Chapter 12 of Emma McChesney and Co. is here in full — 213 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Emma McChesney and Co. is here in full — 213 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Spalding, unimpressed, folded another skirt. "Um, maybe! But what's that line about slaves hugging their chains?" The day following, Spalding and his flying squad scattered to spread the light among the skirt trade. And things went wrong from the start.
Chapter 12 of Emma McChesney and Co. is here in full — 213 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/42 · 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.
metal shackles; for hands or legs
From this reading “But what's that line about slaves hugging their chains?"”
past form of “fold” — bend or lay so that one part covers the other
From this reading “Spalding, unimpressed, folded another skirt.”
affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)
From this reading “But what's that line about slaves hugging their chains?"”
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading “The day following, Spalding and his flying squad scattered to spread the light among the skirt trade.”
cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading “Spalding, unimpressed, folded another skirt.”
plural of “slave” — a person who is owned by someone
From this reading “But what's that line about slaves hugging their chains?"”
a smallest army unit
From this reading “The day following, Spalding and his flying squad scattered to spread the light among the skirt trade.”
not moved to serious regard
From this reading “Spalding, unimpressed, folded another skirt.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading But what's that line about slaves hugging their chains?"
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading The day following, Spalding and his flying squad scattered to spread the light among the skirt trade.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The day following, Spalding and his flying squad scattered to spread the light among the skirt trade.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Spalding, unimpressed, folded another skirt.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But what's that line about slaves hugging their chains?"
metal shackles; for hands or legs
From this reading But what's that line about slaves hugging their chains?"
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The day following, Spalding and his flying squad scattered to spread the light among the skirt trade.
moving swiftly
From this reading The day following, Spalding and his flying squad scattered to spread the light among the skirt trade.
past form of “fold” — bend or lay so that one part covers the other
From this reading Spalding, unimpressed, folded another skirt.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading The day following, Spalding and his flying squad scattered to spread the light among the skirt trade.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading And things went wrong from the start.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The day following, Spalding and his flying squad scattered to spread the light among the skirt trade.
affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)
From this reading But what's that line about slaves hugging their chains?"
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The day following, Spalding and his flying squad scattered to spread the light among the skirt trade.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading But what's that line about slaves hugging their chains?"
by chance
From this reading "Um, maybe!
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading The day following, Spalding and his flying squad scattered to spread the light among the skirt trade.
cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading Spalding, unimpressed, folded another skirt.
plural of “slave” — a person who is owned by someone
From this reading But what's that line about slaves hugging their chains?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Spalding, unimpressed, folded another skirt.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading The day following, Spalding and his flying squad scattered to spread the light among the skirt trade.
a smallest army unit
From this reading The day following, Spalding and his flying squad scattered to spread the light among the skirt trade.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading And things went wrong from the start.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But what's that line about slaves hugging their chains?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The day following, Spalding and his flying squad scattered to spread the light among the skirt trade.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading But what's that line about slaves hugging their chains?"
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading And things went wrong from the start.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The day following, Spalding and his flying squad scattered to spread the light among the skirt trade.
the commercial exchange (buying and selling on domestic or international markets) of goods and services
From this reading The day following, Spalding and his flying squad scattered to spread the light among the skirt trade.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Um, maybe!
not moved to serious regard
From this reading Spalding, unimpressed, folded another skirt.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading And things went wrong from the start.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But what's that line about slaves hugging their chains?"
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading And things went wrong from the start.
Chapter 12 of Emma McChesney and Co. by Edna Ferber holds 213 sentences, grouped into 43 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 12 holds 213 sentences of Emma McChesney and Co., unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Emma McChesney and Co. by Edna Ferber exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 213 sentences, grouped into 43 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 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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 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.
Common questions about reading Emma McChesney and Co. by Edna Ferber on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3332 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #453 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #453, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 277 minutes of reading across 667 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Emma McChesney and Co. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of Emma McChesney and Co. 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 Emma McChesney and Co., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
