Chapter 16 of John March, Southerner is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of John March, Southerner is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Yes. Why, how'd you guess that?" "I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother." "And why a little one?" he asked. "I was young and didn't know any better."
Chapter 16 of John March, Southerner is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
for the reason that
From this reading “"I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."”
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “"I was young and didn't know any better."”
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading “"I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."”
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “"I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."”
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading “Why, how'd you guess that?"”
except if; if not
From this reading “"I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."”
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading “"I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."”
an affirmative
From this reading “"Yes.”
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.
a younger brother
In this reading “"I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."”
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 "I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And why a little one?" he asked.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "I was young and didn't know any better."
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "And why a little one?" he asked.
for the reason that
From this reading "I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "I was young and didn't know any better."
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading "I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I was young and didn't know any better."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading Why, how'd you guess that?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "And why a little one?" he asked.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why, how'd you guess that?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "I was young and didn't know any better."
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "And why a little one?" he asked.
express in words
From this reading "I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Why, how'd you guess that?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."
except if; if not
From this reading "I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading "I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why, how'd you guess that?"
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Why, how'd you guess that?"
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading "I was young and didn't know any better."
Chapter 16 of John March, Southerner by George Washington Cable holds 407 sentences, grouped into 82 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 16 holds 407 sentences of John March, Southerner, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of John March, Southerner by George Washington Cable exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 407 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 16 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 John March, Southerner by George Washington Cable on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8790 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31470 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31470, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1758 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through John March, Southerner section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of John March, Southerner 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 John March, Southerner, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
