The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Broken Bough
    
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.

Title: The Broken Bough

Author: Anonymous

Release date: September 24, 2011 [eBook #37521]

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Larry B. Harrison, and the Archives and Special
        Collections, University Libraries, Ball State University
        and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
        http://www.pgdp.net


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BROKEN BOUGH ***




Produced by Larry B. Harrison, and the Archives and Special
Collections, University Libraries, Ball State University
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
http://www.pgdp.net









[Illustration: Book Cover]

  No. 435     IV. SERIES.

  THE BROKEN BOUGH.

  Revised by the Committee of Publication of the American
  Sunday-school Union.

  AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION.
  PHILADELPHIA:
  146 Chestnut Street.




  THE
  BROKEN BOUGH.

  Revised by the Committee of Publication, of the American Sunday
  school Union.

  _PHILADELPHIA_:
  AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION,
  No. 146 Chestnut Street.




THE BROKEN BOUGH.

[Illustration]


"What a beautiful afternoon it is!" said little Charles to his brother
on a fine Sunday in the month of May, as they both rose from their
seat in the class to return home. "It is, indeed," replied John, as he
peeped through the old casement window of the school, and saw the
pretty lambs feeding in the broad green meadow in the distance; "it
is, indeed, and a fine walk we shall have in the orchard, too."

Now, little Charles loved his school and his teacher also; but the
thought of going home had its own peculiar charms, for he loved his
dear father and mother, and his little sister Jane: and now he
thought, "I shall soon be home, and tell them all that my teacher has
told me." Indeed, the children in the class had spent a very happy
day; for Mr. Fulton, their teacher, was so kind, and took such pains
to make the lessons plain, that all his scholars loved his company;
some of them even said that they had never seen the beauties that were
in the Bible until he taught them.

They had been repeating that afternoon those verses in the 15th
chapter of John's gospel, in which the Saviour compares himself to a
vine, and his disciples to the branches. As the orchards were all in
full blossom, Mr. Fulton reminded his scholars of the beautiful change
which had taken place in the appearance of the trees within the last
few weeks. He said, that though their growth and beauty arose partly
from the vegetable life which God had given them, and partly from the
sun's warm rays, and gentle dews and showers, yet that both their life
and growth must be attributed to God.

When they had done reading Mr. Fulton said, "You see, my dear
children, that the vine is intended to represent the Redeemer, the
Lord Jesus Christ; through whom spiritual life is conveyed to his
people, who are as the branches in the vine. Let me impress this truth
upon your minds, that they who are made partakers of this life, are as
much dependent on Christ to maintain its existence, as the branch is
dependent on the vine for continued nourishment and support."

It is delightful to a teacher to find that his scholars are attentive;
and Mr. Fulton was much pleased by a remark from John, who said, "I
think, sir, the trees seem to explain the observation which you made
this afternoon, that all the followers of Christ love to follow his
example, and may be known by their fruit or conduct; for, sir, I see
that all the branches of a tree bear the same kind of blossoms, and
those of each sort of tree differ from all others." "That is quite
true," said Mr. Fulton: "I am glad you notice these things; for they
are both pleasing and instructive. But there is another lesson which
may be gathered from the trees, and it is this, that although the
branches differ much in size and strength, and therefore very much in
the number of the blossoms seen upon them, yet the smallest will go on
increasing until it may, in time, become very large. Thus you, though
now so young, and like the tender twigs upon the trees, with here and
there a blossom, will, I trust, as years roll on, grow up both strong
and fruitful in the ways of God."

Their teacher was about to say something more on the same subject, but
the school-bell rang to prepare for an address: the children then put
by their Bibles, and stood up to sing that pretty hymn:

    "How sweet the precious Saviour's words.
    What solid joy this truth affords
      To those who early pray;
    They shall the heavenly boon obtain,
    And Jesus and his favour gain,
      Who walk in wisdom's way."

After the address, they sang another hymn, and then the school was
closed with prayer.

It was at this time that little Charles and John began the
conversation I have mentioned, about their walk in the orchard on
their way home; and as Mr. Fulton overheard them, and had been
interrupted in his remarks by the ringing of the school-bell, he thus
addressed them: "My dear boys, as I am going up the green lane towards
your father's house, we will all walk through the orchard together;
and perhaps I may there find something to supply a better explanation
of this day's lesson, than I have yet given you."

The little boys were both much pleased with Mr. Fulton's offer, and
wishing their school-fellows good-by, set off with him towards their
home.

As they walked through the meadows, and saw the young lambs feeding
with their flocks, and noticed their shepherd who watched them, Mr.
Fulton called their attention to the language of King David in Ps.
xxiii., where he speaks with such confidence in the Divine protection
and care, and says, "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want." Now,
as both John and Charles seemed to be much pleased when their teacher
referred them to this very beautiful psalm, he proceeded to say, "You
see, my dear boys, that every one of the sheep in the flock is equally
the object of the shepherd's care; and there is not a lamb, however
young or weakly, but he is anxious for its safety. Just so, the Lord
is the Shepherd and Keeper of his people; for it is said of him, 'He
shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with
his arm, and carry them in his bosom,' (Isa. xl. 11;) and if you are
his disciples, he will protect you as the lambs of his flock."

Here Charles, who had seen some of the lambs pass through an opening
in the hedge, and wander from the fold unseen by the shepherd, said to
his teacher, "But the lambs of Christ's flock must be more secure than
these, sir; for this shepherd cannot see all his flock at once,
although he may wish to do so: but you told us, last Sunday, that
those who love the Saviour, however young or poor, are each as much
the object of his care, as if there were no others in the world." "I
am very glad to find you remember that remark," said his teacher;
"for, as you grow up in life, you may find it a comfort to think, with
Jacob,'He knoweth the way that I take;' and to adopt the language of
David as your own,'I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy
servant: for I do not forget thy commandments.'" Ps. cxix. 176.

By this time they had again entered the green lane, from which they
had departed to pursue the path across the meadow; and having gone
over the stile by the village church, they entered the orchard through
which Charles and John had expected such a pleasant walk.

I do not wonder at their wishing to go home that way, for the trees were
all so full of beautiful pink and white blossoms, and the birds sang so
sweetly as they hopped from twig to twig, or fluttered on the branches,
that you could not have been there without rejoicing with them.

It was not long before Mr. Fulton invited the attention of his
scholars to a little apple tree, on every twig of which were buds and
blossoms. The two little boys, on seeing it, cried out together, "O,
what a beautiful tree!" to which their teacher replied by saying, "And
I hope you will be like it." This remark surprised them both,
especially little Charles, who looked at his teacher as if he would
inquire, "How can I be like this tree?" He was not kept long waiting,
however, for Mr. Fulton, observing his astonishment, explained himself
by saying, "I wish that, as this little tree has so early put forth
blossoms, so you both, my dear boys, may begin, while young, to show
that you are His, who said, 'I love them that love me, and those who
seek me early shall find me.'" Prov. viii. 17.

As they walked onward, the grass beneath the trees was strewed in some
places with blossoms, which the recent thunder-storm had broken off;
and whilst the little boys stooped to pick up some of them,
exclaiming, "What a pity! what a pity!" their teacher availed himself
of that opportunity, also, to teach them a lesson. "It is a pity,"
said he; "for each of them might have become a fine rosy apple; but
they will not have fallen off in vain, if we learn this truth from the
circumstance, that death sometimes calls away those who have scarcely
yet begun to live to God. But it is cheering to see a young tree
promising to be fruitful; and it is much more pleasing to see young
persons likely to bear the fruits of wisdom and goodness."

"I remember, sir," said John, "that last year our pear tree was full
of blossoms; but father said the blight had killed them." "Yes, my
dear boy," said Mr. Fulton, "storms, and tempests, and blights also
frequently disappoint our fondest expectations: so also there are
moral blights, as I have sometimes told you in the class at school.
You both remember poor George King, the orphan boy; how well he said
his lessons, and how serious and attentive he was; but when his pious
mother died, he fell into bad company, and is now a sad evidence that
those who associate with the wicked have turned their backs upon the
ways of God. O, then, flee from bad people, bad books, and bad scenes,
as from that which will blight the best interests of your souls."

Their teacher had never had such a happy opportunity of conversing
with them until now, and as they both seemed to look upon the trees
around them as so many objects from which instruction might be
gathered, he proceeded to point out a circumstance which had before
escaped their notice; it was this, that where the branches had been
sheltered from the passing tempest, there all the blossoms were
unhurt. "Now," said Mr. Fulton to his young companions, "while
thinking of our Saviour's language in this day's lesson, 'I am the
Vine, ye are the branches,' we may learn not only that the life of our
souls must be drawn from him, but that if we bring any fruit to
perfection, it is the result of his most gracious and protecting care."

[Illustration]

At this moment, Mr. Fulton's attention was drawn to one of the largest
trees in the orchard, which seemed to surpass all the others in the
beauty and abundance of its blossoms; but the boisterous winds had
broken off a fine bough, one end of which lay spread upon the grass,
whilst the other continued hanging by a long strip of bark which it
had torn away in falling. It must have been some time in this
situation; for the tree was not only full of blossoms, but was putting
forth its green leaves in every direction, whilst, on this poor
branch, there was not a trace of either bud or blossom; but it hung
upon the ground both dry and dead.

This was too striking an object to be passed by without an
observation; therefore their teacher immediately availed himself of
it, to explain that part of the chapter which his scholars had been
learning, in which the Saviour says "If a man abide not in me, he is
cast forth as a branch, and is withered."

He felt very anxious also to impress upon their minds that true
religion does not consist in being called a Christian, or in any
outward distinction; but that it is a living principle in the heart.

    "Without the fruit the Lord expects,
      Knowledge will make our state the worse;
    The barren trees he still rejects,
      And soon will blast them with his curse."

"Now," said Mr. Fulton, "you see, my dear boys, that the broken bough
has no life, because it is severed from the tree, and therefore gets
no sap or moisture from the root. And as our Lord remarks, 'The branch
cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine;' so the
broken bough has not a bud or blossom, whilst the tree is full of
both. You see then that there must be life and union, or there can be
no fruitfulness; and as the root supplies the living sap to all the
branches, so Jesus is the source of life to all his people. It is your
blessing, my dear boys, to have godly parents; but do not think that
this will prove a substitute for true religion in your own souls. See
how the bough hangs to its parent tree by the strip of bark; it is
true, they are not altogether parted; but, whilst the tree is living,
the broken bough is dead. Learn, then, that without an interest in
Christ and union to him, you must perish. No Christian relatives can
save you; their life is drawn from him, but they cannot give that life
to you. It is possible you may have thought yourselves almost
disciples, because you have kept company with those who are such; but
this fellowship, so long as you keep your hearts from Christ, is only
like the strip of bark which holds the broken bough; no life flows
from it. Let us then, on parting, each go home, and pray to Him who
'quickeneth whom he will,' (John v. 21,) to make us indeed living
branches of the true vine."

[Illustration]




A HYMN.


    Another fleeting year
      Has fled and passed away,
    Since we were taught to worship here,
      On this most holy day.

    Years hurry quickly by,
      And we are fading too;
    And soon the year when we shall die,
      Will come upon our view.

    If we are ready then,
      For us it will be well;
    Removed from this low earth of pain,
      With God in heaven to dwell.




Transcriber's Note


  * Obvious punctuation errors repaired.







*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BROKEN BOUGH ***


    

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

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may
do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
license, especially commercial redistribution.


START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ 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™ License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.

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

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™
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™ electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg™ 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™ 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™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™
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™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg™ 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™ 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™ work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country other than 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™ License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work
on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the
phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

    This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
    other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
    whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
    of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
    at www.gutenberg.org. If you
    are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws
    of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
  
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

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

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™ 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™ work in a format
other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website
(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™ 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™ 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™ electronic works
provided that:

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

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™
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™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™
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™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™

Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ 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™ and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West,
Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website
and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

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

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread
public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state
visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

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

Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™,
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.