Chapter I · The Mcbirneys

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

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

(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 But really, it didn’t need all of this clamor to get the McBirneys out of bed.

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

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

not in a state of sleep; completely conscious

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

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

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading But really, it didn’t need all of this clamor to get the McBirneys out of bed.

a room used primarily for sleeping

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

eat an early morning meal

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

inflected form of “busy” — keep busy with

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But really, it didn’t need all of this clamor to get the McBirneys out of bed.

-ing form of “cackle” — talk or utter in a cackling manner

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

make loud demands

From this reading But really, it didn’t need all of this clamor to get the McBirneys out of bed.

a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

rid of obstructions

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

soft silky fibers from cotton plants in their raw state

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

plural of “creature” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

an instance of boastful talk

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

the first light of day

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

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

From this reading But really, it didn’t need all of this clamor to get the McBirneys out of bed.

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

every person

From this reading The guinea hens wanted everybody to get up.

communicated in words

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

be a farmer; work as a farmer

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

the act of consuming food

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading The guinea hens wanted everybody to get up.

the act of acquiring something

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

a hasty eater who swallows large mouthfuls

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

-ing form of “gobble” — eat hastily without proper chewing

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

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

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

a former British gold coin worth 21 shillings

From this reading The guinea hens wanted everybody to get up.

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

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

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

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

plural of “hen” — adult female chicken

From this reading The guinea hens wanted everybody to get up.

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

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

an indirect suggestion

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

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

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

of great significance or value

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

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

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

apprehended with certainty

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

plural of “lark” — North American songbirds having a yellow breast

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

the production of eggs (especially in birds)

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

plural of “martin” — French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

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

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

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

From this reading But really, it didn’t need all of this clamor to get the McBirneys out of bed.

a field where grass or alfalfa are grown to be made into hay

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

used to form the superlative

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

a form of address for a man

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

a condition requiring relief

From this reading But really, it didn’t need all of this clamor to get the McBirneys out of bed.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading But really, it didn’t need all of this clamor to get the McBirneys out of bed.

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

very light colored; highly diluted with white

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

the act of fixing firmly in place

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading But really, it didn’t need all of this clamor to get the McBirneys out of bed.

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

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

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

precisely, exactly

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

plural of “robin” — small Old World songbird with a reddish breast

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

adult male chicken

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

Identical; not different.

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

the first light of day

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

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

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

plural of “terrace” — usually paved outdoor area adjoining a residence

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

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

From this reading The guinea hens wanted everybody to get up.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

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

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

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

From this reading But really, it didn’t need all of this clamor to get the McBirneys out of bed.

United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

up to a particular time

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

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

From this reading The guinea hens wanted everybody to get up.

large gallinaceous bird with fan-shaped tail; widely domesticated for food

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading The guinea hens wanted everybody to get up.

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading The guinea hens wanted everybody to get up.

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

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Hours before, Mr. Rhode Island Red, the rooster, had expressed his opinion on the subject, and from the first pale hint of dawn till the sun swung up in the clear May sky, a great company of tanagers, robins, martins, meadow larks and their friends had suggested, each in his own way, that it was time to be awake.

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

hope for; have a wish

From this reading They said so right under the bedroom window; and the turkey gobbler had the same wish and made it known in his most important manner.

a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading Since sunup, Thomas McBirney had been planting cotton on the red clay terraces of his mountain farm; and Mary McBirney, his wife, had been busied laying her hearth-fire, getting the breakfast and feeding the crowing, cackling, gobbling creatures in the yard.