A song-bird

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of A song-bird is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Eleanora H. Stooke • Curated US English Learning Edition

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She never realized the sorrows of her fellow-creatures without they were set plainly before her.

And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

She had been a worker all her life, and consequently entertained a great contempt for idlers.

And she believed that if people worked they always got on well, for that had been her own experience.

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Chapter VIII Reading 1/29

A song-bird Eleanora H. Stooke

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of A song-bird is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS THE miller's thrifty wife was not by any means a hard woman, but she lacked that quick sympathy for others which is generally the outcome of a vivid imagination joined to a kindly heart. She never realized the sorrows of her fellow-creatures without they were set plainly before her. And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable. She had been a worker all her life, and consequently entertained a great contempt for idlers. And she believed that if people worked they always got on well, for that had been her own experience.

A song-bird

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of A song-bird is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

She never realized the sorrows of her fellow-creatures without they were set plainly before her.

Line 3

And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

Line 4

She had been a worker all her life, and consequently entertained a great contempt for idlers.

Line 5

And she believed that if people worked they always got on well, for that had been her own experience.

/ənd ʃiː bɪˈliːvd ðæt ɪf ˈpiːpəl wɜːrkt ðeɪ ˈɔːlweɪz ɡɑːt ɑːn wel fɔːr ðæt hæd bɪn hɜːr oʊn ɪkˈspɪriəns/

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.

incapable adjective US /ˌɪnˈkeɪpəbəl/

(followed by “of”) lacking capacity or ability

From this reading “And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.”

lacked verb US /lækt/

past form of “lack” — be without

From this reading “LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS THE miller's thrifty wife was not by any means a hard woman, but she lacked that quick sympathy for others which is generally the outcome of a vivid imagination joined to a kindly heart.”

miller's noun US /ˈmɪlərz/

possessive form of “miller” — United States bandleader of a popular big band (1909-1944)

mistakes noun US /mɪˈsteɪks/

plural of “mistake” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading “And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.”

outcome noun US /ˈaʊtkʌm/

something that results

sorrows noun US /ˈsɑːroʊz/

plural of “sorrow” — an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading “She never realized the sorrows of her fellow-creatures without they were set plainly before her.”

thrifty adjective US /ˈθrɪfti/

careful and diligent in the use of resources

worker noun US /ˈwɜːrkər/

a person who works at a specific occupation

From this reading “She had been a worker all her life, and consequently entertained a great contempt for idlers.”

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.

vivid imagination adjective + noun

In this reading “LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS THE miller's thrifty wife was not by any means a hard woman, but she lacked that quick sympathy for others which is generally the outcome of a vivid imagination joined to a kindly heart.”

many ways adjective + noun

In this reading “And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.”

quick sympathy adjective + noun

any means adjective + noun

All words in this reading · 81

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 LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS THE miller's thrifty wife was not by any means a hard woman, but she lacked that quick sympathy for others which is generally the outcome of a vivid imagination joined to a kindly heart.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

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

From this reading She had been a worker all her life, and consequently entertained a great contempt for idlers.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading And she believed that if people worked they always got on well, for that had been her own experience.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading She never realized the sorrows of her fellow-creatures without they were set plainly before her.

believedverbUS /bɪˈliːvd/

past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading And she believed that if people worked they always got on well, for that had been her own experience.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

CHRISTMASnounUS /ˈkrɪsməs/

period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6

consequentlyadverbUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwəntli/

(sentence connectors) because of the reason given

From this reading She had been a worker all her life, and consequently entertained a great contempt for idlers.

contemptnounUS /kənˈtempt/

lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike

From this reading She had been a worker all her life, and consequently entertained a great contempt for idlers.

entertainedadjectiveUS /ˌentərˈteɪnd/

pleasantly occupied

From this reading She had been a worker all her life, and consequently entertained a great contempt for idlers.

experienceverbUS /ɪkˈspɪriəns/

undergo or live through a difficult experience

From this reading And she believed that if people worked they always got on well, for that had been her own experience.

fellow-creatures

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

From this reading She never realized the sorrows of her fellow-creatures without they were set plainly before her.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

FORWARDadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/

at or to or toward the front

generallyadverbUS /ˈdʒenərəli/

usually; as a rule

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading And she believed that if people worked they always got on well, for that had been her own experience.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading She had been a worker all her life, and consequently entertained a great contempt for idlers.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading She had been a worker all her life, and consequently entertained a great contempt for idlers.

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

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

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading She never realized the sorrows of her fellow-creatures without they were set plainly before her.

husbandnounUS /ˈhʌzbənd/

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

idlers

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

From this reading She had been a worker all her life, and consequently entertained a great contempt for idlers.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading And she believed that if people worked they always got on well, for that had been her own experience.

imaginationnounUS /ˌɪmædʒəˈneɪʃən/

the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

incapableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkeɪpəbəl/

(followed by “of”) lacking capacity or ability

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

joinedadjectiveUS /dʒɔɪnd/

of or relating to two people who are married to each other

kindlyadjectiveUS /ˈkaɪndli/

showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity

lackedverbUS /lækt/

past form of “lack” — be without

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading She had been a worker all her life, and consequently entertained a great contempt for idlers.

LOOKINGnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

meansnounUS /miːnz/

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

miller'snounUS /ˈmɪlərz/

possessive form of “miller” — United States bandleader of a popular big band (1909-1944)

mistakesnounUS /mɪˈsteɪks/

plural of “mistake” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading She never realized the sorrows of her fellow-creatures without they were set plainly before her.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading And she believed that if people worked they always got on well, for that had been her own experience.

others

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

outcomenounUS /ˈaʊtkʌm/

something that results

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading And she believed that if people worked they always got on well, for that had been her own experience.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

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

From this reading And she believed that if people worked they always got on well, for that had been her own experience.

plainlyadverbUS /ˈpleɪnli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading She never realized the sorrows of her fellow-creatures without they were set plainly before her.

quickadjectiveUS /kwɪk/

accomplished rapidly and without delay

realizedadjectiveUS /ˈriːəlaɪzd/

successfully completed or brought to an end

From this reading She never realized the sorrows of her fellow-creatures without they were set plainly before her.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading She never realized the sorrows of her fellow-creatures without they were set plainly before her.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

shrewder

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

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

sorrowsnounUS /ˈsɑːroʊz/

plural of “sorrow” — an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading She never realized the sorrows of her fellow-creatures without they were set plainly before her.

sympathynounUS /ˈsɪmpəθi/

an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading She never realized the sorrows of her fellow-creatures without they were set plainly before her.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

thriftyadjectiveUS /ˈθrɪfti/

careful and diligent in the use of resources

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

vividadjectiveUS /ˈvɪvəd/

evoking lifelike images within the mind

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

waysnounUS /weɪz/

structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading And she believed that if people worked they always got on well, for that had been her own experience.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading She never realized the sorrows of her fellow-creatures without they were set plainly before her.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading She never realized the sorrows of her fellow-creatures without they were set plainly before her.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

workedverbUS /wɜːrkt/

past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading And she believed that if people worked they always got on well, for that had been her own experience.

workernounUS /ˈwɜːrkər/

a person who works at a specific occupation

From this reading She had been a worker all her life, and consequently entertained a great contempt for idlers.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading And though she was in many ways much shrewder than her husband, she often made mistakes of which he would have been incapable.

Chapter 8 of A song-bird by Eleanora H. Stooke holds 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 song-bird contain?

Chapter 8 holds 149 sentences of A song-bird, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of A song-bird by Eleanora H. Stooke exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 song-bird?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 song-bird

Common questions about reading A song-bird by Eleanora H. Stooke on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A song-bird?

Yes. All 1577 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72274 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A song-bird is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #72274, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A song-bird take to read?

About 131 minutes of reading across 316 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A song-bird section by section

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

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Vocabulary met early in A song-bird

Words and structures a reader meets early in A song-bird, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A song-bird; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Angel's: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A song-bird; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Brother: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A song-bird; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Little: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A song-bird; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter VIII

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