The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Spray of Kentucky Pine

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: A Spray of Kentucky Pine

Author: Douglass Sherley

Release date: January 28, 2005 [eBook #14821]

Most recently updated: October 28, 2024

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14821

Credits: E-text prepared by David Garcia and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team from digital images generously made available by the Kentuckiana Digital Library

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SPRAY OF KENTUCKY PINE ***

The Project Gutenberg eBook, A Spray of Kentucky Pine, by George Douglass Sherley

Note:

The layout of this document, including serif vs. sans-serif, boldface, indentation and size are an accurate representation of the typography used in the original. The author is known for eclectic choices in this respect—this particular work is one of the milder examples.

Images of the original pages can be seen online at the Kentuckiana Digital Library http://kdl.kyvl.org/

A

Spray

Of

Kentucky

Pine

—Placed At The Feet Of The Dead Poet—

—James Whitcomb Riley—

By The Hand

Of the Man From

Down On The Farm—

—George Douglass Sherley

—On The Banks

Of Wolf Run—

—1916—

1916

Second Edition

From Ye Olden Printe Shope—

—James M. Byrnes, Esquire—

On Ye Long Highway

Called Shorte in Ye Goodly

Towne Of Lexington Kentucky

The Inscription Two-fold

To The Dead:

Reverently Inscribed

—To the Indiana-Born

World-Wide Poet—

—James Whitcomb Riley—

—This Spray Of Kentucky Pine—

To The Living:

Also Lovingly Inscribed

By The Man From Down

On The Farm To The

Dear Lady Here On The

Banks Of Wolf Run

—His Mother—

On Grateful Commemoration

Of Her Eighty-Fifth Birthday

August 20, 1916

The Prelude

—A Note Explanatory—

With James Whitcomb Riley,

some years ago. This Man From Down On The Farm,

made a Reading Tour, of—in Population—more than

one-half of this Imperial Republic, including

the Cream of the Canadian Provinces.

Of that Tour, at some other time, in some more

leisurely hour, he desires, if able, to make

a full and faithful Record.

This, is but a humble Spray of Kentucky Pine,

placed at the feet of the Dead Poet!

ACCORDING to a long established Custom,

the Man, in some way, in private print—

—for the Relative, for the Friend, for the Stranger too—

quietly Celebrates the various Red-Letter Days, of the

Dear Lady Here, On the Banks of Wolf Run—his Mother!

Her full Restoration, to her usual Good Health,

is a Source of much Joy, and the cause of much Gratitude.

The many Prayers made for her Recovery must have been of

much avail before the Great White Throne, of Infinite Mercy!

He is also deeply grateful, that the nearness of her

Eighty-Fifth Birthday, makes it possible for him,

to make an Inscription Two-fold, for the Dead,

for the Living—for the Dear Poet, for the Beloved Mother!

The linking of their names together, under this Spray of

Kentucky Pine—culled by a hand most loving—is like

unto finding the other half of a broken Chord, in some

Prelude Elusive: for James Whitcomb Riley, deeply

endeared himself, to the Dear Lady Here, while he and

her son were a long while away, on their Reading Tour.

Out of sheer Kindliness, out of Goodness of Heart, he often

wrote to her, delightful Letters of Good Cheer, filled with

a charming detail, with more than a trifle of over-Praise;

all of which, is most acceptable, to the heart of a too fond mother.

Recently, from his Winter Home in the South-land, he sent to

her, in response to one of these Farm Bubbles, a little

Bit of unpublished Verse, written before his hand had

failed him, reproduced for her—and others—in fac-simile.

PRAY deem it not, all too presumptuous, this humble

Spray of Kentucky Pine!

It serves as a Reverent Tribute to the One!

As a Loving Commemoration to the Other!

The Interlude

—Holding Two Telegrams And A Plea—

I.

When the word came that

James Whitcomb Riley was Dead

this Telegram was sent to a near

Relative an astute Man of Affairs

who with the Head of a Great Publishing

House—a Prime Favorite from

his early Boyhood of the Poet—held

his well-placed Confidence in all

matters concerning the necessary

material Things of Life.

THE mightiest Monarch of the Indiana Forest

lies prone upon his Native Soil!

This Man From Down On The Farm,

Reverently, sends this humble Spray of Kentucky Pine,

as a Symbol, ever-green, of his Lasting Love, for the Dead Poet:

as a Symbol, made manifest, of his deep Sympathy,

for You, for Yours.

II.

This Message was wired to a most

Gentle Lady who had meant

so much in so many ways to

James Whitcomb Riley

appealing as she did to the Best

to the Highest in his Nature and who

was indeed a "Ministering Angel"

when "Pain and Anguish" wrung

his brow, racked his frail body

where lingered its Tenant

his Immortal Soul!

TENDERLY, Lovingly, let the Fair Elaine cherish

the Shield Invincible of her Sir Launcelot!

Some Day—Some Glad Day—she too, will go upward

with the Flood, in the Dark Barge, decked with Flowers:

clasping in her Beautiful Hand of Gentle Service,

the Lily of Fidelity: floating with the Mystic

Tide, to meet again—at Towered Camelot—

—her Gallant, her Waiting Knight!

For Love shares with the Soul its Precious Immortality!

III.

The Plea

—To The Relatives To The Intimate Friends of

James Whitcomb Riley—

LET Lockerbie Street, in its Lovely Brevity,

be held—if you will—as a Perpetual Reservation

for the Children of your Great, your Growing City,

holding the House, which for many years was the

Happy Home of the Poet, as a Sacred Shrine.

Let your fine Civic Building, now rising in its

Majesty—like the Towers of Illion—made possible

by his Generous Gift of the Site, made Glorious

by the touch of his hand, on its Great Cornerstone:

let it—if you will—proudly bear his Name.

Let either one, or both, of these Noble Things

be done, for the sake of his memory.

Let this, that, or any other form of a Memorial wait upon

the wisdom of your Choice: but no matter what is done;

how much is done; or how it is done; there is one Thing

which ought not to be left undone.

Every tender, slender needle, rising out of its

Globular Greenness, in this humble Spray of Kentucky Pine,

harbors this One Thought, this Single Plea!

This is the Plea:

Let James Whitcomb Riley,

skillfully cast in Bronze, simply clad in the plain

blue garb of a Union Soldier Lad a Private—

let him stand fur all Time, in your Circle, in the Centre,

in the Heart of your City, the beloved City of his adoption.

Let him stand there, under the shadow of that

Mighty Shaft, the Tribute of your Grand Commonwealth,

to her Valiant Sons—the Soldier, the Sailor.

Let him stand there, on a one-piece Pedestal

of Indiana Stone; Simple, Massive.

Thereon carve his Name, the date of his Birth;

the date of his Death; and these Immortal words:

"Well, Goodby, Jim:

Take Keer of Yourse'f!"

Read, re-read, and read again, the Poem.

That Poem is an American Classic!

It is the Epitome of Self-Sacrifice

for the Sake of a Vital Cause!

It is the one Idyl of the Middle-West!

It is thoroughly America!

It is intensely Indiana!

Pardon the Plea!

But Prepare the Way!

Turn the Page—read the Poem!

The Poem

Old man never had much to say—

'Ceptin' to Jim.—

And Jim was the wildest boy he had—

And the old man jes' wrapped up in him!

Never heerd him speak but once

Er twice in my life,—and first time was

When the army broke out, and Jim he went,

The old man backin' him, fer three months;

And all 'at I heerd the old man say

Was jes' as we turned to start away,—

"Well, good-by, Jim:

Take keer of yourse'f!"

'Peared-like, he was more satisfied

Jes' lookin' at Jim

And likin' him all to hisse'f-like, see?

'Cause he was jes' wrapped up in him!

And over and over I mind the day

The old man come and stood round in the way

While we was drillin', a-watchin' Jim—

And down at the deepot a-heerin' him say,

"Well, good-by, Jim:

Take keer of yourse'f!"

Never was nothin' about the farm

Disting'ished Jim;

Neighbors all ust to wonder why

The old man 'peered wrapped up in him;

But when Cap. Biggler he writ back

'At Jim was the bravest boy we had

In the whole dern rigiment, white er black.

And his fighten' good as his farmin' bad—

'At he had led, with a bullet clean

Bored through his thigh, and carried the flag

Through the bloodiest battle you ever seen,

The old man wound up a letter to him

'At Cap. read to us, 'at said: "Tell Jim

Good-by,

And take keer of hisse'f!"

Jim come home jes' long enough

To take the whim

'At he'd like to go back in the calvery—

And the old man jes' wrapped up in him!

Jim 'lowed 'at he'd had sich luck afore,

Guessed he'd tackle her three years more.

And the old man give him a colt he'd raised,

And follered him over to Camp Ben Wade,

And laid around fer a week er so,

Watchin' Jim on dress-parade—

Tel finally he rid away,

And last he heerd was the old man say,

"Well, good-by, Jim:

Take keer of yourse'f!"

Tuk the papers, the old man did,

A-watchin' fer Jim—

Fully believin' he'd make his mark

Some way—jes' wrapped up in him!—

And many a time the word 'u'd come

'At stirred him up like the tap of a drum—

At Petersburg, fer instunce, where

Jim rid right into their cannons there,

And tuk 'em, and p'inted 'em t'other way,

And socked it home to the boys in gray,

As they scooted fer timber, and on and on—

Jim a lieutenant and one arm gone,

And the old man's words in his mind all day,—

"Well, good-by, Jim:

Take keer of yourse'f!"

Think of a private now, perhaps,

We'll say like Jim,

'At's clumb clean up to the shoulder-straps

And the old man jes' wrapped up in him!

Think of him—with the war plum, through.

And the glorious old Red-White-and-Blue

A-laughin' the news down over Jim,

And the old man bendin' over him—

The surgeon turin' away with tears

'At hadn't leaked for years and years,

As the hand of the dyin' boy clung to

His father's, the old voice in his ears,—

"Well, good-by, Jim:

Take keer of yourse'f!"

The Spray of Kentucky Pine

O! James Whitcomb Riley!

This Man From Down On The Farm—one-while

your constant Companion, in work most

Congenial, all-while your Faithful Friend—rejoices.

and is exceeding Glad, That All Is Well With You!

For no one knew, better than you,

the Wisdom, the Beauty, of Death!

No one the more fully realized

the Folly, the Futility, of human Grief!

You firmly believed, that he, who follows The Christ;

that he, who, in all Humility, bears the Cross; that

he, who, in all Gratitude, wears upon his unworthy brow,

the imprint of the Kiss Divine!—the Kiss of Forgiveness

Complete—you firmly believed, that he ought to be

brave enough, strong enough, to meet the Call,

whensoever, wheresoever, it may chance to come.

You firmly believed that the Call always

comes at the Right Moment: that Incompletion

Here, finds its Completement There: that every

human Life holds—like the Palace of Aladdin—its

unfinished Window: that the finite mind,

hampered by its mortality, is a clog to any

Completion, to any Earthly Perfection.

Therefore, feeling, believing, as you did Here,

now knowing, as you must know There,

this Man rejoices, and is exceeding Glad,

That All Is Well With You!

O! James Whitcomb Riley

Your Nature-on the surface—was

Simple, Honest, Open, Direct.

It was all of that but—it was More!

It was deeper than Tears!

It was wider than Laughter!

It was more profound, more subtle,

than either your spoken Word.

or, your written, your printed Thought.

You were infinitely better than the

Very Best that you ever did!

High Praise, but True!

Your nature was strangely Complex:

There was the Man!

There was the Poet!

There was the Mystic!

The Man could be known—and was—of all men.

The Poet could be read—as he was—and he understood.

He could Sing—as he did—Songs

which caught the Hearts of the

People—from the Cradle to the Grave!

The Mystic!

O! James Whitcomb Riley!

That Mystic Element in your Nature!

It was held under a Strong Curb:

It was constantly held in Check:

But it was never Overcome!

It was a Mood—not a Madness.

It seldom made an Outward Sign.

Then, it was brief, spasmodic, eratic.

It was known to but few, even of those

who came with you, in constant contact.

To this Man, that Mystic Element in your Nature,

made a most wonderful Appeal, deep, strong.

To him, it was the real James Whitcomb Riley!

You were a Mystic, but never a Reformer.

You cheerfully rendered unto Ceasar all things

that were his just due.

You had no desire to overturn Natural Law,

Human Regulation.

You accepted, without question, the Established

Order of Things.

But so strong was this touch of the Mystic

that, it you had desired, you could have,

quickly, thickly, populated some far off Smiling Isle,

of the Fair Summer Seas, with a Band of

Cultured Men, of Cultured Women, ready,

eager, to follow you—that Mystic You! into

the Creation of a New Cult, of a New Religion!

In your Poems there is but a trickle of the Mystic

—a flash a dash—as the falling of a Star!

That Edgar Allen Poe Episode, is the Answer.

You were unduly humiliated by that Incident—

—and it was but as Nothing

But your Super-Sensitiveness, made you Suffer!

O! James Whitcomb Riley!

Death, hath yet other Compensations!

It has placed you Beyond the Cloy of Fulsome Praise:

Beyond the Sting of Cruel Blame: the One,

may not help You the Other, cannot hurt You!

O! James Whitcomb Riley!

Once, when under the Spell of a Mystic Mood,

you sought—as you had often sought before—that

Wise Wizard of White River.

He met you, when you came into that Peaceful

Indiana Valley—where dwells this Wizard—by the

Flowing Fountain of those Healing Waters.

He knew your need; he spoke no unnecessary word;

he quickly set his place in order, and was ready

to go with you—anywhere.

There had been, on your arrival, a clamor to have

you Read that afternoon—but the Wizard

quietly slipped you away.

Out into the Open you drove, in an old Barouche,

behind a Pair of Good Horses.

It was a long Drive; it was a beautiful Drive.

It was driven in Silence.

After several hours—the spell was still upon you—a

sharp turn brought you to the Banks of White River;

and there—under a Clump of the Sycamore, of the

Willow, in a deep, Shady Pool, an Eddy, undisturbed

by the current of the broad, shallow Stream—a

Batch of Boys, swimming, chattering, diving.

"Stop" you said to the driver; "Come here" you called to the Lads.

They came trooping, dripping, out of the Pool.

A change came over you; flinging off your coat,

your hat, you arose to your feet.

There they stood before you, naked, unabashed, curious.

A complacent smile, flickered across the bearded

face of the Wise Wizard. He must have known!

He must have timed your arrival at that particular

spot, at that particular moment.

But even the Wizard could not have known what was to follow.

Without a word of explanation, you gave them, that

crowd of naked Boys—gave it, as you had never

given it before, doubtless, as you never

gave it again—your

"Old Swimmin' Hole"

OH! the old swimmin' hole! whare the crick so still and deep

Looked like a baby-river that was laying half asleep,

And the gurgle of the worter round the drift jest below

Sounded like the laugh of something we onc't ust to know

Before we could remember anything but the eyes

Of the angels lookin' out as we left Paradise;

But the merry days of youth is beyond our controle,

And its hard to part ferever with the old swimmin'-hole.

Oh! the old swimmin'-hole! In the happy days of yore,

When I ust to lean above it on the old sickamore.

Oh! it showed me a face in its warm sunny tide

That gazed back at me so gay and glorified,

It made me love myself, as I leaped to caress

My shadder smilin' up at me with sich tenderness.

But them days is past and gone, and old Time's tuck his toll

From the old man come back to the old swimmin'-hole.

Oh! the old swimmin'-hole! In the long, lazy days

When the humdrum of school made so many run-a-ways.

How plesant was the jurney down the old dusty lane,

Whare the tracks of our bare feet was all printed so plane

You could tell by the dent of the heel and the sole

They was lot o' fun on hands at the old swimmin'-hole.

But the lost joys is past! Let your tears in sorrow roll

Like the rain that ust to dapple up the old swimmin'-hole.

Thare the bullrushes growed, and the cattails so tall,

And the sunshine and shadder fell over it all;

And it mottled the worter with amber and gold

Tel the glad lilies rocked in the ripples that rolled;

And the snake-feeder's four gauzy wings fluttered by

Like the ghost of a daisy dropped out of the sky,

Or a wownded apple-blossom in the breeze's controle

As it cut acrost some orchurd to'rds the old swimmin'-hole.

Oh! the old swimmin'-hole! When I last saw the place,

The scenes was all changed, like the change in my face;

The bridge of the railroad now crosses the spot

Whare the old divin'-log lays sunk and fergot.

And I stray down the banks whare the trees ust to be—

But never again will theyr shade shelter me!

And I wish in my sorrow I could strip to the soul.

And dive off in my grave like the old swimmin'-hole.

Their little jaws dropped!

Their little eyes distended!

Their little ears stood erect!

They fairly bristled with an intense attention.

You said the last word, of the last line.

Then—absolute, unbroken—Silence!

Finally—but without another word—you reached

down, patted the youngest one on his wet curly Locks.

The Wizard whispered to the driver "Go."

As the team, in a brisk trot, started away.

you, still standing, coatless, hatless, waved your

hand—in that quick little jerky fashion peculiar

to you—to those little naked Urchins.

With a mighty Shout, they ran back to the Pool,

and gave a rapid-firing Exhibition of the Single

Dive; the Double Dive; and one—a dare-devil—the Triple Dive!

What a Memory, what a Priceless Memory, you must

have given those Boys of Martinsville, that Ideal

Summer Afternoon, in the Long While Ago!

Martinsville! To you of Blessed Memory!

For the sake of an early, enduring, Friendship,

did you not encrust one Jap Miller of

Martinsville with no mean verse?

And did it not run something like this?

Jap Miller down at Martinsville's the blamedest feller yit!

When he starts in a-talkin' other folks is apt to quit!—

'Pears like that mouth o' his'n wuzn't made fer nothin' else

But jes' to argify 'em down and gether in their pelts:

He'll talk you down on tariff; er he'll talk you down on tax.

And prove the pore man pays 'em all and them's about the fac's!

Religen, law, er politics, prize-fightin', er base-ball

Jes' tetch Jap up a little and he'll post you 'bout 'em all.

W'y, that-air blame Jap Miller, with his keen sircastic fun,

Has got more friends than ary candidate 'at ever run!

Don't matter what his views is, when he states the same to you,

They allus coincide with your'n, the same as two and two:

You can't take issue with him—er, at least, they haint no sense

In startin' in to down him, so you better not commence.—

The best way's jes' to listen, like your humble servant does.

And jes' concede Jap Miller is the best man ever wuz!

ON the drive back to the little Station, you were

the Man, the Poet, but not the Mystic!

You delighted the Wizard with your genial

flow of Verse, of Story.

When the watchful Wizard, smuggled you aboard

your train—with privacy unbroken you, like

King Saul, returned to your People, refreshed in body,

restored in mind; for had not the Wizard done for you,

as David did for Saul, for had not he brought Peace

to your no longer Troubled Soul?

Did he not say to you, in parting, "All Is Well With You?"

O! James Whitcomb Riley!

It is late in the Afternoon, of a Perfect Summer Day.

This Man From Down On The Farm,

is standing on the Banks Of Wolf Run.

He is thinking of You!

Joyfully, not Regretfully!

A Pastoral Scene stretches before him—

a Scene of much Beauty!

The Cattle stand, not "knee-deep in June"

but well into the pure rippling Waters of an August

Wolf Run, under the dense shade overhead, where

arching branches inter-lock, casting a net-work

of shifting Shadows on the bosom of the Peaceful

Waters, which seem to murmer, as they

flow, your Name—Joyfully, not Mournfully!

James Whitcomb Riley!

James Whitcomb Riley!

James Whitcomb Riley!

Smiling, undulating, across the Creek,

a Blue Grass Meadow gently rolls away,

toward the White, the Winding Pike:

Each blade of Blue Grass—Joyfully,

not Tearfully—seems to whisper your Name:

James Whitcomb Riley!

James Whitcomb Riley!

James Whitcomb Riley!

BUT Hark! The belated Song of a Mocking Bird—

its Vesper Song—to its enraptured Mate!

This, the Glad Song:

To You James Whitcomb Riley!

The World was full of Roses!

Every Rose held hidden, within its Tremulous Heart, a

Slender Crystal Chalice of Perfumed Dew, which,

overflowing, spilled its Prodigal Sweetness,

onto the Earth, into the Air,

For You James Whitcomb Riley!

—For You, and for All Humanity!

And this, the Joyful Refrain:

—Joy, without Regret!

Joy, without Mourning!

Joy, without Tears!—

—A Refrain which readily, willingly,

finds Grateful Echo in the Heart of

This Man From Down On The Farm!

O! James Whitcomb Riley!

All Is Well With You!

All Is Well With You!

O! James Whitcomb Riley!

All Is Well With You!

O! James Whitcomb Riley!

Postlude

—Which ought to have been The Prelude to

this Spray of Kentucky Pine.

Because it was written, published, a little more than a year

before the Death of the Poet.

Therefore, it was a Tribute to him, Living!

A Promethean Poet was there. He had touched the

Heavenly flame; he had lasted the Waters of

Inspiration: he had drained the Crystal Cup of Fancy,

finding therein neither Lees nor Dregs, which

bite the tongue, stifle the song, of lesser Men; he had

reverently kissed the coy hand of Fame, when she had

crowned his Worthy Brow, with her Wreath Immortal!

His Poems, homely, simple, sweet—springing from the lap of

Nature—had spread, like wild-fire of the Forest,

into the Four Quarters of the Globe.

He came from the Land, across the River, where, in

these latter days, the People quit the planting of the Potato,

to pen a Poem: pause in the cultivation of the Corn, to

compose a Novel. Some of it is good, very good; Some

of it is bad, very bad: but all of it produces

a princely Revenue far in excess of any return

from either the Potato or the Corn.

Long before the avalanche-like advent of this State-

wide Literary Madness, the Star of this Poet had risen—

risen before, and still shines beyond, and above them all.

The hand which wrote "Goodbye, Jim"—not classical

in either Greek or Roman sense, yet a great

American Classic—with its pungent odor of Blue Jeans, with

its clean, sweet, clear-cut, fine smell, of its native soil—

that hand may never again hold the Pen; the man

himself, may crumble—God forbid!—back into the Dust—

that "Little Dust of Harm"—out of which he came;

but his Poems will not, cannot die.

When those other Writers will have been forgotten;

when even the gifted Maker of "Ben Hur" will be, but

as an empty name; even then, this Poet,

and his Poems, will cleave to the Mind, cling to the

Heart, of countless Generations, not yet born!

Whatever Is—Is Best

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SPRAY OF KENTUCKY PINE ***

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 41 Watchung Plaza #516, Montclair NJ 07042, USA, +1 (862) 621-9288. 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

A Spray Of Kentucky Pine

—Placed At The Feet Of The Dead Poet— —James Whitcomb Riley—

The Inscription Two-fold

—This Spray Of Kentucky Pine—

The Prelude

—A Note Explanatory—

The Interlude

—Holding Two Telegrams And A Plea—

I.

II.

III.

The Plea

—To The Relatives To The Intimate Friends of James Whitcomb Riley—

The Poem

The Spray of Kentucky Pine

"Old Swimmin' Hole"

Postlude

Whatever Is—Is Best

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE