A Window in Thrums

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of A Window in Thrums is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for A Window in Thrums

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

Hers was the tragedy of living on, more mournful than the tragedy that kills.

In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.

Narrator

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.

Chapter XII Reading 1/16

A Window in Thrums J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie

Chapter XII

Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of A Window in Thrums is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still. The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour. One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth. Hers was the tragedy of living on, more mournful than the tragedy that kills. In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.

A Window in Thrums

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of A Window in Thrums is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

Line 2

The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

/ðə ɡoʊst ˈkreɪdəl ɪz bʌt ə peɪdʒ frʌm ðə blæk ˈhɪstəri ʌv ə ˈwʊmən huː ˈmerid tuː biː ˈblɑːtəd aʊt frʌm ðæt ˈaʊər/

Line 3

One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

Line 4

Hers was the tragedy of living on, more mournful than the tragedy that kills.

/hərz wɑːz ðə ˈtrædʒədi ʌv ˈlɪvɪŋ ɑːn mɔːr ˈmɔːrnfəl ðæn ðə ˈtrædʒədi ðæt kɪlz/

Line 5

In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.

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.

blotted verb US /ˈblɑːtəd/

inflected form of “blot” — dry (ink) with blotting paper

From this reading “The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.”

Fletcher noun US /ˈfletʃər/

prolific English dramatist who collaborated with Francis Beaumont and many other dramatists (1579-1625)

From this reading “THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.”

kills noun US /kɪlz/

plural of “kill” — the act of terminating a life

From this reading “Hers was the tragedy of living on, more mournful than the tragedy that kills.”

looms noun US /luːmz/

plural of “loom” — a textile machine for weaving yarn into a textile

From this reading “In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.”

mated adjective US /ˈmeɪtɪd/

mated sexually

From this reading “One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.”

removing verb US /riˈmuːvɪŋ/

-ing form of “remove” — remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract

From this reading “In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.”

weavers noun US /ˈwiːvərz/

plural of “weaver” — a craftsman who weaves cloth

From this reading “In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.”

woeful adjective US /ˈwoʊfəl/

affected by or full of grief or woe

From this reading “In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.”

All words in this reading · 78

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

aliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/

possessing life

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

blackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

blottedverbUS /ˈblɑːtəd/

inflected form of “blot” — dry (ink) with blotting paper

From this reading The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

cannot

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

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

casenounUS /keɪs/

an occurrence of something

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

chainsnounUS /tʃeɪnz/

metal shackles; for hands or legs

From this reading In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

cradlenounUS /ˈkreɪdəl/

a baby bed with sides and rockers

From this reading The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

FletchernounUS /ˈfletʃər/

prolific English dramatist who collaborated with Francis Beaumont and many other dramatists (1579-1625)

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

ghostnounUS /ɡoʊst/

a mental representation of some haunting experience

From this reading The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

HerspronounUS /hərz/

the one or ones belonging to her

From this reading Hers was the tragedy of living on, more mournful than the tragedy that kills.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

historynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/

the aggregate of past events

From this reading The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

Jess

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

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

killsnounUS /kɪlz/

plural of “kill” — the act of terminating a life

From this reading Hers was the tragedy of living on, more mournful than the tragedy that kills.

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

life-story

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

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading Hers was the tragedy of living on, more mournful than the tragedy that kills.

loomsnounUS /luːmz/

plural of “loom” — a textile machine for weaving yarn into a textile

From this reading In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.

lousing

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

From this reading In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

marriedadjectiveUS /ˈmerid/

joined in matrimony

From this reading The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

matedadjectiveUS /ˈmeɪtɪd/

mated sexually

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading Hers was the tragedy of living on, more mournful than the tragedy that kills.

mournfuladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrnfəl/

expressing sorrow

From this reading Hers was the tragedy of living on, more mournful than the tragedy that kills.

mouthnounUS /maʊθ/

the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Hers was the tragedy of living on, more mournful than the tragedy that kills.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

pagenounUS /peɪdʒ/

one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

removingverbUS /riˈmuːvɪŋ/

-ing form of “remove” — remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract

From this reading In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.

Sam'l

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

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

selfishadjectiveUS /ˈselfɪʃ/

concerned chiefly or only with yourself and your advantage to the exclusion of others

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

sitverbUS /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.

spokenounUS /spoʊk/

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

From this reading In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.

steadyverbUS /ˈstedi/

make steady

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Hers was the tragedy of living on, more mournful than the tragedy that kills.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

Thrums

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

From this reading In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

TRAGEDYnounUS /ˈtrædʒədi/

an event resulting in great loss and misfortune

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Hers was the tragedy of living on, more mournful than the tragedy that kills.

weaversnounUS /ˈwiːvərz/

plural of “weaver” — a craftsman who weaves cloth

From this reading In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.

Wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

WIFEnounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading One case of the kind I myself have known, of a woman so good mated to a man so selfish that I cannot think of her even now with a steady mouth.

woefuladjectiveUS /ˈwoʊfəl/

affected by or full of grief or woe

From this reading In Thrums the weavers spoke of "lousing" from their looms, removing the chains, and there is something woeful in that.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading The ghost cradle is but a page from the black history of a woman who married, to be blotted out from that hour.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading THE TRAGEDY OF A WIFE Were Jess still alive to tell the life-story of Sam'l Fletcher and his wife, you could not hear it and sit still.

Chapter 12 of A Window in Thrums by J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie holds 81 sentences, grouped into 17 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 12 of A Window in Thrums contain?

Chapter 12 holds 81 sentences of A Window in Thrums, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of A Window in Thrums by J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 81 sentences, grouped into 17 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 12 of A Window in Thrums?

Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 17 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Window in Thrums

Common questions about reading A Window in Thrums by J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Window in Thrums?

Yes. All 2346 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20914 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #20914, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 195 minutes of reading across 470 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Window in Thrums

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

Green: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Window in Thrums; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Round: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Window in Thrums; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Twists: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Window in Thrums; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Within: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Window in Thrums; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

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