Miss Billy's Decision

Chapter XXIX · Chapter 29

Chapter 29 of Miss Billy's Decision is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter • Curated US English Learning Edition

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Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure.

He was sure that he knew it on the evening of the twentieth when he encountered the swiftly averted eyes of some of his artist friends, and saw the perplexed frown on the faces of others.

But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days.

There was praise--oh, yes; the faint praise that kills.

There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

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Chapter XXIX Reading 1/27

Miss Billy's Decision Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter

Chapter XXIX

Chapter 29

Chapter 29 of Miss Billy's Decision is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure. He was sure that he knew it on the evening of the twentieth when he encountered the swiftly averted eyes of some of his artist friends, and saw the perplexed frown on the faces of others. But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days. There was praise--oh, yes; the faint praise that kills. There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

Miss Billy's Decision

Chapter XXIX · Chapter 29

Chapter 29 of Miss Billy's Decision is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure.

Line 2

He was sure that he knew it on the evening of the twentieth when he encountered the swiftly averted eyes of some of his artist friends, and saw the perplexed frown on the faces of others.

Line 3

But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days.

Line 4

There was praise--oh, yes; the faint praise that kills.

Line 5

There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

/ðer wɑːz sʌm ædˈvɜːrs ˈkrɪtɪsɪzəm tuː bʌt ɪt wɑːz ʌv ðə laɪt ˌɪnsɪnˈsɪr vərˈaɪəti ðæt ɪz ˈɡɪvən tuː ˌmiːdiˈoʊkər wɜːrk baɪ ənɪmˈpɔːrtənt ˈɑːrtɪsts/

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.

adverse adjective US /ædˈvɜːrs/

contrary to your interests or welfare

From this reading “There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.”

artists noun US /ˈɑːrtɪsts/

plural of “artist” — a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination

From this reading “There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.”

averted verb US /əˈvɜːrtɪd/

past form of “avert” — prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening

From this reading “He was sure that he knew it on the evening of the twentieth when he encountered the swiftly averted eyes of some of his artist friends, and saw the perplexed frown on the faces of others.”

insincere adjective US /ˌɪnsɪnˈsɪr/

lacking sincerity

From this reading “There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.”

kills noun US /kɪlz/

plural of “kill” — the act of terminating a life

From this reading “There was praise--oh, yes; the faint praise that kills.”

mediocre adjective US /ˌmiːdiˈoʊkər/

moderate to inferior in quality

From this reading “There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.”

twentieth noun US /ˈtwentiəθ/

position 20 in a countable series of things

unimportant adjective US /ənɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

not important

From this reading “There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.”

All words in this reading · 66

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 Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure.

adverseadjectiveUS /ædˈvɜːrs/

contrary to your interests or welfare

From this reading There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

afterwardsadverbUS /ˈæftərwərdz/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He was sure that he knew it on the evening of the twentieth when he encountered the swiftly averted eyes of some of his artist friends, and saw the perplexed frown on the faces of others.

artistnounUS /ˈɑːrtəst/

a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination

artistsnounUS /ˈɑːrtɪsts/

plural of “artist” — a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination

From this reading There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

avertedverbUS /əˈvɜːrtɪd/

past form of “avert” — prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure.

Bertram

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

From this reading Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

criticismnounUS /ˈkrɪtɪsɪzəm/

disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings

From this reading There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days.

encounteredverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntərd/

past form of “encounter” — come together

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

facesnounUS /ˈfeɪsəz/

plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

failurenounUS /ˈfeɪljər/

an act that fails

From this reading Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure.

faintadjectiveUS /feɪnt/

deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc

From this reading There was praise--oh, yes; the faint praise that kills.

fearedverbUS /fɪrd/

past form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days.

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

frownverbUS /fraʊn/

look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

hungverbUS /hʌŋ/

inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging

From this reading Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure.

insincereadjectiveUS /ˌɪnsɪnˈsɪr/

lacking sincerity

From this reading There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure.

killsnounUS /kɪlz/

plural of “kill” — the act of terminating a life

From this reading There was praise--oh, yes; the faint praise that kills.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

mediocreadjectiveUS /ˌmiːdiˈoʊkər/

moderate to inferior in quality

From this reading There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

newspapersnounUS /ˈnuːzpeɪpərz/

plural of “newspaper” — a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements

From this reading But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

ohnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading There was praise--oh, yes; the faint praise that kills.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

others

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

perplexedadjectiveUS /pərˈplekst/

full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment

portraitnounUS /ˈpɔːrtrət/

a word picture of a person's appearance and character

From this reading Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure.

praisenounUS /preɪz/

an expression of approval and commendation

From this reading There was praise--oh, yes; the faint praise that kills.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

swiftlyadverbUS /ˈswɪftli/

in a swift manner

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was praise--oh, yes; the faint praise that kills.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

twentiethnounUS /ˈtwentiəθ/

position 20 in a countable series of things

unimportantadjectiveUS /ənɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

not important

From this reading There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

varietynounUS /vərˈaɪəti/

a collection containing a variety of sorts of things

From this reading There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.

yesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading There was praise--oh, yes; the faint praise that kills.

Chapter 29 of Miss Billy's Decision by Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter holds 138 sentences, grouped into 28 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 29 of Miss Billy's Decision contain?

Chapter 29 holds 138 sentences of Miss Billy's Decision, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 29 of Miss Billy's Decision by Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 138 sentences, grouped into 28 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 29 of Miss Billy's Decision?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 29 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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #362, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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Chapter XXIX · Chapter 29

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