The Project Gutenberg eBook of The True Grecian Bend: A Story in Verse

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 True Grecian Bend: A Story in Verse

Author: Larry Leigh

Release date: March 4, 2021 [eBook #64689]

Most recently updated: October 18, 2024

Language: English

Credits: deaurider, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TRUE GRECIAN BEND: A STORY IN VERSE ***

P. 18                                                                           .

THE

TRUE GRECIAN BEND

A

STORY IN VERSE

BY

LARRY LEIGH,

“Whence and what art thou, execrable shape?”—MILTON

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS

NEW YORK

J. S. REDFIELD, PUBLISHER

140 FULTON STREET

1868

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by

J. S. REDFIELD,

In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States

for the Eastern District of New York.

EDWARD O. JENKINS,

PRINTER AND STEREOTYPER,

No. 20 North William St.

THE

TRUE GRECIAN BEND.

A WOMAN in France got the spinal disease,

And from that sad moment she had no more ease;

To add to her anguish, she very soon found,

Oh, horrors! her back was becoming quite round.

The spasms of physical pain she endured,

Were keen, I assure you, and could not be cured;

But bad as these were, it seems, on the whole,

They could not compare with the pangs of her soul.

For I must inform you, O dear reader mine—

(I’m in my third verse, and indeed it is time)—

That our stylish Parisian was Fashion’s dear slave,

And to its sweet service her brain and time gave.

If she had been poet or artist or sage,

Or one of “the women,” so called, “of the age,”

With missions to Art, or the indigent poor,

Her crooked vertébra she might well endure.

For ’tis of no consequence, surely, I say,

If strong-minded women who flaunt in our day

Their rights to more freedom for work and for speech

Are placed by disease quite beyond the world’s reach.

Such women belong to that low, common kind

Who assert that an active condition of mind

Or of hands (me! how vulgar!) does make, after all,

What we a true woman can worthily call.

But say, of what consequence, pray, can it be

If females with such vulgar notions, you see,

Are forced to stop work and all bold agitations

Of questions important to churches and nations

Because of a weakness of brain and of spine?

(Both organs, alas! being in a decline.)

It matters but little, if women like these,

Are deprived of all usefulness, comfort, and ease.

But when a fair daughter of Fashion—a treasure,

Who lives but to seek and to find her own pleasure,

A victim becomes to keen pains that do rack,

To pains that quite ruin the shape of her back—

Here, here is a tale that makes the heart bleed!

A tale wholly fit for a poet indeed!

Before I have finished, however, you’ll find

That sunlight with shadow is herein combined.

At present the shadow rests over my maid,

While wrapped in reflection she sits in the shade.

Her brain being small, is quite like the pot

Which, owing to smallness, so soon became hot.

It seems at this moment, in truth, quite on fire,

Harassed as it is with the spasms of ire,

That seize it in thinking of hopes all destroyed,

Her figure quite ruined! her future a void!

For I must inform you, our “charmante Française,”

Deluded as all of us were in those days,

Considered it really a feminine charm,

To carry the figure—including the arm—

According to Nature in some slight degree,

With freedom and unstudied grace, don’t you see?

A form finely poised, and free in its motion,

Is surely a sign—at least, such was the notion—

Of youth and of health. Even some thought that grace

Had a meaning and charm quite beyond a doll face.

But all such ideas have of course now gone by

In times when the fashions do Nature defy.

As I was just saying, our “charmante Française,”

Deluded as all of us were in those days,

Was tortured with agony now at the thought

Of the change which the spinal affection had wrought

In her whose fine figure, a short time ago,

Arrayed in rare furbelows, made such a show

On the “Boulevards;” also when on her white mare,

Erect and in “stove-pipe” she pranced with the air

Which marks the great “parvenues” out as that class

Whose eyes, looking over you, say, “Let me pass!

Do you know who I am? I’ve a carriage and four,

A poodle and twenty-five servants and more.”

But I am digressing. The subject is great,

And I fear I shall never get through at this rate.

To return to “mes moutons,” I mean to my maid;

We left her, remember, in wrath and in shade.

She sat in the shade, for she feared that the light

Would bring to her vision that horrible sight,

A female with vertebral column askew,

And now as she sat here she dreaded the view.

But at the next moment a thought bright as fire,

Seemed to burn in her eyes and to chase away ire;

She rose, in a tremor of joy, from the gloom,

And opening the shutters, made bright the whole room.

She then all at once did proceed, with a rush,

To fasten a pillow, with cheeks all a-flush,

Just under her skirt, quite behind at the back,

And then she donned quickly a hat and a sack—

Seized quicker a parasol; then without fear,

She faced the long mirror with eyes all a-cheer

With some inspiration, that strangely did lend

To a spine badly bent an additional bend.

Pray what was she doing? you ask, all amazed,

Perhaps you imagine the girl was quite crazed,

Or trying a cure—and that’s madness enough—

With “similia similibus” ideas and such stuff.

Oh, no! my dear Reader; she’s simply intent

On proving in practice the worth of a bent,

Which entered her mind a few moments ago,

And set all her brain and her heart in a glow.

In short, all creations of genius, you know,

Originate, so they say, always just so;

Quite all of a sudden, undreamt of, they’re born

In the brain which seeks after to give them a form.

The form which our heroine sought now to give

To her noble creation was, sure as I live,

A crook in the back and a crook in the arm,

And with these same crooks she means yet to charm

Her circle of former admirers and friends,

And, after a ripe preparation, intends

To make her “début” in a style very new,

Unknown to the crowd or e’en the rare few.

Oh, view her, as now she continues to pass

Up and down, while she studies herself in the glass!

With parasol raised very high in the air,

And spine really taking a curve, I declare,

Exceeding by far the long crook that disease

Had wrought there in hours void of rest and of ease,

And yet, I assure you, her face glows with smiles,

While practicing poses the hours she beguiles.

But while I still watched her, a cloud thin as air,

Passed over the features that now seemed so fair;

With eyes on the mirror, I heard her exclaim,

“Oh! dear me! oh! dear me! I’ve lost it again.”

She takes a new bend—then cries, “That’s not it!”

Here, dear reader mine, she was seized with a fit

Of abdominal colic, which only did serve

To add, you perceive, to her back a new curve.

The full extra curve produced by the pain,

Brought strangely the smiles to her features again;

She cried, “Oh! kind Providence surely did send

This spasm to give me the ‘true Grecian bend!’

“The ‘true Grecian bend!’ here, here is a name

Which soon will acquire a most glorious fame!

It hides my poor hump altogether, you see,

And a leader of fashion again I will be!”

Since the colic referred to, by Providence sent,

Two weeks had gone by, and our damsel had bent

Whatever of strength she possessed to attain

The “true Grecian bend,” and it was not in vain.

The day now arrived for the startling “début,”

And our heroine smiling emerged to the view

Of the Boulevards, where “tout le monde” in a maze

At the strange apparatus in wonder did gaze.

This strange apparatus, as I before said,

Perched on heels that supported a hump on the head,

A hump on the back and a crook in the arm

Presented a vision entitled to charm

The eyes of all artists; for sure ’tis their duty

To recognize always the true curve of beauty;

And who can deny that here was a curve

Sufficiently curving as model to serve?

The world, as I said, at first in a maze,

With sneers at the strange apparatus did gaze;

But when this same world at last did discover

The “strange apparatus” was she, and no other,

Who only last year the gay fashion did lead,

And lived on the Boulevard Malesherbes indeed!

They suddenly found that her present strange style

Was but a new fashion she’d set all the while.

Upon the discovery that, without doubt,

The humps and the crooks were “the latest out;”

With common accord the dear feminine gender,

At once set to work in trying to render

Themselves in appearance as near as could be,

To her who was now all the fashion, you see.

So where only yesterday out on the street

But one crooked female you might chance to meet,

To-day there existed a hundred at least,

Who made up a pantomime, truly a feast

Of color and form, to him who delights

In fine graceful contours and that sort of sights;

And yet it is proper that I should confess

(For to know “what is what” I did never profess),

The sight of curved females at first raised a question

Which seemed to me worthy some solid reflection.

The question was this: if ’tis true as averred,

Human origin may to the ape be referred,

Then we are now turning, I boldly declare,

To monkeys again. Pray look at the air

Of that monkey the organ-man carries about.

Gaze but a short moment and you will find out

When standing, his back just describes the outline

Of that fashionable female, in garments so fine.

Does not this resemblance, oh, tell me, I pray,

’Twixt apes and the fashionable dames of to-day,

Suggest to your mind the identical question,

Which seemed to me worthy some solid reflection?

I say, that it seemed, for I must explain,

On seeing the bend, I could not refrain

At first from scorn and dejection, but now

My feelings are altered entirely, I vow.

For when by the dashing “beau-monde” I was told,

The bend was the fashion—I soon came to hold

Opinions quite different; believe me, to-day

It seems to me “stylish” and most distingué.

And now I must tell you, last week at a dance,

I found out the origin, quite by mere chance,

Of the “bend” surnamed “Grecian,” and then, think says I,

The fair sex shall know this; at once I will try

To tell them in some way. So, spite of delays,

I’ve written the story of the “charmante Française,”

And while I congratulate all my fair friends

Who now are expert in the various “bends,”

A word I would add—it is this: forget not

How specially favored and blest is your lot.

For you can have humps, if you like, on the back,

Without the bad colic and pains that did rack

The female whose spine the best doctors couldn’t mend,

But oh! she invented “the true Grecian bend!”

A “bend” born of suffering truly pathetic,

A “bend” scientific as well as æsthetic.

Now all of you know, I make bold to infer,

The “colic” and “pains” did in Paris occur.

Of course we Americans would not receive

Any fashions but those of imported disease:

Excuse me: I mean that the “modes” are imported,

For it is very true, as has oft been reported,

We worship all things of Parisian extraction;

Why, even its morals (?) have quite an attraction!

Of course, we despise them, but then, don’t you see,

They come after all from the stylish “Paris?”

Oh! wondrous Bill Shakspeare, of very huge fame!

You lied, Sir, in saying all names were the same.

But now before closing, I gladly extend

To all who desire to attain the true bend,

A single suggestion, pray don’t pass it by,

But listen, then, labor “and never say die!”

In every Art-study you’ll find it is best,

To model from Nature with uniform zest.

Oh, come now with me! I’ll show you to-night,

The model I spoke of—a pitiful sight.

We’ll leave the gay avenue—this is the way—

Through byways and lanes where the clear light of day

Has no room to enter. Here godless despair

Finds vent in wild curses and cries—do you dare

To utter reproaches? Come, come, do not shrink;

You find the air stifling? Why, now only think,

You’re here but a moment and quite lose your breath;

Yet many will dwell here from birth unto death.

You cannot return, though chilling the gloom,

For in this dark building we’ll find a dark room;

This stairway leads to it—come, let us ascend;

I’ll show you the model I spoke of, my friend.

’Tis long after midnight;—we reach very soon,

Up by the dark stairway, the room through the gloom;

And here in the corner, where burns a pale light,

Sits sewing and shivering a woman to-night.

Through many a season, drooped low o’er her knee,

She’s sat there, and often she scarcely could see

What stitches to take, so flickering her lamp!

So weary her eyes! so chilling the damp!

Two little ones sleep at her side on the floor;

At times she looks towards them with heart very sore

At the thought of their cries at the last scanty meal,

At the thought that on waking how hungry they’ll feel.

“Oh! what shall I give them? the crusts are quite dry,

Yet they’re all that I have.” With many a sigh

She turns to her work, for she knows when ’tis done

More bread can be bought with the shilling she’s won.

O brave, weary mother! the morning has come;

You’re hungry and cold, but the work is not done.

Thus through the sad seasons she’s bent o’er her knee

So low that her back has a curve, don’t you see—

A curve truly Grecian! I’m sure you would find,

Should you dress her in fashionable clothes of the kind

Worn now, she’d look “stylish” and have quite an “air.”

Her “bend” is more perfect by far, I declare,

Than that of our ladies so fine and so gay

Who walk in the avenues day after day;

And surely an outline by Nature designed,

Is much the best model, if you are inclined,

Fair lady, to triumph and truly intend

To study as artist the “true Grecian bend.”

A model from Nature! now, here is the question,

Is this Grecian bend really worth your inspection?

There’s only one drawback to this same inspection,

The thought of which fills me with some slight dejection,

I fear if this study you still will pursue,

It may not be best, friend, for me and for you.

For listen! There’s possibly danger, you know,

That you may become, in these “models” who sew,

So much interested that you may forget

Yourself and the fashions, and that we’d regret.

Fair lady, oh! guard against this above all,

For what sadder lot could e’er you befall?

And what would become of the “beau-monde” to-day,

Without “upper tens” and the fashions so gay?

It’s time I should close; my task’s at an end;

I’ve told you the tale of the “true Grecian bend.”

Besides, a good model I’ve now pointed out,

By which you’ll attain to perfection, no doubt.

And now pray permit me, while saying adieu,

With warmth once again to congratulate you,

That Providence kindly a colic did send,

Which gave you, dear ladies, the “true Grecian bend!”

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:

Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TRUE GRECIAN BEND: A STORY IN VERSE ***

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.

Table of Contents

THE True Grecian Bend

THE True Grecian Bend.

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE