Chapter 2 of Little Grandmother is here in full — 41 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Little Grandmother is here in full — 41 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE SAMPLER. How do you think she was dressed? In a "petticoat and loose gown." The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles. Then her feet--I must confess they were bare.
Chapter 2 of Little Grandmother is here in full — 41 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/8 · 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 “ankle” — a gliding joint between the distal ends of the tibia and fibula and the proximal end of the talus
From this reading “The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.”
made of calico or resembling calico in being patterned
From this reading “The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.”
plural of “gather” — sewing consisting of small folds or puckers made by pulling tight a thread in a line of stitching
From this reading “The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.”
a short coat
From this reading “The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.”
a heavy fabric of wool (or wool and cotton) used mostly in upholstery or for curtains
From this reading “The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.”
undergarment worn under a skirt
From this reading “In a "petticoat and loose gown."”
an observation station that is set up to make sample observations of something
From this reading “THE SAMPLER.”
cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading “The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.”
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 In a "petticoat and loose gown."
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In a "petticoat and loose gown."
plural of “ankle” — a gliding joint between the distal ends of the tibia and fibula and the proximal end of the talus
From this reading The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.
completely unclothed
From this reading Then her feet--I must confess they were bare.
made of calico or resembling calico in being patterned
From this reading The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.
confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading Then her feet--I must confess they were bare.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading How do you think she was dressed?
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading How do you think she was dressed?
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Then her feet--I must confess they were bare.
plural of “gather” — sewing consisting of small folds or puckers made by pulling tight a thread in a line of stitching
From this reading The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.
a woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions
From this reading In a "petticoat and loose gown."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Then her feet--I must confess they were bare.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How do you think she was dressed?
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Then her feet--I must confess they were bare.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In a "petticoat and loose gown."
a short coat
From this reading The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading In a "petticoat and loose gown."
a heavy fabric of wool (or wool and cotton) used mostly in upholstery or for curtains
From this reading The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Then her feet--I must confess they were bare.
undergarment worn under a skirt
From this reading In a "petticoat and loose gown."
an observation station that is set up to make sample observations of something
From this reading THE SAMPLER.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading How do you think she was dressed?
cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SAMPLER.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then her feet--I must confess they were bare.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then her feet--I must confess they were bare.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading How do you think she was dressed?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.
the narrowing of the body between the ribs and hips
From this reading The loose gown was a calico jacket that hung about the waist in gathers, and the petticoat was a moreen skirt that came down almost to the ankles.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading How do you think she was dressed?
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Then her feet--I must confess they were bare.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading How do you think she was dressed?
Chapter 2 of Little Grandmother by Sophie May holds 41 sentences, grouped into 9 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 2 holds 41 sentences of Little Grandmother, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Little Grandmother by Sophie May exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 41 sentences, grouped into 9 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 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 9 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 2 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 Little Grandmother by Sophie May on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1437 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25507 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25507, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 119 minutes of reading across 288 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Little Grandmother section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Little Grandmother 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 Little Grandmother, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
