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A Country Sweetheart
A Country Sweetheart

Chapter XXXVIII

Chapter 38 of A Country Sweetheart is here in full — 268 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Dora Russell • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A Country Sweetheart
Context Illustration Reading 1/53 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
STRANGE NEWS.
The next day was a wet and dreary one, almost a storm.
The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.
A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.
John Temple was smoking endless cigarettes and reading.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Country Sweetheart

Chapter XXXVIII

Chapter 38 of A Country Sweetheart is here in full — 268 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/53 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
STRANGE NEWS.
/streɪndʒ nuːz/
Line 2
The next day was a wet and dreary one, almost a storm.
/ðə nekst deɪ wɑːz ə wet ənd ˈdrɪri wʌn ˈɔːlmoʊst ə stɔːrm/
Line 3
The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.
Line 4
A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.
/ə braɪt ˈfaɪər wɑːz ˌhaʊˈevər ˈbɜːrnɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈlaɪbreriː ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˌæftərˈnuːn ənd ðə nuː ˈmæstər dʒɑːn ˈtempəl wɑːz ðer ənd ˈmɪsɪz ˈtempəl ðə ˈwɪdoʊ ʌv ðə oʊld wʌn/
Line 5
John Temple was smoking endless cigarettes and reading.
/dʒɑːn ˈtempəl wɑːz ˈsmoʊkɪŋ ˈendləs ˌsɪɡərˈets ənd ˈriːdɪŋ/

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.

budding noun US /ˈbʌdɪŋ/

reproduction of some unicellular organisms (such as yeasts) by growth and specialization followed by the separation by constriction of a part of the parent

From this reading “The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cigarettes noun US /ˌsɪɡərˈets/

plural of “cigarette” — finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking

From this reading “John Temple was smoking endless cigarettes and reading.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dreary adjective US /ˈdrɪri/

lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise

From this reading “The next day was a wet and dreary one, almost a storm.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
endless adjective US /ˈendləs/

tiresomely long; seemingly without end

From this reading “John Temple was smoking endless cigarettes and reading.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
panes noun US /peɪnz/

plural of “pane” — sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or doors

From this reading “The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smoking noun US /ˈsmoʊkɪŋ/

the act of smoking tobacco or other substances

From this reading “John Temple was smoking endless cigarettes and reading.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Temple noun US /ˈtempəl/

place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity

From this reading “A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
widow noun US /ˈwɪdoʊ/

a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried

From this reading “A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

window panes noun + noun counted as “window pane”

street name for lysergic acid diethylamide

In this reading “The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.”

1,031 times in 426,211 chapters
next day adjective + noun

In this reading “The next day was a wet and dreary one, almost a storm.”

60,103 times in 426,211 chapters
during the afternoon preposition + article + noun counted as “during … afternoon”

In this reading “A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.”

1,610 times in 426,211 chapters
beat against verb + particle

In this reading “The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.”

921 times in 426,211 chapters
against the window preposition + article + noun counted as “against … window”

In this reading “The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.”

1,560 times in 426,211 chapters
in the library preposition + article + noun counted as “in … library”

In this reading “A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.”

7,481 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 47

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading The next day was a wet and dreary one, almost a storm.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

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

From this reading The next day was a wet and dreary one, almost a storm.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The next day was a wet and dreary one, almost a storm.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beatverbUS /biːt/

come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

From this reading The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
buddingnounUS /ˈbʌdɪŋ/

reproduction of some unicellular organisms (such as yeasts) by growth and specialization followed by the separation by constriction of a part of the parent

From this reading The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
burningnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cigarettesnounUS /ˌsɪɡərˈets/

plural of “cigarette” — finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking

From this reading John Temple was smoking endless cigarettes and reading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading The next day was a wet and dreary one, almost a storm.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
drearyadjectiveUS /ˈdrɪri/

lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise

From this reading The next day was a wet and dreary one, almost a storm.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
endlessadjectiveUS /ˈendləs/

tiresomely long; seemingly without end

From this reading John Temple was smoking endless cigarettes and reading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
librarynounUS /ˈlaɪbreriː/

a room where books are kept

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
masternounUS /ˈmæstər/

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NEWSnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading STRANGE NEWS.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading The next day was a wet and dreary one, almost a storm.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The next day was a wet and dreary one, almost a storm.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
panesnounUS /peɪnz/

plural of “pane” — sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or doors

From this reading The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rainnounUS /reɪn/

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
readingnounUS /ˈriːdɪŋ/

the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message

From this reading John Temple was smoking endless cigarettes and reading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sighedverbUS /saɪd/

past form of “sigh” — heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily

From this reading The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smokingnounUS /ˈsmoʊkɪŋ/

the act of smoking tobacco or other substances

From this reading John Temple was smoking endless cigarettes and reading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stormverbUS /stɔːrm/

behave violently, as if in state of a great anger

From this reading The next day was a wet and dreary one, almost a storm.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
STRANGEadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading STRANGE NEWS.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TemplenounUS /ˈtempəl/

place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The next day was a wet and dreary one, almost a storm.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
treesnounUS /triːz/

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The next day was a wet and dreary one, almost a storm.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wetadjectiveUS /wet/

covered or soaked with a liquid such as water

From this reading The next day was a wet and dreary one, almost a storm.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
widownounUS /ˈwɪdoʊ/

a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried

From this reading A bright fire was, however, burning in the library during the afternoon, and the new master, John Temple, was there, and Mrs. Temple, the widow of the old one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Woodlea

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

From this reading The wind sighed through the budding trees at Woodlea Hall, and the rain beat against the window panes.

Pending verification

Chapter 38 of A Country Sweetheart by Dora Russell holds 268 sentences, grouped into 54 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 38 of A Country Sweetheart contain?

Chapter 38 holds 268 sentences of A Country Sweetheart, unabridged, divided into 54 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 38 of A Country Sweetheart by Dora Russell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 268 sentences, grouped into 54 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 38 of A Country Sweetheart?

Work through the 54 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 54 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 38 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 38 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.