Chapter 4 of Across the Years is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Across the Years is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The old man fell back wearily. "Seems ter me, Jane, ye might jest see," he fretted. "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly. "And, Jane!" "Yes."
Chapter 4 of Across the Years is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading “The old man fell back wearily.”
having frets
From this reading “"Seems ter me, Jane, ye might jest see," he fretted.”
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading “"'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.”
discontinued temporarily
From this reading “"'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.”
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading “"Seems ter me, Jane, ye might jest see," he fretted.”
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “"Seems ter me, Jane, ye might jest see," he fretted.”
plural of “spoon” — a piece of cutlery with a shallow bowl-shaped container and a handle; used to stir or serve or take up food
From this reading “"'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.”
in a weary manner
From this reading “The old man fell back wearily.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And, Jane!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The old man fell back wearily.
dearly loved
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading The old man fell back wearily.
having frets
From this reading "Seems ter me, Jane, ye might jest see," he fretted.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Seems ter me, Jane, ye might jest see," he fretted.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
discontinued temporarily
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Seems ter me, Jane, ye might jest see," he fretted.
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading "Seems ter me, Jane, ye might jest see," he fretted.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The old man fell back wearily.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Seems ter me, Jane, ye might jest see," he fretted.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading "Seems ter me, Jane, ye might jest see," he fretted.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The old man fell back wearily.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Seems ter me, Jane, ye might jest see," he fretted.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading "Seems ter me, Jane, ye might jest see," he fretted.
plural of “spoon” — a piece of cutlery with a shallow bowl-shaped container and a handle; used to stir or serve or take up food
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Seems ter me, Jane, ye might jest see," he fretted.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The old man fell back wearily.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
in a weary manner
From this reading The old man fell back wearily.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person
From this reading "Seems ter me, Jane, ye might jest see," he fretted.
an affirmative
From this reading "'T ain't much I'm askin' of ye, an' ye know them spoons--" "Yes, yes, dear, I'll go," interrupted the woman hurriedly.
Chapter 4 of Across the Years by Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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.
Chapter 4 holds 418 sentences of Across the Years, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Across the Years by Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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.
Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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.
Common questions about reading Across the Years by Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3631 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6991 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6991, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 302 minutes of reading across 727 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Across the Years section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Across the Years to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Across the Years, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
