"Miss Lou"

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of "Miss Lou" is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Edward Payson Roe • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

There was an unwonted huskiness in Dr. Borden's voice, and Ackley, usually so grim and prompt, held the girl's hand lingeringly as he tried to make a joke about her defying him and the whole Confederacy.

It was a dismal failure.

Regarding him with her weary eyes, she said:

"Doctor, you had wit enough and heart enough to understand and subdue me.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXXI Reading 1/44

"Miss Lou"

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of "Miss Lou" is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

Line 2

Line 3

It was a dismal failure.

/ɪt wɑːz ə ˈdɪzməl ˈfeɪljər/

Line 4

Regarding him with her weary eyes, she said:

/rɪˈɡɑːrdɪŋ hɪm wɪð hɜːr ˈwɪri aɪz ʃiː sed/

Line 5

"Doctor, you had wit enough and heart enough to understand and subdue me.

/ˈdɑːktər juː hæd wɪt ɪˈnʌf ənd hɑːrt ɪˈnʌf tuː ˌʌndərˈstænd ənd səbˈduː miː/

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.

associated verb US /əˈsoʊsieɪtɪd/

past form of “associate” — make a logical or causal connection

From this reading “SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.”

Confederacy noun US /kənˈfedərəsi/

the southern states that seceded from the United States in 1861

From this reading “There was an unwonted huskiness in Dr. Borden's voice, and Ackley, usually so grim and prompt, held the girl's hand lingeringly as he tried to make a joke about her defying him and the whole Confederacy.”

defying verb US /dɪˈfaɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “defy” — resist or confront with resistance

dismal adjective US /ˈdɪzməl/

causing dejection

From this reading “It was a dismal failure.”

prompt verb US /prɑːmpt/

give an incentive for action

subdue verb US /səbˈduː/

put down by force or intimidation

From this reading “"Doctor, you had wit enough and heart enough to understand and subdue me.”

unexpectedly adverb US /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪdli/

in a way that was not expected

From this reading “SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.”

veranda noun US /vərˈændə/

a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)

From this reading “SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 There was an unwonted huskiness in Dr. Borden's voice, and Ackley, usually so grim and prompt, held the girl's hand lingeringly as he tried to make a joke about her defying him and the whole Confederacy.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

Ackley

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

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

associatedverbUS /əˈsoʊsieɪtɪd/

past form of “associate” — make a logical or causal connection

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

badenounUS /beɪd/

a Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

Borden's

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

ConfederacynounUS /kənˈfedərəsi/

the southern states that seceded from the United States in 1861

defyingverbUS /dɪˈfaɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “defy” — resist or confront with resistance

dismaladjectiveUS /ˈdɪzməl/

causing dejection

From this reading It was a dismal failure.

DoctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading "Doctor, you had wit enough and heart enough to understand and subdue me.

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

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading "Doctor, you had wit enough and heart enough to understand and subdue me.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Regarding him with her weary eyes, she said:

failurenounUS /ˈfeɪljər/

an act that fails

From this reading It was a dismal failure.

farewellnounUS /ˌferˈwel/

an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

girl'snounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

possessive form of “girl” — a young female

grimadjectiveUS /ɡrɪm/

not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading "Doctor, you had wit enough and heart enough to understand and subdue me.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

huskinessnoun

the property of being big and strong

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a dismal failure.

jokenounUS /dʒoʊk/

a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter

lingeringlyadverb

in a slow, leisurely or prolonged way

Lou

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

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading "Doctor, you had wit enough and heart enough to understand and subdue me.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

promptverbUS /prɑːmpt/

give an incentive for action

RegardingverbUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪŋ/

-ing form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading Regarding him with her weary eyes, she said:

SADadjectiveUS /sæd/

experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Regarding him with her weary eyes, she said:

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

strangelyadverbUS /ˈstreɪndʒli/

in a strange manner

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

subdueverbUS /səbˈduː/

put down by force or intimidation

From this reading "Doctor, you had wit enough and heart enough to understand and subdue me.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

TIDINGSnounUS /ˈtaɪdɪŋz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

triedadjectiveUS /traɪd/

tested and proved useful or correct

understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading "Doctor, you had wit enough and heart enough to understand and subdue me.

unexpectedlyadverbUS /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪdli/

in a way that was not expected

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

unwontedadjective

unaccustomed or unusual

usuallyadverbUS /ˈjuːʒəwəli/

under normal conditions

verandanounUS /vərˈændə/

a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

wearyverbUS /ˈwɪri/

exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress

From this reading Regarding him with her weary eyes, she said:

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

whompronounUS /huːm/

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

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

witnounUS /wɪt/

a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter

From this reading "Doctor, you had wit enough and heart enough to understand and subdue me.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading SAD TIDINGS That morning Miss Lou stood on the veranda and bade farewell, one after another, to those with whom she had been associated so strangely and unexpectedly.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Doctor, you had wit enough and heart enough to understand and subdue me.

Chapter 31 of "Miss Lou" by Edward Payson Roe holds 220 sentences, grouped into 44 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 31 of "Miss Lou" contain?

Chapter 31 holds 220 sentences of "Miss Lou", unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 31 of "Miss Lou" by Edward Payson Roe exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 220 sentences, grouped into 44 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 31 of "Miss Lou"?

Work through the 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 44 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 31 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 31 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 "Miss Lou"

Common questions about reading "Miss Lou" by Edward Payson Roe on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of "Miss Lou"?

Yes. All 6592 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5309 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of "Miss Lou" is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5309, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does "Miss Lou" take to read?

About 549 minutes of reading across 1319 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in "Miss Lou"

Words and structures a reader meets early in "Miss Lou", each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Moody: A word that appears in the opening chapter of "Miss Lou"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Following: A word that appears in the opening chapter of "Miss Lou"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

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