Chapter I

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

plural of “aphorism” — a short pithy instructive saying

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

a particular environment or surrounding influence

From this reading To me Chicago at this time seethed with a peculiarly human or realistic atmosphere.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

plural of “bit” — a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading But this comment on local life here and now, these trenchant bits on local street scenes, institutions, characters, functions, all moved me as nothing hitherto had.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But this comment on local life here and now, these trenchant bits on local street scenes, institutions, characters, functions, all moved me as nothing hitherto had.

plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading But this comment on local life here and now, these trenchant bits on local street scenes, institutions, characters, functions, all moved me as nothing hitherto had.

largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

a line of units following one after another

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information

From this reading But this comment on local life here and now, these trenchant bits on local street scenes, institutions, characters, functions, all moved me as nothing hitherto had.

constructing or tending to construct or improve or promote development

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

every day; without missing a day

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

inflected form of “deal” — act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

lacking in light; not bright or harsh

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

Austrian general in the service of the Holy Roman Empire during the War of the Spanish Succession (1663-1736)

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

possessive form of “field” — a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

footwear (shoes or slippers) with no heel (or a very low heel)

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own)

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

-ing form of “formulate” — elaborate, as of theories and hypotheses

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

plural of “function” — (mathematics) a mathematical relation such that each element of a given set (the domain of the function) is associated with an element of another set (the range of the function)

From this reading But this comment on local life here and now, these trenchant bits on local street scenes, institutions, characters, functions, all moved me as nothing hitherto had.

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading But this comment on local life here and now, these trenchant bits on local street scenes, institutions, characters, functions, all moved me as nothing hitherto had.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

plural of “history” — the aggregate of past events

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time

From this reading But this comment on local life here and now, these trenchant bits on local street scenes, institutions, characters, functions, all moved me as nothing hitherto had.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

characteristic of humanity

From this reading To me Chicago at this time seethed with a peculiarly human or realistic atmosphere.

full of or characterized by humor

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

plural of “institution” — an organization founded and united for a specific purpose

From this reading But this comment on local life here and now, these trenchant bits on local street scenes, institutions, characters, functions, all moved me as nothing hitherto had.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

relating to or applicable to or concerned with the administration of a city or town or district rather than a larger area

From this reading But this comment on local life here and now, these trenchant bits on local street scenes, institutions, characters, functions, all moved me as nothing hitherto had.

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading But this comment on local life here and now, these trenchant bits on local street scenes, institutions, characters, functions, all moved me as nothing hitherto had.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

information about recent and important events

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

plural of “note” — a brief written record

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

a vague idea in which some confidence is placed

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

plural of “novel” — an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading But this comment on local life here and now, these trenchant bits on local street scenes, institutions, characters, functions, all moved me as nothing hitherto had.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading But this comment on local life here and now, these trenchant bits on local street scenes, institutions, characters, functions, all moved me as nothing hitherto had.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading To me Chicago at this time seethed with a peculiarly human or realistic atmosphere.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

uniquely or characteristically

From this reading To me Chicago at this time seethed with a peculiarly human or realistic atmosphere.

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

plural of “phase” — any distinct time period in a sequence of events

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

plural of “play” — a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

plural of “poem” — a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

by chance

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

for the most part

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

aware or expressing awareness of things as they really are

From this reading To me Chicago at this time seethed with a peculiarly human or realistic atmosphere.

belonging to or characteristic of Romanticism or the Romantic Movement in the arts

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

Identical; not different.

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

plural of “scene” — the place where some action occurs

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To me Chicago at this time seethed with a peculiarly human or realistic atmosphere.

plural of “sharp” — a musical notation indicating one half step higher than the note named

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading But this comment on local life here and now, these trenchant bits on local street scenes, institutions, characters, functions, all moved me as nothing hitherto had.

past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

imagine to be the case or true or probable

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading But this comment on local life here and now, these trenchant bits on local street scenes, institutions, characters, functions, all moved me as nothing hitherto had.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading To me Chicago at this time seethed with a peculiarly human or realistic atmosphere.

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect

From this reading But this comment on local life here and now, these trenchant bits on local street scenes, institutions, characters, functions, all moved me as nothing hitherto had.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

in a vague way

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

in contrast with the fact that

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Nothing else that I had so far read—novels, plays, poems, histories—gave me quite the same feeling for constructive thought as did the matter of his daily notes, poems, and aphorisms, which were of Chicago principally, whereas nearly all others dealt with foreign scenes and people.

produce a literary work

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading See https:// DURING the year 1890 I had been formulating my first dim notion as to what it was I wanted to do in life.

a late time of life

From this reading For two years and more I had been reading Eugene Field’s “Sharps and Flats,” a column he wrote daily for the Chicago _Daily News_, and through this, the various phases of life which he suggested in a humorous though at times romantic way, I was beginning to suspect, vaguely at first, that I wanted to write, possibly something like that.