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A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls
A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls is here in full — 259 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls
Context Illustration Reading 1/51 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AT SCHOOL AGAIN.
It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.
If they are sincere and honest they always inspire respect.
If they are at the same time unselfish, that noble quality must also tell in the long run.
But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls is here in full — 259 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/51 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AT SCHOOL AGAIN.
/æt skuːl əˈɡen/
Line 2
It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.
/ɪt ɪz ə ˈkjʊriəs fækt ðæt ðer ɑːr sʌm wiːk bʌt ˈlʌvɪŋ ˈpiːpəl huː ɑːr nɑːt lʌvd ɪn rɪˈtɜːrn/
Line 3
If they are sincere and honest they always inspire respect.
/ɪf ðeɪ ɑːr sɪnˈsɪr ənd ˈɑːnəst ðeɪ ˈɔːlweɪz ˌɪnˈspaɪr rɪˈspekt/
Line 4
If they are at the same time unselfish, that noble quality must also tell in the long run.
Line 5
But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

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.

consequently adverb US /ˈkɑːnsəkwəntli/

(sentence connectors) because of the reason given

From this reading “But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.”

inspire verb US /ˌɪnˈspaɪr/

heighten or intensify

From this reading “If they are sincere and honest they always inspire respect.”

loving adjective US /ˈlʌvɪŋ/

feeling or showing love and affection

From this reading “It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.”

quality noun US /ˈkwɑːləti/

an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone

From this reading “If they are at the same time unselfish, that noble quality must also tell in the long run.”

remarkably adverb US /rɪˈmɑːrkəbli/

to a remarkable degree or extent

From this reading “But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.”

reward noun US /rɪˈwɔːrd/

a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing

From this reading “But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.”

sincere adjective US /sɪnˈsɪr/

open and genuine; not deceitful

From this reading “If they are sincere and honest they always inspire respect.”

souls noun US /soʊlz/

plural of “soul” — the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading “But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.”

All words in this reading · 72

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 It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

AGAINadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading AT SCHOOL AGAIN.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading If they are at the same time unselfish, that noble quality must also tell in the long run.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading If they are sincere and honest they always inspire respect.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading If they are sincere and honest they always inspire respect.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AT SCHOOL AGAIN.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

consequentlyadverbUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwəntli/

(sentence connectors) because of the reason given

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

curiousadjectiveUS /ˈkjʊriəs/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

doubtlessadverbUS /ˈdaʊtləs/

without doubt; certainly

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

earnestadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrnɪst/

characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

fellow-men

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

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

heart-longing

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

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

honestadjectiveUS /ˈɑːnəst/

not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent

From this reading If they are sincere and honest they always inspire respect.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If they are sincere and honest they always inspire respect.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

inspireverbUS /ˌɪnˈspaɪr/

heighten or intensify

From this reading If they are sincere and honest they always inspire respect.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading If they are at the same time unselfish, that noble quality must also tell in the long run.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

lovedadjectiveUS /lʌvd/

held dear

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

lovingadjectiveUS /ˈlʌvɪŋ/

feeling or showing love and affection

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading If they are at the same time unselfish, that noble quality must also tell in the long run.

nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/

impressive in appearance

From this reading If they are at the same time unselfish, that noble quality must also tell in the long run.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

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

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

qualitynounUS /ˈkwɑːləti/

an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone

From this reading If they are at the same time unselfish, that noble quality must also tell in the long run.

remarkablyadverbUS /rɪˈmɑːrkəbli/

to a remarkable degree or extent

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

respectnounUS /rɪˈspekt/

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading If they are sincere and honest they always inspire respect.

returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

rewardnounUS /rɪˈwɔːrd/

a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading If they are at the same time unselfish, that noble quality must also tell in the long run.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading If they are at the same time unselfish, that noble quality must also tell in the long run.

SCHOOLnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading AT SCHOOL AGAIN.

simpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

sincereadjectiveUS /sɪnˈsɪr/

open and genuine; not deceitful

From this reading If they are sincere and honest they always inspire respect.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

soulsnounUS /soʊlz/

plural of “soul” — the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading If they are at the same time unselfish, that noble quality must also tell in the long run.

terribleadjectiveUS /ˈterəbəl/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading If they are at the same time unselfish, that noble quality must also tell in the long run.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading If they are sincere and honest they always inspire respect.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading If they are at the same time unselfish, that noble quality must also tell in the long run.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

unknownadjectiveUS /ənˈnoʊn/

not known

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

unselfishadjective

disregarding your own advantages and welfare over those of others

From this reading If they are at the same time unselfish, that noble quality must also tell in the long run.

weakadjectiveUS /wiːk/

wanting in physical strength

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading It is a curious fact that there are some weak but loving people who are not loved in return.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading But to look at them is not to love them, and consequently they go through life with a terrible heart-longing unknown to their fellow-men, only known to the God above, who will doubtless reward these simple and earnest and remarkably beautiful souls in His own good time in another world.

Chapter 23 of A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls by L. T. Meade holds 259 sentences, grouped into 52 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 23 of A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls contain?

Chapter 23 holds 259 sentences of A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls, unabridged, divided into 52 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls by L. T. Meade exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 259 sentences, grouped into 52 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 23 of A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls?

Work through the 52 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 52 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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 Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls

Common questions about reading A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls by L. T. Meade on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls?

Yes. All 6311 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22164 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #22164, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls take to read?

About 525 minutes of reading across 1263 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls section by section

How to work through A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 27 chapters of A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls 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 Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Opening
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
School
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Merriman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Standing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.