Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Mr. Dooley's Philosophy
Mr. Dooley's Philosophy

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Mr. Dooley's Philosophy is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Mr. Dooley's Philosophy
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
O'Leary done well, an' she was a good wife to him.
She made money an' kept him sthraight an' started him for constable.
He won out, bein' a sthrong man.
Thin she got him to r-run f'r aldher-man, an' ye shud've seen her th' night he was inaugurated!
Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Mr. Dooley's Philosophy

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Mr. Dooley's Philosophy is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
O'Leary done well, an' she was a good wife to him.
Line 2
She made money an' kept him sthraight an' started him for constable.
Line 3
He won out, bein' a sthrong man.
Line 4
Thin she got him to r-run f'r aldher-man, an' ye shud've seen her th' night he was inaugurated!
Line 5
Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.

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.

chains noun US /tʃeɪnz/

metal shackles; for hands or legs

From this reading “Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.”

constable noun US /ˈkɑːnstəbəl/

a lawman with less authority and jurisdiction than a sheriff

From this reading “She made money an' kept him sthraight an' started him for constable.”

covered adjective US /ˈkʌvərd/

overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form

From this reading “Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.”

inaugurated verb US /ɪˈnɔːɡəreɪtɪd/

past form of “inaugurate” — commence officially

From this reading “Thin she got him to r-run f'r aldher-man, an' ye shud've seen her th' night he was inaugurated!”

pawnshop noun US /ˈpɔːnʃɑːp/

a shop where loans are made with personal property as security

From this reading “Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.”

Thin adjective US /θɪn/

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading “Thin she got him to r-run f'r aldher-man, an' ye shud've seen her th' night he was inaugurated!”

watches noun US /ˈwɑːtʃəz/

plural of “watch” — a small portable timepiece

From this reading “Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.”

won noun US /wʌn/

the basic unit of money in South Korea

From this reading “He won out, bein' a sthrong man.”

All words in this reading · 51

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 “O'Leary done well, an' she was a good wife to him.

aldher-man

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

From this reading Thin she got him to r-run f'r aldher-man, an' ye shud've seen her th' night he was inaugurated!

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading “O'Leary done well, an' she was a good wife to him.

Beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.

bein

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

From this reading He won out, bein' a sthrong man.

chainsnounUS /tʃeɪnz/

metal shackles; for hands or legs

From this reading Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.

constablenounUS /ˈkɑːnstəbəl/

a lawman with less authority and jurisdiction than a sheriff

From this reading She made money an' kept him sthraight an' started him for constable.

coveredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌvərd/

overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form

From this reading Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.

dimons

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

From this reading Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading “O'Leary done well, an' she was a good wife to him.

f'r

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

From this reading Thin she got him to r-run f'r aldher-man, an' ye shud've seen her th' night he was inaugurated!

fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading She made money an' kept him sthraight an' started him for constable.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading “O'Leary done well, an' she was a good wife to him.

goold

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

From this reading Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Thin she got him to r-run f'r aldher-man, an' ye shud've seen her th' night he was inaugurated!

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He won out, bein' a sthrong man.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Thin she got him to r-run f'r aldher-man, an' ye shud've seen her th' night he was inaugurated!

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading “O'Leary done well, an' she was a good wife to him.

Hinnissy

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

From this reading Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.

hivins

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

From this reading Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.

inauguratedverbUS /ɪˈnɔːɡəreɪtɪd/

past form of “inaugurate” — commence officially

From this reading Thin she got him to r-run f'r aldher-man, an' ye shud've seen her th' night he was inaugurated!

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading She made money an' kept him sthraight an' started him for constable.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading She made money an' kept him sthraight an' started him for constable.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading He won out, bein' a sthrong man.

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading She made money an' kept him sthraight an' started him for constable.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Thin she got him to r-run f'r aldher-man, an' ye shud've seen her th' night he was inaugurated!

O'Leary

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

From this reading “O'Leary done well, an' she was a good wife to him.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading He won out, bein' a sthrong man.

pawnshopnounUS /ˈpɔːnʃɑːp/

a shop where loans are made with personal property as security

From this reading Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.

r-run

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

From this reading Thin she got him to r-run f'r aldher-man, an' ye shud've seen her th' night he was inaugurated!

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Thin she got him to r-run f'r aldher-man, an' ye shud've seen her th' night he was inaugurated!

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading “O'Leary done well, an' she was a good wife to him.

shud've

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

From this reading Thin she got him to r-run f'r aldher-man, an' ye shud've seen her th' night he was inaugurated!

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading She made money an' kept him sthraight an' started him for constable.

sthraight

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

From this reading She made money an' kept him sthraight an' started him for constable.

sthrong

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

From this reading He won out, bein' a sthrong man.

thnounUS /ˈtiːˈeɪtʃ/

the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day

From this reading Thin she got him to r-run f'r aldher-man, an' ye shud've seen her th' night he was inaugurated!

ThinadjectiveUS /θɪn/

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading Thin she got him to r-run f'r aldher-man, an' ye shud've seen her th' night he was inaugurated!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “O'Leary done well, an' she was a good wife to him.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading “O'Leary done well, an' she was a good wife to him.

watchesnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃəz/

plural of “watch” — a small portable timepiece

From this reading Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading “O'Leary done well, an' she was a good wife to him.

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading “O'Leary done well, an' she was a good wife to him.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Be hivins, Hinnissy, she looked like a fire in a pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an' goold watches an' chains.

wonnounUS /wʌn/

the basic unit of money in South Korea

From this reading He won out, bein' a sthrong man.

yepronounUS /jiː/

an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person

From this reading Thin she got him to r-run f'r aldher-man, an' ye shud've seen her th' night he was inaugurated!

Chapter 4 of Mr. Dooley's Philosophy by Finley Peter Dunne holds 407 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.

What does chapter 4 of Mr. Dooley's Philosophy contain?

Chapter 4 holds 407 sentences of Mr. Dooley's Philosophy, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Mr. Dooley's Philosophy by Finley Peter Dunne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 407 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.

How do I study chapter 4 of Mr. Dooley's Philosophy?

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.

Can chapter 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Mr. Dooley's Philosophy

Common questions about reading Mr. Dooley's Philosophy by Finley Peter Dunne on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mr. Dooley's Philosophy?

Yes. All 2433 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7976 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mr. Dooley's Philosophy is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7976, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Mr. Dooley's Philosophy take to read?

About 202 minutes of reading across 487 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Mr. Dooley's Philosophy section by section

How to work through Mr. Dooley's Philosophy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 6 chapters of Mr. Dooley's Philosophy 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 Mr. Dooley's Philosophy

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mr. Dooley's Philosophy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Illustrated
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mr. Dooley's Philosophy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Opper
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mr. Dooley's Philosophy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hennessys
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mr. Dooley's Philosophy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
World
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mr. Dooley's Philosophy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.