Comfortable Mrs. Crook, and other sketches

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Comfortable Mrs. Crook, and other sketches is here in full — 77 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ruth Lamb • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

AND OTHER SKETCHES.

"Look on the Sunny Side," "Taught by Experience," etc.

IF Mrs. Jemima Crook happened to be in a very good temper, when taking a cup of tea with some old acquaintance, she would sometimes allude to her private affairs in these words: "I don't deny it; Crook has left me comfortable."

This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Comfortable Mrs. Crook, and other sketches Ruth Lamb

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Comfortable Mrs. Crook, and other sketches is here in full — 77 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

AND OTHER SKETCHES. "Look on the Sunny Side," "Taught by Experience," etc. IF Mrs. Jemima Crook happened to be in a very good temper, when taking a cup of tea with some old acquaintance, she would sometimes allude to her private affairs in these words: "I don't deny it; Crook has left me comfortable." This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me. I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."

Comfortable Mrs. Crook, and other sketches

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Comfortable Mrs. Crook, and other sketches is here in full — 77 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

AND OTHER SKETCHES.

/ənd ˈʌðər ˈsketʃəz/

Line 2

"Look on the Sunny Side," "Taught by Experience," etc.

Line 3

Line 4

This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

/ðɪs wɑːz nɑːt mʌtʃ tuː tel fɔːr ˈmɪsɪz krʊk wɑːz nɑːt ˈɡɪvən tuː ˈkɑːnfədənsɪz ənd ə ˈfriːkwənt rɪˈmɑːrk ʌv hərz wɑːz aɪ noʊ maɪ oʊn ˈbɪznəs ənd ðæt ɪz ɪˈnʌf fɔːr miː/

Line 5

I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."

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.

allude verb US /əˈluːd/

make a more or less disguised reference to

From this reading “IF Mrs. Jemima Crook happened to be in a very good temper, when taking a cup of tea with some old acquaintance, she would sometimes allude to her private affairs in these words: "I don't deny it; Crook has left me comfortable."”

confidences noun US /ˈkɑːnfədənsɪz/

plural of “confidence” — freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading “This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.”

Crook noun US /krʊk/

someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

frequent verb US /ˈfriːkwənt/

do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of

From this reading “This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.”

mouths noun US /maʊðz/

plural of “mouth” — the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading “I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."”

people's noun US /ˈpiːpəlz/

possessive form of “people” — (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading “I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."”

sketches noun US /ˈsketʃəz/

plural of “sketch” — preliminary drawing for later elaboration

From this reading “AND OTHER SKETCHES.”

Sunny adjective US /ˈsʌni/

bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading “"Look on the Sunny Side," "Taught by Experience," etc.”

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.

private affairs adjective + noun

In this reading “IF Mrs. Jemima Crook happened to be in a very good temper, when taking a cup of tea with some old acquaintance, she would sometimes allude to her private affairs in these words: "I don't deny it; Crook has left me comfortable."”

Sunny Side adjective + noun

In this reading “"Look on the Sunny Side," "Taught by Experience," etc.”

old acquaintance adjective + noun

other people's adjective + noun counted as “other people”

In this reading “I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."”

good temper adjective + noun

a cheerful and agreeable mood

own business verb + noun

In this reading “This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.”

All words in this reading · 80

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 IF Mrs. Jemima Crook happened to be in a very good temper, when taking a cup of tea with some old acquaintance, she would sometimes allude to her private affairs in these words: "I don't deny it; Crook has left me comfortable."

acquaintancenounUS /əˈkweɪntəns/

personal knowledge or information about someone or something

affairsnounUS /əˈferz/

matters of personal concern

alludeverbUS /əˈluːd/

make a more or less disguised reference to

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading AND OTHER SKETCHES.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "Look on the Sunny Side," "Taught by Experience," etc.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."

comfortableadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmfərtəbəl/

providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)

concernnounUS /kənˈsɜːrn/

something that interests you because it is important or affects you

From this reading I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."

confidencesnounUS /ˈkɑːnfədənsɪz/

plural of “confidence” — freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

CrooknounUS /krʊk/

someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

cupnounUS /kʌp/

a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle

denyverbUS /dɪˈnaɪ/

declare untrue; contradict

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."

don't

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

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

etc

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

From this reading "Look on the Sunny Side," "Taught by Experience," etc.

ExperienceverbUS /ɪkˈspɪriəns/

undergo or live through a difficult experience

From this reading "Look on the Sunny Side," "Taught by Experience," etc.

fillverbUS /fɪl/

make full, also in a metaphorical sense

From this reading I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

frequentverbUS /ˈfriːkwənt/

do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

herspronounUS /hərz/

the one or ones belonging to her

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

IFconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

Jemima

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

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

LookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading "Look on the Sunny Side," "Taught by Experience," etc.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

mindsnounUS /maɪndz/

plural of “mind” — that which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason

From this reading I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."

mouthsnounUS /maʊðz/

plural of “mouth” — the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "Look on the Sunny Side," "Taught by Experience," etc.

OTHERadjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading AND OTHER SKETCHES.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

people'snounUS /ˈpiːpəlz/

possessive form of “people” — (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."

privateadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪvət/

confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy

remarknounUS /rɪˈmɑːrk/

a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

SidenounUS /saɪd/

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

From this reading "Look on the Sunny Side," "Taught by Experience," etc.

SKETCHESnounUS /ˈsketʃəz/

plural of “sketch” — preliminary drawing for later elaboration

From this reading AND OTHER SKETCHES.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

sometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

SunnyadjectiveUS /ˈsʌni/

bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading "Look on the Sunny Side," "Taught by Experience," etc.

takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

TaughtverbUS /tɔːt/

inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading "Look on the Sunny Side," "Taught by Experience," etc.

teanounUS /tiː/

a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

tempernounUS /ˈtempər/

a sudden outburst of anger

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Look on the Sunny Side," "Taught by Experience," etc.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading This was not much to tell, for Mrs. Crook was not given to confidences, and a frequent remark of hers was: "I know my own business, and that is enough for me.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading I don't see that I have any call to fill other people's minds and mouths with what does not concern them."

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

Chapter 1 of Comfortable Mrs. Crook, and other sketches by Ruth Lamb holds 77 sentences, grouped into 16 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 Comfortable Mrs. Crook, and other sketches contain?

Chapter 1 holds 77 sentences of Comfortable Mrs. Crook, and other sketches, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Comfortable Mrs. Crook, and other sketches by Ruth Lamb exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 77 sentences, grouped into 16 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 Comfortable Mrs. Crook, and other sketches?

Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 16 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.

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Common questions about reading Comfortable Mrs. Crook, and other sketches by Ruth Lamb on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 852 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #73569 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #73569, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 71 minutes of reading across 171 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Comfortable Mrs. Crook, and other sketches

Words and structures a reader meets early in Comfortable Mrs. Crook, and other sketches, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Other: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Comfortable Mrs. Crook, and other sketches; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter I

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