Chapter 5 of An independent daughter is here in full — 223 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of An independent daughter is here in full — 223 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
RUFFLED FEATHERS. “Now, Melly, how can I help it?” Persis was saying a few mornings after the wedding. “You know perfectly well I didn’t fish for an invitation. I don’t do such things.
Chapter 5 of An independent daughter is here in full — 223 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/44 · 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.
plural of “feather” — the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds
From this reading “RUFFLED FEATHERS.”
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading ““You know perfectly well I didn’t fish for an invitation.”
a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
From this reading ““You know perfectly well I didn’t fish for an invitation.”
plural of “morning” — the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading “Persis was saying a few mornings after the wedding.”
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading ““You know perfectly well I didn’t fish for an invitation.”
shaken into waves or undulations as by wind
From this reading “RUFFLED FEATHERS.”
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading “Persis was saying a few mornings after the wedding.”
the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed
From this reading “Persis was saying a few mornings after the wedding.”
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.
In this reading “Persis was saying a few mornings after the wedding.”
In this reading ““You know perfectly well I didn’t fish for an invitation.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Persis was saying a few mornings after the wedding.
later than; following
From this reading Persis was saying a few mornings after the wedding.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “You know perfectly well I didn’t fish for an invitation.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “Now, Melly, how can I help it?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You know perfectly well I didn’t fish for an invitation.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I don’t do such things.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don’t do such things.
plural of “feather” — the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds
From this reading RUFFLED FEATHERS.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Persis was saying a few mornings after the wedding.
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading “You know perfectly well I didn’t fish for an invitation.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “You know perfectly well I didn’t fish for an invitation.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading “Now, Melly, how can I help it?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Now, Melly, how can I help it?”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Now, Melly, how can I help it?”
a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
From this reading “You know perfectly well I didn’t fish for an invitation.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Now, Melly, how can I help it?”
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “You know perfectly well I didn’t fish for an invitation.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Now, Melly, how can I help it?”
plural of “morning” — the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Persis was saying a few mornings after the wedding.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “Now, Melly, how can I help it?”
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading “You know perfectly well I didn’t fish for an invitation.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Persis was saying a few mornings after the wedding.
shaken into waves or undulations as by wind
From this reading RUFFLED FEATHERS.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading Persis was saying a few mornings after the wedding.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading I don’t do such things.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Persis was saying a few mornings after the wedding.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading I don’t do such things.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Persis was saying a few mornings after the wedding.
the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed
From this reading Persis was saying a few mornings after the wedding.
(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 “You know perfectly well I didn’t fish for an invitation.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You know perfectly well I didn’t fish for an invitation.
Chapter 5 of An independent daughter by Amy Ella Blanchard holds 223 sentences, grouped into 45 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 5 holds 223 sentences of An independent daughter, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of An independent daughter by Amy Ella Blanchard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 223 sentences, grouped into 45 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 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 45 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 5 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 An independent daughter by Amy Ella Blanchard on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5150 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #76993 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #76993, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 429 minutes of reading across 1030 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through An independent daughter section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of An independent daughter 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 An independent daughter, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
