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Mary Marston
Mary Marston

Chapter XXXVII · Chapter 37

Chapter 37 of Mary Marston is here in full — 500 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/100 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A SUMMONS.
One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.
"Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.
"Mr. Mewks gave it me," said Jemima.
"He didn't say whom it was from."
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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.

Mary Marston

Chapter XXXVII · Chapter 37

Chapter 37 of Mary Marston is here in full — 500 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/100 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A SUMMONS.
/ə ˈsʌmənz/
Line 2
One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.
Line 3
"Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.
/huːm ɪz ðɪs frʌm æskt ˈmeri wɪð ðə ˈjuːʒəwəl ˈhjuːmən weɪst ʌv ˌɪnˈkwaɪriː ˈsiːɪŋ ʃiː held ðə ˈʃʊrɪst ˈænsər ɪn hɜːr hænd/
Line 4
"Mr. Mewks gave it me," said Jemima.
Line 5
"He didn't say whom it was from."

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.

begging noun US /ˈbeɡɪŋ/

a solicitation for money or food (especially in the street by an apparently penniless person)

From this reading “One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.”

greeting noun US /ˈɡriːtɪŋ/

(usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)

From this reading “One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.”

inquiry noun US /ˌɪnˈkwaɪriː/

a search for knowledge

From this reading “"Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.”

kite noun US /kaɪt/

a bank check that has been fraudulently altered to increase its face value

From this reading “One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.”

string noun US /strɪŋ/

a lightweight cord

From this reading “One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.”

summons noun US /ˈsʌmənz/

a request to be present

From this reading “A SUMMONS.”

surest adjective US /ˈʃʊrɪst/

superlative of “sure” — having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading “"Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.”

warmth noun US /wɔːrmθ/

the sensation caused by heat energy

From this reading “One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.”

All words in this reading · 82

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 A SUMMONS.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading "Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

beggingnounUS /ˈbeɡɪŋ/

a solicitation for money or food (especially in the street by an apparently penniless person)

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

didn't

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

From this reading "He didn't say whom it was from."

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

Durnmelling

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

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/

apart from; not including

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

flyverbUS /flaɪ/

travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

friendshipnounUS /ˈfrendʃɪp/

the state of being friends (or friendly)

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

greetingnounUS /ˈɡriːtɪŋ/

(usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading "Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "He didn't say whom it was from."

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading "Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading "Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

inquirynounUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪriː/

a search for knowledge

From this reading "Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Mr. Mewks gave it me," said Jemima.

Jemima

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

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

kitenounUS /kaɪt/

a bank check that has been fraudulently altered to increase its face value

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

MarynounUS /ˈmeri/

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading "Mr. Mewks gave it me," said Jemima.

Mewks

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

From this reading "Mr. Mewks gave it me," said Jemima.

monthnounUS /mʌnθ/

one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading "Mr. Mewks gave it me," said Jemima.

nobodypronounUS /ˈnoʊbɑːdiː/

no person; not anyone

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Mr. Mewks gave it me," said Jemima.

SaturdaynounUS /ˈsætərdi/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading "He didn't say whom it was from."

scarceadverbUS /skers/

only a very short time before

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

seeingnounUS /ˈsiːɪŋ/

perception by means of the eyes

From this reading "Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading "Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.

shopverbUS /ʃɑːp/

do one's shopping

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

sleepiest

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

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

stringnounUS /strɪŋ/

a lightweight cord

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

SUMMONSnounUS /ˈsʌmənz/

a request to be present

From this reading A SUMMONS.

surestadjectiveUS /ˈʃʊrɪst/

superlative of “sure” — having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading "Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading "Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading "Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.

warmthnounUS /wɔːrmθ/

the sensation caused by heat energy

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

wastenounUS /weɪst/

any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted

From this reading "Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

WhompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Whom is this from?" asked Mary, with the usual human waste of inquiry, seeing she held the surest answer in her hand.

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading One hot Saturday afternoon, in the sleepiest time of the day, when nothing was doing; and nobody in the shop, except a poor boy who had come begging for some string to help him fly his kite, though for the last month wind had been more scarce than string, Jemima came in from Durnmelling, and, greeting Mary with the warmth of the friendship that had always been true between them, gave her a letter.

Chapter 37 of Mary Marston by George MacDonald holds 500 sentences, grouped into 100 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 37 of Mary Marston contain?

Chapter 37 holds 500 sentences of Mary Marston, unabridged, divided into 100 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 37 of Mary Marston by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 500 sentences, grouped into 100 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 37 of Mary Marston?

Work through the 100 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 100 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 37 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 37 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 Mary Marston

Common questions about reading Mary Marston by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mary Marston?

Yes. All 8187 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8201 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mary Marston is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #8201, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Mary Marston take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1638 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Mary Marston section by section

How to work through Mary Marston section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Mary Marston 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 Mary Marston

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mary Marston, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Customers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mary Marston; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Saturday
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mary Marston; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Neighboring
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mary Marston; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Villages
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mary Marston; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.