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A little maid
A little maid

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of A little maid is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Amy Le Feuvre • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A little maid
Context Illustration Reading 1/42 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"A REAL LITTLE HOME MISSIONARY" MRS.
DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.
"From Ellen's friend what spoke to you last Tuesday.
With her respects and best wishes."
She was still more astonished when she opened and read Peggy's recipe.
0:00 / 0:00
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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 little maid

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of A little maid is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"A REAL LITTLE HOME MISSIONARY" MRS.
/ə riːl ˈlɪtəl hoʊm ˈmɪʃəneri ˈmɪsɪz/
Line 2
DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.
/deɪl wɑːz ˈræðər əˈstɑːnɪʃt wʌn ˈmɔːrnɪŋ wen ˈkʌmɪŋ ˈɪntuː hɜːr ˈsɪtɪŋ ruːm tuː ˈbrekfəst ʃiː sɔː ə ˈræðər ˈkrʌmpəld noʊt ˈlaɪɪŋ ɑːn hɜːr pleɪt dərˈektəd ɪn æn əˈnedʒʊkeɪtɪd hænd tuː ˈmɪsɪz ˈwebstərz ˈleɪdi/
Line 3
"From Ellen's friend what spoke to you last Tuesday.
Line 4
With her respects and best wishes."
/wɪð hɜːr rɪˈspekts ənd best ˈwɪʃɪz/
Line 5
She was still more astonished when she opened and read Peggy's recipe.

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.

crumpled adjective US /ˈkrʌmpəld/

of metal e.g.

From this reading “DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dale noun US /deɪl/

an open river valley (in a hilly area)

From this reading “DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
missionary noun US /ˈmɪʃəneri/

someone who attempts to convert others to a particular doctrine or program

From this reading “"A REAL LITTLE HOME MISSIONARY" MRS.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recipe noun US /ˈresəpi/

directions for making something

From this reading “She was still more astonished when she opened and read Peggy's recipe.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
respects noun US /rɪˈspekts/

(often used with “pay”) a formal expression of esteem

From this reading “With her respects and best wishes."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Tuesday noun US /ˈtuːzdi/

the third day of the week; the second working day

From this reading “"From Ellen's friend what spoke to you last Tuesday.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uneducated adjective US /əˈnedʒʊkeɪtɪd/

not having a good education

From this reading “DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Webster's noun US /ˈwebstərz/

possessive form of “webster” — English playwright (1580-1625)

From this reading “DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.”

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.

sitting room noun + noun

a room in a private house or establishment where people can sit and talk and relax

In this reading “DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.”

2,219 times in 426,211 chapters
rather astonished adverb + adjective

In this reading “DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.”

321 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 53

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 "A REAL LITTLE HOME MISSIONARY" MRS.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading With her respects and best wishes."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
astonishedadjectiveUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃt/

filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading With her respects and best wishes."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
crumpledadjectiveUS /ˈkrʌmpəld/

of metal e.g.

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DALEnounUS /deɪl/

an open river valley (in a hilly area)

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
directedadjectiveUS /dərˈektəd/

(often used in combination) having a specified direction

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Ellen's

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

From this reading "From Ellen's friend what spoke to you last Tuesday.

Pending verification
friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading "From Ellen's friend what spoke to you last Tuesday.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "From Ellen's friend what spoke to you last Tuesday.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HOMEnounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading "A REAL LITTLE HOME MISSIONARY" MRS.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading "From Ellen's friend what spoke to you last Tuesday.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LITTLEadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading "A REAL LITTLE HOME MISSIONARY" MRS.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lyingnounUS /ˈlaɪɪŋ/

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MISSIONARYnounUS /ˈmɪʃəneri/

someone who attempts to convert others to a particular doctrine or program

From this reading "A REAL LITTLE HOME MISSIONARY" MRS.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading She was still more astonished when she opened and read Peggy's recipe.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MRSnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading "A REAL LITTLE HOME MISSIONARY" MRS.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notenounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading She was still more astonished when she opened and read Peggy's recipe.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Peggy's

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

From this reading She was still more astonished when she opened and read Peggy's recipe.

Pending verification
platenounUS /pleɪt/

(baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading She was still more astonished when she opened and read Peggy's recipe.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
REALadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading "A REAL LITTLE HOME MISSIONARY" MRS.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recipenounUS /ˈresəpi/

directions for making something

From this reading She was still more astonished when she opened and read Peggy's recipe.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
respectsnounUS /rɪˈspekts/

(often used with “pay”) a formal expression of esteem

From this reading With her respects and best wishes."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spokenounUS /spoʊk/

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

From this reading "From Ellen's friend what spoke to you last Tuesday.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading She was still more astonished when she opened and read Peggy's recipe.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TuesdaynounUS /ˈtuːzdi/

the third day of the week; the second working day

From this reading "From Ellen's friend what spoke to you last Tuesday.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uneducatedadjectiveUS /əˈnedʒʊkeɪtɪd/

not having a good education

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

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 DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Webster'snounUS /ˈwebstərz/

possessive form of “webster” — English playwright (1580-1625)

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "From Ellen's friend what spoke to you last Tuesday.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading DALE was rather astonished one morning when, coming into her sitting room to breakfast, she saw a rather crumpled note lying on her plate, directed in an uneducated hand:— "To Mrs. Webster's lady.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wishesnounUS /ˈwɪʃɪz/

plural of “wish” — a specific feeling of desire

From this reading With her respects and best wishes."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading With her respects and best wishes."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "From Ellen's friend what spoke to you last Tuesday.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 8 of A little maid by Amy Le Feuvre holds 212 sentences, grouped into 43 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 8 of A little maid contain?

Chapter 8 holds 212 sentences of A little maid, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of A little maid by Amy Le Feuvre exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 212 sentences, grouped into 43 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 8 of A little maid?

Work through the 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 43 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 little maid

Common questions about reading A little maid by Amy Le Feuvre on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A little maid?

Yes. All 2990 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #74939 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A little maid is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #74939, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A little maid take to read?

About 249 minutes of reading across 598 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A little maid section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in A little maid

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

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A little maid; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Probable
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A little maid; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Teddy's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A little maid; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Button
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A little maid; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.