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A wilful ward
A wilful ward

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A wilful ward is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A wilful ward
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.
LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.
To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.
Remember, child.
This is the fourth of November, not midsummer, and the rain is seasonable."
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 wilful ward

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A wilful ward is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.
Line 2
LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.
Line 3
To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.
/tuː hiːr jɔːr ˈɡrʌmbəlɪŋ ˈeni wʌn maɪt θɪŋk ðə reɪn hæd bɪn sent ɑːn ˈpɜːrpəs tuː ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnt juː ʌv jɔːr raɪd/
Line 4
Remember, child.
/rɪˈmɛm.bər tʃaɪld/
Line 5
This is the fourth of November, not midsummer, and the rain is seasonable."
/ðɪs ɪz ðə fɔːrθ ʌv noʊˈvembər nɑːt ˈmɪdˈsʌmər ənd ðə reɪn ɪz ˈsiːzənəbəl/

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.

Churchyard noun US /ˈtʃɜːrtʃjɑːrd/

the yard associated with a church

From this reading “LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.”

disappoint verb US /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnt/

fail to meet the hopes or expectations of

From this reading “To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.”

grumbling noun US /ˈɡrʌmbəlɪŋ/

a loud low dull continuous noise

From this reading “To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.”

midsummer noun US /ˈmɪdˈsʌmər/

June 21, when the sun is at its northernmost point

From this reading “This is the fourth of November, not midsummer, and the rain is seasonable."”

November noun US /noʊˈvembər/

the month following October and preceding December

From this reading “This is the fourth of November, not midsummer, and the rain is seasonable."”

Paul's noun US /pɔːlz/

possessive form of “paul” — United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading “LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.”

seasonable adjective US /ˈsiːzənəbəl/

in keeping with the season

From this reading “This is the fourth of November, not midsummer, and the rain is seasonable."”

tract noun US /trækt/

an extended area of land

From this reading “LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.”

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.

Own Choice verb + noun

In this reading “"Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.”

on purpose preposition + noun

with intention; in an intentional manner

In this reading “To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.”

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

In this reading “"Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.”

by Side preposition + noun

In this reading “"Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.”

All words in this reading · 61

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.

4

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

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

65

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

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading "Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

Bouverie

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

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading Remember, child.

ChoicenounUS /tʃɔɪs/

the person or thing chosen or selected

From this reading "Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.

ChurchyardnounUS /ˈtʃɜːrtʃjɑːrd/

the yard associated with a church

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

disappointverbUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnt/

fail to meet the hopes or expectations of

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

etc

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

From this reading "Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.

fourthnounUS /fɔːrθ/

following the third position; number four in a countable series

From this reading This is the fourth of November, not midsummer, and the rain is seasonable."

GirlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading "Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.

grumblingnounUS /ˈɡrʌmbəlɪŋ/

a loud low dull continuous noise

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading "Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading This is the fourth of November, not midsummer, and the rain is seasonable."

Kathleen

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

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

LadynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading "Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.

LONDONnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

midsummernounUS /ˈmɪdˈsʌmər/

June 21, when the sun is at its northernmost point

From this reading This is the fourth of November, not midsummer, and the rain is seasonable."

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

MYdeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.

NovembernounUS /noʊˈvembər/

the month following October and preceding December

From this reading This is the fourth of November, not midsummer, and the rain is seasonable."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

OnlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading "Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.

OwnverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading "Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.

Paul'snounUS /pɔːlz/

possessive form of “paul” — United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

purposenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəs/

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

QuiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading "Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.

rainnounUS /reɪn/

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

reasonableadjectiveUS /ˈriːzənəbəl/

showing reason or sound judgment

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

RELIGIOUSadjectiveUS /rɪˈlɪdʒəs/

concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

RememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading Remember, child.

rideverbUS /raɪd/

sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

seasonableadjectiveUS /ˈsiːzənəbəl/

in keeping with the season

From this reading This is the fourth of November, not midsummer, and the rain is seasonable."

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

SidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading "Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.

SOCIETYnounUS /səˈsaɪəti/

an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

St

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

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

StreetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This is the fourth of November, not midsummer, and the rain is seasonable."

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

TRACTnounUS /trækt/

an extended area of land

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard "MY dear Kathleen, do try and be reasonable.

TwilightnounUS /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/

the time of day immediately following sunset

From this reading "Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.

WifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading "Only a Girl Wife," "Her Own Choice," "In the Twilight Side by Side," "Not Quite a Lady," etc.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading To hear your grumbling, any one might think the rain had been sent on purpose to disappoint you of your ride.

Chapter 1 of A wilful ward by Ruth Lamb holds 179 sentences, grouped into 36 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of A wilful ward contain?

Chapter 1 holds 179 sentences of A wilful ward, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of A wilful ward by Ruth Lamb exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 179 sentences, grouped into 36 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of A wilful ward?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

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

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

Questions about reading A wilful ward

Common questions about reading A wilful ward by Ruth Lamb on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A wilful ward?

Yes. All 4189 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #71061 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A wilful ward is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #71061, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A wilful ward take to read?

About 349 minutes of reading across 838 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A wilful ward section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of A wilful ward 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 wilful ward

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

Choice
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A wilful ward; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Twilight
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A wilful ward; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Quite
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A wilful ward; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A wilful ward; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.