Chapter 40 of Mary Marston is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XL
Chapter 40 of Mary Marston is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE END OF THE BEGINNING. Joseph Jasper and Mary Marston were married the next summer. Mary did not leave her shop, nor did Joseph leave his forge. Mary was proud of her husband, not merely because he was a musician, but because he was a blacksmith. For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.
Chapter 40 of Mary Marston is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 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.
a smith who forges and shapes iron with a hammer and anvil
From this reading “Mary was proud of her husband, not merely because he was a musician, but because he was a blacksmith.”
create by hammering
From this reading “Mary did not leave her shop, nor did Joseph leave his forge.”
having an illustrious reputation; respected
From this reading “For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.”
an opaque form of quartz; red or yellow or brown or dark green in color; used for ornamentation or as a gemstone
From this reading “Joseph Jasper and Mary Marston were married the next summer.”
leader of the Nez Perce in their retreat from United States troops (1840-1904)
From this reading “Joseph Jasper and Mary Marston were married the next summer.”
the state of being a man; manly qualities
From this reading “For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.”
someone who plays a musical instrument (as a profession)
From this reading “Mary was proud of her husband, not merely because he was a musician, but because he was a blacksmith.”
do one's shopping
From this reading “Mary did not leave her shop, nor did Joseph leave his forge.”
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 Mary was proud of her husband, not merely because he was a musician, but because he was a blacksmith.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Joseph Jasper and Mary Marston were married the next summer.
for the reason that
From this reading Mary was proud of her husband, not merely because he was a musician, but because he was a blacksmith.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading THE END OF THE BEGINNING.
a smith who forges and shapes iron with a hammer and anvil
From this reading Mary was proud of her husband, not merely because he was a musician, but because he was a blacksmith.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Mary was proud of her husband, not merely because he was a musician, but because he was a blacksmith.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Mary did not leave her shop, nor did Joseph leave his forge.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading THE END OF THE BEGINNING.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.
create by hammering
From this reading Mary did not leave her shop, nor did Joseph leave his forge.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mary was proud of her husband, not merely because he was a musician, but because he was a blacksmith.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mary did not leave her shop, nor did Joseph leave his forge.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Mary did not leave her shop, nor did Joseph leave his forge.
having an illustrious reputation; respected
From this reading For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading Mary was proud of her husband, not merely because he was a musician, but because he was a blacksmith.
an opaque form of quartz; red or yellow or brown or dark green in color; used for ornamentation or as a gemstone
From this reading Joseph Jasper and Mary Marston were married the next summer.
leader of the Nez Perce in their retreat from United States troops (1840-1904)
From this reading Joseph Jasper and Mary Marston were married the next summer.
go away from a place
From this reading Mary did not leave her shop, nor did Joseph leave his forge.
the state of being a man; manly qualities
From this reading For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.
joined in matrimony
From this reading Joseph Jasper and Mary Marston were married the next summer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Joseph Jasper and Mary Marston were married the next summer.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading Joseph Jasper and Mary Marston were married the next summer.
and nothing more
From this reading Mary was proud of her husband, not merely because he was a musician, but because he was a blacksmith.
someone who plays a musical instrument (as a profession)
From this reading Mary was proud of her husband, not merely because he was a musician, but because he was a blacksmith.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Joseph Jasper and Mary Marston were married the next summer.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Mary did not leave her shop, nor did Joseph leave his forge.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Mary did not leave her shop, nor did Joseph leave his forge.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE END OF THE BEGINNING.
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading Mary was proud of her husband, not merely because he was a musician, but because he was a blacksmith.
precisely, exactly
From this reading For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.
do one's shopping
From this reading Mary did not leave her shop, nor did Joseph leave his forge.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading Joseph Jasper and Mary Marston were married the next summer.
To perceive flavor through the mouth.
From this reading For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE END OF THE BEGINNING.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mary was proud of her husband, not merely because he was a musician, but because he was a blacksmith.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Joseph Jasper and Mary Marston were married the next summer.
in the company of; together with
From this reading For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading For, with the true taste of a right woman, she honored the manhood that could do hard work.
Chapter 40 of Mary Marston by George MacDonald holds 179 sentences, grouped into 36 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 40 holds 179 sentences of Mary Marston, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 40 of Mary Marston by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 179 sentences, grouped into 36 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 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 36 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 40 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 Mary Marston by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8187 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8201 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #8201, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1638 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mary Marston section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Mary Marston 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 Mary Marston, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
