Chapter 8 of Memoirs of a Midget is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Memoirs of a Midget is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago. Not that I accept the _word_, Mr Crimble, the 'afflictions,' I mean. And as for appearances, why they are _everything_, aren't they?" I gave him as cordial an imitation of a smile as I could. "No, no, no; yes, yes, yes," said Mr Crimble rapidly.
Chapter 8 of Memoirs of a Midget is here in full — 408 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.
consider or hold as true
From this reading “Not that I accept the _word_, Mr Crimble, the 'afflictions,' I mean.”
plural of “affliction” — a state of great suffering and distress due to adversity
From this reading “Not that I accept the _word_, Mr Crimble, the 'afflictions,' I mean.”
plural of “appearance” — outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading “And as for appearances, why they are _everything_, aren't they?"”
diffusing warmth and friendliness
From this reading “I gave him as cordial an imitation of a smile as I could.”
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading “"My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.”
any woman who serves as a sponsor for a child at baptism
From this reading “"My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.”
the doctrine that representations of nature or human behavior should be accurate imitations
From this reading “I gave him as cordial an imitation of a smile as I could.”
with speed
From this reading “"No, no, no; yes, yes, yes," said Mr Crimble rapidly.”
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.
In this reading “"My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.”
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 "My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.
consider or hold as true
From this reading Not that I accept the _word_, Mr Crimble, the 'afflictions,' I mean.
plural of “affliction” — a state of great suffering and distress due to adversity
From this reading Not that I accept the _word_, Mr Crimble, the 'afflictions,' I mean.
in the past
From this reading "My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I gave him as cordial an imitation of a smile as I could.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And as for appearances, why they are _everything_, aren't they?"
plural of “appearance” — outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading And as for appearances, why they are _everything_, aren't they?"
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And as for appearances, why they are _everything_, aren't they?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And as for appearances, why they are _everything_, aren't they?"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading And as for appearances, why they are _everything_, aren't they?"
diffusing warmth and friendliness
From this reading I gave him as cordial an imitation of a smile as I could.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I gave him as cordial an imitation of a smile as I could.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Not that I accept the _word_, Mr Crimble, the 'afflictions,' I mean.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading And as for appearances, why they are _everything_, aren't they?"
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading "My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading "My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And as for appearances, why they are _everything_, aren't they?"
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading I gave him as cordial an imitation of a smile as I could.
any woman who serves as a sponsor for a child at baptism
From this reading "My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I gave him as cordial an imitation of a smile as I could.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.
the doctrine that representations of nature or human behavior should be accurate imitations
From this reading I gave him as cordial an imitation of a smile as I could.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading "My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading Not that I accept the _word_, Mr Crimble, the 'afflictions,' I mean.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading "My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Not that I accept the _word_, Mr Crimble, the 'afflictions,' I mean.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.
not any; not one
From this reading "No, no, no; yes, yes, yes," said Mr Crimble rapidly.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not that I accept the _word_, Mr Crimble, the 'afflictions,' I mean.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I gave him as cordial an imitation of a smile as I could.
with speed
From this reading "No, no, no; yes, yes, yes," said Mr Crimble rapidly.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading I gave him as cordial an imitation of a smile as I could.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Not that I accept the _word_, Mr Crimble, the 'afflictions,' I mean.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And as for appearances, why they are _everything_, aren't they?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "My godmother," I interposed, "said exactly that in a letter to me a few months ago.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading And as for appearances, why they are _everything_, aren't they?"
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Not that I accept the _word_, Mr Crimble, the 'afflictions,' I mean.
an affirmative
From this reading "No, no, no; yes, yes, yes," said Mr Crimble rapidly.
Chapter 8 of Memoirs of a Midget by Walter [Adapter] De la Mare holds 408 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 8 holds 408 sentences of Memoirs of a Midget, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Memoirs of a Midget by Walter [Adapter] De la Mare exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 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 8 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 Memoirs of a Midget by Walter [Adapter] De la Mare on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9303 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39122 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #39122, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1861 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Memoirs of a Midget section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of Memoirs of a Midget 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 Memoirs of a Midget, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
