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A Country Sweetheart
A Country Sweetheart

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A Country Sweetheart is here in full — 33 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Country Sweetheart
Context Illustration Reading 1/6 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.
THE SONG OF THE "No. 9."
My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.
I'm beloved by the poor and the rich, For both I impartially stitch; In the cabin I shine, In the mansion I'm fine-- No. 9, No. 9.
I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Country Sweetheart

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A Country Sweetheart is here in full — 33 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/6 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.
Line 2
THE SONG OF THE "No. 9."
Line 3
My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.
Line 4
I'm beloved by the poor and the rich, For both I impartially stitch; In the cabin I shine, In the mansion I'm fine-- No. 9, No. 9.
Line 5
I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

impartially adverb US /ˌɪmˈpɑːrʃəli/

in an impartial manner

From this reading “I'm beloved by the poor and the rich, For both I impartially stitch; In the cabin I shine, In the mansion I'm fine-- No. 9, No. 9.”

incline noun US /ˌɪnˈklaɪn/

an elevated geological formation

From this reading “I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.”

ne'er adverb US /ner/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading “I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.”

polished adjective US /ˈpɑːlɪʃt/

perfected or made shiny and smooth

From this reading “My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.”

russell noun US /ˈrʌsəl/

United States religious leader who founded the sect that is now called Jehovah's Witnesses (1852-1916)

From this reading “BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.”

stitch noun US /stɪtʃ/

a link or loop or knot made by an implement in knitting, crocheting, embroidery, or sewing

From this reading “I'm beloved by the poor and the rich, For both I impartially stitch; In the cabin I shine, In the mansion I'm fine-- No. 9, No. 9.”

surly adjective US /ˈsɜːrli/

inclined to anger or bad feelings with overtones of menace

From this reading “I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.”

zeal noun US /ziːl/

a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause)

From this reading “I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

polished oak adjective + noun

In this reading “My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.”

fur cloak noun + noun

In this reading “My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.”

In the cabin preposition + article + noun counted as “in … cabin”

In this reading “I'm beloved by the poor and the rich, For both I impartially stitch; In the cabin I shine, In the mansion I'm fine-- No. 9, No. 9.”

All words in this reading · 65

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

9

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

From this reading THE SONG OF THE "No. 9."

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.

belovedadjectiveUS /bɪˈlʌvd/

dearly loved

From this reading I'm beloved by the poor and the rich, For both I impartially stitch; In the cabin I shine, In the mansion I'm fine-- No. 9, No. 9.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading I'm beloved by the poor and the rich, For both I impartially stitch; In the cabin I shine, In the mansion I'm fine-- No. 9, No. 9.

BROKENadjectiveUS /ˈbroʊkən/

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.

BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.

cabinnounUS /ˈkæbən/

small room on a ship or boat where people sleep

From this reading I'm beloved by the poor and the rich, For both I impartially stitch; In the cabin I shine, In the mansion I'm fine-- No. 9, No. 9.

cloaknounUS /kloʊk/

anything that covers or conceals

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

designnounUS /dɪˈzaɪn/

the act of working out the form of something (as by making a sketch or outline or plan)

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

DORA

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

From this reading BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.

dressverbUS /dres/

put on clothes

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

ETC

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

From this reading BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

finestadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəst/

superlative of “fine” — being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

firedadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪərd/

having lost your job

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

furnounUS /fɜːr/

the dressed hairy coat of a mammal

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

handsomeadjectiveUS /ˈhænsəm/

pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

HERSpronounUS /hərz/

the one or ones belonging to her

From this reading BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.

HISdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I'm beloved by the poor and the rich, For both I impartially stitch; In the cabin I shine, In the mansion I'm fine-- No. 9, No. 9.

I'm

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

From this reading I'm beloved by the poor and the rich, For both I impartially stitch; In the cabin I shine, In the mansion I'm fine-- No. 9, No. 9.

impartiallyadverbUS /ˌɪmˈpɑːrʃəli/

in an impartial manner

From this reading I'm beloved by the poor and the rich, For both I impartially stitch; In the cabin I shine, In the mansion I'm fine-- No. 9, No. 9.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I'm beloved by the poor and the rich, For both I impartially stitch; In the cabin I shine, In the mansion I'm fine-- No. 9, No. 9.

inclinenounUS /ˌɪnˈklaɪn/

an elevated geological formation

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

LASTadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.

mansionnounUS /ˈmænʃən/

(astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided

From this reading I'm beloved by the poor and the rich, For both I impartially stitch; In the cabin I shine, In the mansion I'm fine-- No. 9, No. 9.

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

ne'eradverbUS /ner/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading THE SONG OF THE "No. 9."

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

oaknounUS /oʊk/

the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.

pinenounUS /paɪn/

a coniferous tree

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

polishedadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːlɪʃt/

perfected or made shiny and smooth

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading I'm beloved by the poor and the rich, For both I impartially stitch; In the cabin I shine, In the mansion I'm fine-- No. 9, No. 9.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

richadjectiveUS /rɪtʃ/

possessing material wealth

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

RUSSELLnounUS /ˈrʌsəl/

United States religious leader who founded the sect that is now called Jehovah's Witnesses (1852-1916)

From this reading BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.

SEALverbUS /siːl/

make tight; secure against leakage

From this reading BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

shineverbUS /ʃaɪn/

be bright by reflecting or casting light

From this reading I'm beloved by the poor and the rich, For both I impartially stitch; In the cabin I shine, In the mansion I'm fine-- No. 9, No. 9.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

SIGNALnounUS /ˈsɪɡnəl/

any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message

From this reading BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.

SONGnounUS /sɔːŋ/

a short musical composition with words

From this reading THE SONG OF THE "No. 9."

stitchnounUS /stɪtʃ/

a link or loop or knot made by an implement in knitting, crocheting, embroidery, or sewing

From this reading I'm beloved by the poor and the rich, For both I impartially stitch; In the cabin I shine, In the mansion I'm fine-- No. 9, No. 9.

surlyadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrli/

inclined to anger or bad feelings with overtones of menace

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.

tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

WILLmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading BY DORA RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "HIS WILL AND HERS," "THE BROKEN SEAL," "THE LAST SIGNAL," ETC.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading My dress is of fine polished oak, As rich as the finest fur cloak, And for handsome design You just should see mine-- No. 9, No. 9.

zealnounUS /ziːl/

a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause)

From this reading I never get surly nor tired, With zeal I always am fired; To hard work I incline, For rest I ne'er pine-- No. 9, No. 9.

Chapter 1 of A Country Sweetheart by Dora Russell holds 33 sentences, grouped into 7 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of A Country Sweetheart contain?

Chapter 1 holds 33 sentences of A Country Sweetheart, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of A Country Sweetheart by Dora Russell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 33 sentences, grouped into 7 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of A Country Sweetheart?

Work through the 7 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 7 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading A Country Sweetheart

Common questions about reading A Country Sweetheart by Dora Russell on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Country Sweetheart?

Yes. All 7689 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #47282 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Country Sweetheart is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #47282, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Country Sweetheart take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1538 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Country Sweetheart section by section

How to work through A Country Sweetheart section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of A Country Sweetheart to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A Country Sweetheart

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Country Sweetheart, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Russell
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Country Sweetheart; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Country Sweetheart; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Broken
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Country Sweetheart; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Signal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Country Sweetheart; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.