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Maida's little house
Maida's little house

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of Maida's little house is here in full — 278 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Maida's little house
Context Illustration Reading 1/55 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.
It was not however a sick cry; it was a sleepy cry.
She glanced swiftly at the clock; then jumped out of bed.
Rosie was standing in the doorway, Nesta, wearing one of Delia’s nightgowns, in her arms.
You never woke me up, Rosie Brine,” Maida accused her friend.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Maida's little house

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of Maida's little house is here in full — 278 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/55 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.
Line 2
It was not however a sick cry; it was a sleepy cry.
/ɪt wɑːz nɑːt ˌhaʊˈevər ə sɪk kraɪ ɪt wɑːz ə ˈsliːpi kraɪ/
Line 3
She glanced swiftly at the clock; then jumped out of bed.
/ʃiː ɡlænst ˈswɪftli æt ðə klɑːk ðen dʒʌmpt aʊt ʌv bed/
Line 4
Rosie was standing in the doorway, Nesta, wearing one of Delia’s nightgowns, in her arms.
Line 5
You never woke me up, Rosie Brine,” Maida accused her friend.

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.

accused noun US /əˈkjuːzd/

a defendant in a criminal proceeding

From this reading ““You never woke me up, Rosie Brine,” Maida accused her friend.”

baby's noun US /ˈbeɪbiz/

possessive form of “baby” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

Brine noun US /braɪn/

water containing salts

From this reading ““You never woke me up, Rosie Brine,” Maida accused her friend.”

doorway noun US /ˈdɔːrweɪ/

the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close

From this reading “Rosie was standing in the doorway, Nesta, wearing one of Delia’s nightgowns, in her arms.”

silva's noun US /ˈsɪlvəz/

possessive form of “silva” — the forest trees growing in a country or region

sleepy adjective US /ˈsliːpi/

ready to fall asleep

From this reading “It was not however a sick cry; it was a sleepy cry.”

wearing noun US /ˈwerɪŋ/

(geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it)

From this reading “Rosie was standing in the doorway, Nesta, wearing one of Delia’s nightgowns, in her arms.”

woke verb US /woʊk/

inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading “SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.”

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.

next morning adjective + noun

In this reading “SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.”

woke up verb + adjective counted as “wake up”

cause to become awake or conscious

In this reading “SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.”

glanced swiftly verb + particle counted as “glance swiftly”

In this reading “She glanced swiftly at the clock; then jumped out of bed.”

jumped out verb + adjective counted as “jump out”

be highly noticeable

In this reading “She glanced swiftly at the clock; then jumped out of bed.”

in the doorway preposition + article + noun counted as “in … doorway”

In this reading “Rosie was standing in the doorway, Nesta, wearing one of Delia’s nightgowns, in her arms.”

at the clock preposition + article + noun counted as “at … clock”

In this reading “She glanced swiftly at the clock; then jumped out of bed.”

All words in this reading · 48

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 SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

accusednounUS /əˈkjuːzd/

a defendant in a criminal proceeding

From this reading “You never woke me up, Rosie Brine,” Maida accused her friend.

armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/

weapons considered collectively

From this reading Rosie was standing in the doorway, Nesta, wearing one of Delia’s nightgowns, in her arms.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading She glanced swiftly at the clock; then jumped out of bed.

baby'snounUS /ˈbeɪbiz/

possessive form of “baby” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading She glanced swiftly at the clock; then jumped out of bed.

BrinenounUS /braɪn/

water containing salts

From this reading “You never woke me up, Rosie Brine,” Maida accused her friend.

clocknounUS /klɑːk/

a timepiece that shows the time of day

From this reading She glanced swiftly at the clock; then jumped out of bed.

cryverbUS /kraɪ/

utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading It was not however a sick cry; it was a sleepy cry.

cryingadjectiveUS /ˈkraɪɪŋ/

demanding attention

From this reading SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

Delia's

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

From this reading Rosie was standing in the doorway, Nesta, wearing one of Delia’s nightgowns, in her arms.

doorwaynounUS /ˈdɔːrweɪ/

the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close

From this reading Rosie was standing in the doorway, Nesta, wearing one of Delia’s nightgowns, in her arms.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading “You never woke me up, Rosie Brine,” Maida accused her friend.

glancedverbUS /ɡlænst/

past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading She glanced swiftly at the clock; then jumped out of bed.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Rosie was standing in the doorway, Nesta, wearing one of Delia’s nightgowns, in her arms.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading It was not however a sick cry; it was a sleepy cry.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Rosie was standing in the doorway, Nesta, wearing one of Delia’s nightgowns, in her arms.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

jumpedverbUS /dʒʌmpt/

past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading She glanced swiftly at the clock; then jumped out of bed.

Maida

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

From this reading SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading “You never woke me up, Rosie Brine,” Maida accused her friend.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

Nesta

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

From this reading Rosie was standing in the doorway, Nesta, wearing one of Delia’s nightgowns, in her arms.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading “You never woke me up, Rosie Brine,” Maida accused her friend.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

nightgowns

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

From this reading Rosie was standing in the doorway, Nesta, wearing one of Delia’s nightgowns, in her arms.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It was not however a sick cry; it was a sleepy cry.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Rosie was standing in the doorway, Nesta, wearing one of Delia’s nightgowns, in her arms.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading She glanced swiftly at the clock; then jumped out of bed.

Rosie

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

From this reading Rosie was standing in the doorway, Nesta, wearing one of Delia’s nightgowns, in her arms.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She glanced swiftly at the clock; then jumped out of bed.

sickadjectiveUS /sɪk/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading It was not however a sick cry; it was a sleepy cry.

SILVA'SnounUS /ˈsɪlvəz/

possessive form of “silva” — the forest trees growing in a country or region

From this reading SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

sleepyadjectiveUS /ˈsliːpi/

ready to fall asleep

From this reading It was not however a sick cry; it was a sleepy cry.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading Rosie was standing in the doorway, Nesta, wearing one of Delia’s nightgowns, in her arms.

STORYnounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

swiftlyadverbUS /ˈswɪftli/

in a swift manner

From this reading She glanced swiftly at the clock; then jumped out of bed.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading She glanced swiftly at the clock; then jumped out of bed.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

wearingnounUS /ˈwerɪŋ/

(geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it)

From this reading Rosie was standing in the doorway, Nesta, wearing one of Delia’s nightgowns, in her arms.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

wokeverbUS /woʊk/

inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading SILVA’S STORY When Maida woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a baby’s crying.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You never woke me up, Rosie Brine,” Maida accused her friend.

Chapter 23 of Maida's little house by Inez Haynes Gillmore holds 278 sentences, grouped into 56 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 23 of Maida's little house contain?

Chapter 23 holds 278 sentences of Maida's little house, unabridged, divided into 56 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of Maida's little house by Inez Haynes Gillmore exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 278 sentences, grouped into 56 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 23 of Maida's little house?

Work through the 56 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 56 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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.

Questions about reading Maida's little house

Common questions about reading Maida's little house by Inez Haynes Gillmore on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Maida's little house?

Yes. All 4043 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #69188 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Maida's little house is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #69188, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Maida's little house take to read?

About 336 minutes of reading across 809 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Maida's little house section by section

How to work through Maida's little house section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of Maida's little house to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Maida's little house

Words and structures a reader meets early in Maida's little house, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Maida's little house; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Maida
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Maida's little house; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Maida's little house; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
School
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Maida's little house; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.