAYING FOR MISCHIEF.] + +But this was not the whole of the joke. Indeed, it was hardly the +richest part of it. Mr. Marble, who saw what was going on, stood ready +with his cart whip; and when Billy made his appearance, with a +regiment of bumble-bees about his ears, he commenced beating him with +the whip. Away ran the boy, and Mr. Marble chased him some half a +dozen rods, and gave him about as many blows with the cart whip. + +"There, you young rogue!" said Mr. Marble, as he turned to go back to +his work again, "between me and the bumble-bees, I guess you have +learned one good lesson thoroughly this afternoon. You will be a wiser +boy, I think, after this. You will be a _smarter_ one, I'm sure; at +least, for a while." + + + + +CHAP. IX. + +HOW A BARN WAS BUILT. + + +Mike Marble, as I think I have said before, was a kind-hearted man. +But he had his own way of doing every thing, and that way was very +generally quite unlike most other people's way. No man ever liked +better to do any body a good turn. But he had his crotchets about an +act of charity, as well as about every thing else. + +A neighbor went to him once, to ask him for some money to aid him in +building a barn. The old one had burned down, and it was a great loss +to him, he said. He hardly knew how he should get along, unless his +neighbor loaned him a little money. + +But Uncle Mike refused the neighbor's petition. "Money was scarce, +very scarce." That was all the answer the unfortunate man could get +from Mike Marble. + +"This is strange enough," he mused in his own mind, as he walked away +from Mr. Marble's door. "Strange enough! so kind-hearted and generous +as he always has been, when any body was in distress." + +The next day, however, bright and early, Uncle Mike yoked up his oxen, +(some three pairs, I believe, including the _steers_, which needed +something more than _moral suasion_ to keep them straight,) fastened +them to the cart, and posted off, with two or three men, to the saw +mill. There he and his men loaded the cart with boards and planks. +Then he drove straight to the house of the unfortunate neighbor, +opened the great gate, without saying a word to any member of the +family, went into the door yard with his load, and threw it off within +a few yards of the spot where the old barn stood. + +"What on earth does all that mean?" thought the female portion of the +family. The farmer and his boys were not at home at the time. Nothing +was said, however. + +Again Uncle Mike drove over to the mill; again he put on a load of +timber; again he threw it off near the site of the old barn. Three +loads were discharged there, and then he directed his men to go home +with the team. He himself went to one of his neighbors, and asked him +if he had any timber of any kind already sawed at Squire Murdock's +mill. + +"Yes," was the answer, "a little; why?" + +"Well, I want some of it, if it's the right kind. What is it?" + +"I don't recollect exactly--some white oak joists, I guess, and some +inch boards." + +"Good. Just what I want." + +Suffice it to say, that Mike Marble did not leave his neighbor before +he got a promise from him that he would contribute a load or two of +his timber to rebuild that barn. Then he went to another neighbor, and +another, and did something like the same errand, with very much the +same sort of success. He called on a _boss_ carpenter, too, and +secured his services in framing the barn; and, on his way home, he +stopped at Slocum's blacksmith's shop, and got the promise of some +nails. + +Well, it was not long before the neighbors were all called together to +raise Deacon Metcalf's barn, and it was not long after that before +the building was ready for use. And how much do you think it cost him? +Not a cent--not a single cent, the neighbors managed the thing so +well. Even the good things on the supper table, when they had their +"raising bee," were sent in by the neighbors. + +And the whole scheme, you see, came from the crotchety brain of our +friend, Mike Marble. That was his way of building a neighbor's barn, +when any help was needed for that purpose. + + + + +CHAP. X. + +ANOTHER BLOCK OF MARBLE. + + +This story about the building of the deacon's barn brings to my mind +another, pretty closely related to it. Will you hear that, too? + +One morning, as Uncle Mike was walking out, he saw a boy sitting down +on the door steps of one of his neighbors. Upon a closer inspection of +the lad it appeared that he was a poor boy, without any parents, +who was wandering about, doing odd jobs, here and there, and getting +what people had a mind to pay him for his services. + + [Illustration: MIKE MARBLE AND THE BEGGAR.] + +He was not a common vagrant, exactly, and yet he came very near being +one. It was not supposed that he was a vicious boy; still it could not +be denied that the life he led was tolerably well calculated to make +him vicious, and most of the neighbors were afraid to have him about +their houses, without keeping a sharp look out on his movements. + +Mr. Marble had heard of the lad, though it so happened that he had +never met him until this time. + +"Hallo, there, my boy!" said Uncle Mike, "what are you so busy about?" + +"Eating a cold johnny-cake, sir," was the laconic answer. + +"And how do you like it?" + +"Pretty well, though I guess a little butter wouldn't hurt it." + +"Look here, my lad," said Uncle Mike, "what do you do generally for a +living?" + +"A little of every thing." + +"Are you willing to work?" + +"Yes, sir, if I can get any thing for it." + +"Will you work for me?" + +"I wouldn't mind trying it." + +"I am a hard-working man. Will you work like a dog, if I'll let you +try?" + +"Please, sir, I'd rather work like a boy." + +"Good. You shall go home with me." + +And he took the boy home with him. The first thing he set him about +was weeding the onion bed. It was hard work, as I know from +experience. Oh, how it makes a poor fellow's back ache, to stoop down +and weed onions for half a day. You must know that you can't use the +hoe more than about a quarter of the time. If you could, the work +would be comparatively easy and pleasant. But you can't do that. You +must bend right down to the task, as if you really loved the onions, +and were nursing them, as a fond mother nurses a pet child. + +"Well, Fred," said the old gentleman, when the dinner horn blew its +blast of invitation for the workmen to come in and pay their respects +to Mrs. Marble's boiled pork and cabbage, "well, Fred, how do you like +weeding onion beds?" + +"Very well, sir," said the boy. + +"And would you like to keep at it all the afternoon?" + +"I would like to please you, sir. That's what I came here for." + +The old man was so much delighted with this answer, that he not only +laughed at it all the time he was at dinner, but he told it all over +the neighborhood in less than a week. + +"Well, Fred," said he, "I guess you've done enough of that sort of +work for one day. I want you to do two or three errands after you have +done your dinner." + +And he sent the lad to I don't know how many different places, to do +all sorts of errands. Among other things he directed him to do, was to +go to the store with money, to purchase some little articles for his +wife. You see the old man wanted to try the new comer, and see if he +was faithful. + +Well, every thing was done properly, and Uncle Mike was satisfied. + +The next day, Fred had other tasks given to him. His employer +selected those which were hardest and most unpleasant, as he said, "to +break the little fellow in." I'll tell you one thing he did. He sent +him out to catch the old mare. Now the old mare had a knack of kicking +those who came to catch her, when she was not perfectly satisfied with +their mode of doing the business; and she did not at all like the sly +and timid way in which Fred came up to her, with the bridle concealed +behind his back. She was a great lover of fair and open dealing; +though, like some others of her race, that I am acquainted with, as +well as some who belong to quite a different race, and who have the +name of being a good deal wiser, she did not always practice herself +the virtues she so highly commended in others. + +She waited until the lad had got within a few feet of her, and then +she whirled round, before the poor fellow, who was half frightened out +of his wits, could have time to get out of her way, and let her heels +fly into the air over his head. It was well for the boy that she took +her aim so high. If it had been a foot or two lower, the _breaking +in_ would have been an expensive one to Fred--a very expensive one, +indeed. + +In such ways as those I have named, and in a great many other ways, +which I need not name, Uncle Mike tried the boy, to see what he was +made of. He found out, before long, what he was made of. He found out +that there was just such stuff in him as he liked. The more he tried +him--the more he "broke him in"--the better he was pleased with him. + +Well, I'll tell you how that affair with the beggar turned--for I +must not make too long a story of it--Uncle Mike brought up the lad. +He taught him all the mysteries of farming, and treated him as if he +were a member of his own family--one of his own children--until he was +twenty-one. Then he told him he was free to go where he chose. He gave +him a hundred dollars in money, a yoke of oxen, a fine colt, and, what +was of more value than all, his blessing. + + [Illustration: MIKE MARBLE IN HIS OLD AGE.] + +And what do you think became of Fred? He turned out to be not only a +good farmer, but a good neighbor, and a good man, every way. That +same man, who was once a beggar, and who, but for Uncle Mike's odd way +of doing a kind act for him, might have remained a beggar, is now one +of the most highly respected men in his parish, with enough property +to make him and his family comfortable, as well as some to spare for +the comfort of others. + + + + +CHAP. XI. + +MIKE MARBLE'S LAST DAYS. + + +I should love to chat about my old friend a good while longer. But +perhaps I had better stop, for fear you may get tired of the theme. I +must tell you a little about his old age, then I will leave off. + +He was one of the happiest old men I ever knew. He was always +cheerful. One could never meet him in the street, and look into his +pleasant face, without catching something of his cheerfulness. Bad +humor is catching, you know, as much as the small pox, or the canker +rash, and so is good humor, too. At all events, I remember that once, +when I felt ever so much "out of sorts," because things did not go +right, I came across Uncle Mike, on my way to school, and a chat of +about half a minute completely sweetened my temper. + +There was nothing which Uncle Mike liked better, after his hair--the +little hair that time had spared to him--was whitened with age, than +to have a group of children about him, coaxing him to tell them +stories. + +Dear old man! my heart blesses him now, as my memory recalls the +scenes in which he used to take a part. With all his oddities and +crotchets, he always had a kind and warm heart beating in his bosom. I +don't believe that he ever had an enemy in the world. Every body, it +always seemed to me, respected him, and those who knew him most, loved +him best. + +He possessed an art which is worth more than the finest farm in +America. It was the art of being happy himself, and of making others +happy. He was never out of humor. Nobody could get him into a passion. +I never heard of his having wounded the feelings of a single +individual, during all the time that I was acquainted with him. + +Now some people will say, "Oh, it was Mike Marble's way. That was his +disposition. He could not help being good-natured. It came natural to +him to make friends. It was as easy for him to scatter happiness all +around him, as it was to breathe." I don't know about all that. There +may have been something--probably there was something--in Mike +Marble's natural disposition, which was pleasant and cheerful. But I +guess it cost him some effort to live in the sunshine so constantly. +There is such a thing, reader--and I hope you will mark these words +well--there is such a thing as keeping the heart fresh, and green, and +tender, and loving, by one's own effort; and there is such a thing, +too, as letting the heart, by neglect and want of culture, become old +before its time, and dry, and tough, and crabbed. You can school your +affections. Did you know that? I'll tell you how to dry up all the +love and kindness you may have. Shut up your heart, as an oyster does +its shell. Shut it up, and be selfish. Do so, and you will soon be +sick enough of the world, and the world will be sick enough of you. +But I would not do that, if I were in your place. I would advise you +to try to keep the heart open, by doing all the kind acts you can. But +I must end my tale of Mike Marble. + +Dear old man! He has gone to his rest. His voice long since ceased to +be heard on earth. He died as he lived--cheerfully and peacefully. The +Saviour, in whom he had trusted, was with him in his dying hour, and I +cannot doubt that that good man went to dwell with the angels. + +Reader, may you, like him, live a life of usefulness, and may you take +your leave of the world as peacefully, as hopefully, as cheerfully, at + + +THE END. + + +_Woodworth's Juvenile Works._ + +PHILLIPS, SAMPSON & CO. + +PUBLISH THE FOLLOWING JUVENILE WORKS, + +By Francis C. Woodworth, + +EDITOR OF "WOODWORTH'S YOUTH'S CABINET," + +AUTHOR OF "THE WILLOW LANE BUDGET," "THE STRAWBERRY GIRL," "THE MILLER +OF OUR VILLAGE," "THEODORE THINKER'S TALES," ETC. ETC. + + +UNCLE FRANK'S BOYS' AND GIRLS' LIBRARY. + + _A Beautiful Series, comprising six volumes, square 12mo., with + eight Tinted Engravings in each volume. The following are their + titles respectively_: + +I. THE PEDDLER'S BOY; or, I'LL BE SOMEBODY. + +II. THE DIVING BELL; or, PEARLS TO BE SOUGHT FOR. + +III. THE POOR ORGAN-GRINDER, AND OTHER STORIES. + +IV. OUR SUE: HER MOTTO AND ITS USES. + +V. MIKE MARBLE: HIS CROTCHETS AND ODDITIES. + +VI. THE WONDERFUL LETTER-BAG OF KIT CURIOUS. + + + "Woodworth is unquestionably and immeasurably the best writer + for children that we know of; for he combines a sturdy common + sense and varied information with a most childlike and loveful + spirit, that finds its way at once to the child's heart. We + regard him as one of the truest benefactors of his race; for he + is as wise as he is gentle, and never uses his power over the + child-heart, to instill into it the poison of false teaching, or + to cramp it with unlovely bigotry. The publishers have done + their part, as well as the author, to make these volumes + attractive. Altogether we regard them as one of the pleasantest + series of juvenile books extant, both in their literary + character and mechanical execution."--_Syracuse (N.Y.) Daily + Standard._ + +WOODWORTH'S STORIES ABOUT ANIMALS. 12mo., with Illuminated Title, and +upwards of Fifty Beautiful Engravings; pp. 336. + +WOODWORTH'S STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. Uniform with the above. With Sixty +splendid Engravings; pp. 336. + +These two volumes, containing characteristic anecdotes, told in a racy +and pleasing vein, are among the most entertaining books of the kind +to be found in the English language. + + "Attractive stories, told in a style of great liveliness and + beauty. As a writer for the young, the author is surpassed by + very few, if any writers in this country."--_N.Y. Tribune._ + + "A _melange_ of most agreeable reading."--_Presbyterian._ + + "They cannot fail to be intensely interesting."--_Ch. Register._ + + "Charming stories, told with that felicitous simplicity and + elegance of diction which characterize all Mr. Woodworth's + efforts for the young."--_N.Y. Commercial Advertiser._ + + "Nothing can be more interesting than the stories and pictorial + illustrations of these works."--_Brattleborough Dem._ + + "We never pen a notice with more pleasure than when any work of + our friend Mr. Woodworth is the subject. Whatever he does is + well done, and in a sweet and gentle spirit."--_Christ. + Inquirer._ + + "The author is a man of fine abilities and refined taste, and + does his work in a spirit of vivacious, but most truthful + earnestness."--_Ladies' Repos._ + + +UNCLE FRANK'S PEEP AT THE BEASTS. Square 12mo. Profusely Illustrated; +pp. 160. + +UNCLE FRANK'S PEEP AT THE BIRDS. Uniform with the above; pp. 160. + +These two volumes are written in the simplest style, and with words, +for the most part, of two and three syllables. They are exceedingly +popular among children. + + "Of those who have the gift to write for children, Mr. Woodworth + stands among the first; and, what is best of all, with the + ability to adapt himself to the wants and comprehension of + children, he has that high moral principle which will permit + nothing to leave his pen that can do harm."--_Arthur's Home + Gaz._ + + * * * * * + + +-----------------------------------------------------------+ + | Typographical errors corrected in text: | + | | + | Page 94: queston replaced with question | + | | + +-----------------------------------------------------------+ + + * * * * * + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Mike Marble, by Uncle Frank + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MIKE MARBLE *** + +***** This file should be named 24937.txt or 24937.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/9/3/24937/ + +Produced by Jeannie Howse, Chuck Greif and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + +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 +https://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 https://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 +https://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 https://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 https://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 including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For 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: + + https://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. |