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My Little Sister
My Little Sister

Chapter XXII

Chapter 22 of My Little Sister is here in full — 95 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for My Little Sister
Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.
And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.
The cart had been ordered to go for Madame Aurore at 9:42.
Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.
I had something particular to finish in the garden.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

My Little Sister

Chapter XXII

Chapter 22 of My Little Sister is here in full — 95 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.
Line 2
And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.
Line 3
The cart had been ordered to go for Madame Aurore at 9:42.
Line 4
Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.
Line 5
I had something particular to finish in the garden.
/aɪ hæd ˈsʌmθɪŋ pərˈtɪkjələr tuː ˈfɪnɪʃ ɪn ðə ˈɡɑːrdən/

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.

cart noun US /kɑːrt/

a heavy open wagon usually having two wheels and drawn by an animal

From this reading “The cart had been ordered to go for Madame Aurore at 9:42.”

dreaming noun US /ˈdriːmɪŋ/

imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake

From this reading “PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.”

hats noun US /hæts/

plural of “hat” — headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim

From this reading “Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.”

Monday noun US /ˈmʌndi/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading “And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.”

planting noun US /ˈplæntɪŋ/

the act of fixing firmly in place

From this reading “PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.”

scorned adjective US /skɔːrnd/

treated with dislike or contempt

From this reading “Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.”

thyme noun US /θaɪm/

any of various mints of the genus Thymus

From this reading “PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.”

trimming noun US /ˈtrɪmɪŋ/

the act of adding decoration

From this reading “Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

few days adjective + noun

In this reading “PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.”

in spite preposition + noun

In this reading “And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.”

said good-bye adjective + noun

In this reading “PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.”

set about verb + particle

begin to deal with

In this reading “Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.”

in the garden preposition + article + noun counted as “in … garden”

In this reading “I had something particular to finish in the garden.”

All words in this reading · 70

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.

42

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

From this reading The cart had been ordered to go for Madame Aurore at 9:42.

9

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

From this reading The cart had been ordered to go for Madame Aurore at 9:42.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The cart had been ordered to go for Madame Aurore at 9:42.

Aurore

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

From this reading The cart had been ordered to go for Madame Aurore at 9:42.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The cart had been ordered to go for Madame Aurore at 9:42.

Bettina

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

From this reading Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.

breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

cartnounUS /kɑːrt/

a heavy open wagon usually having two wheels and drawn by an animal

From this reading The cart had been ordered to go for Madame Aurore at 9:42.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

DirectlyadverbUS /dərˈektli/

without deviation

From this reading Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.

dreamingnounUS /ˈdriːmɪŋ/

imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

Eric

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

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

facingnounUS /ˈfeɪsɪŋ/

a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening

From this reading And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.

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 PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

finishverbUS /ˈfɪnɪʃ/

come or bring to a finish or an end

From this reading I had something particular to finish in the garden.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading I had something particular to finish in the garden.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading The cart had been ordered to go for Madame Aurore at 9:42.

good-byenounUS /ɡɪdˈbaɪ/

a farewell remark

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The cart had been ordered to go for Madame Aurore at 9:42.

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.

hatsnounUS /hæts/

plural of “hat” — headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim

From this reading Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.

ignorantadjectiveUS /ˈɪɡnərənt/

uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication

From this reading And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

MadamenounUS /ˈmædəm/

title used for a married Frenchwoman

From this reading The cart had been ordered to go for Madame Aurore at 9:42.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.

MondaynounUS /ˈmʌndi/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

orderedadjectiveUS /ˈɔːrdərd/

having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule

From this reading The cart had been ordered to go for Madame Aurore at 9:42.

particularadjectiveUS /pərˈtɪkjələr/

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading I had something particular to finish in the garden.

partingnounUS /ˈpɑːrtɪŋ/

the act of departing politely

From this reading And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.

PLANTINGnounUS /ˈplæntɪŋ/

the act of fixing firmly in place

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

scornedadjectiveUS /skɔːrnd/

treated with dislike or contempt

From this reading Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading I had something particular to finish in the garden.

spitenounUS /spaɪt/

feeling a need to see others suffer

From this reading And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And so, ignorant of what I was facing, I was almost happy in spite of the parting, because of what Eric said to me that last Monday morning.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

THYMEnounUS /θaɪm/

any of various mints of the genus Thymus

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

trimmingnounUS /ˈtrɪmɪŋ/

the act of adding decoration

From this reading Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading PLANTING THYME The morning she came was the morning Eric said good-bye "just for a few days," he dreaming, as little as we, of what those few days were to bring.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Directly after breakfast my mother and Bettina set about trimming hats--a business in which they scorned my help.

Chapter 22 of My Little Sister by Elizabeth Robins holds 95 sentences, grouped into 19 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 22 of My Little Sister contain?

Chapter 22 holds 95 sentences of My Little Sister, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 22 of My Little Sister by Elizabeth Robins exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 95 sentences, grouped into 19 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 22 of My Little Sister?

Work through the 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 19 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 22 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 22 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 My Little Sister

Common questions about reading My Little Sister by Elizabeth Robins on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of My Little Sister?

Yes. All 5145 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36220 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of My Little Sister is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36220, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does My Little Sister take to read?

About 428 minutes of reading across 1029 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read My Little Sister section by section

How to work through My Little Sister section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 34 chapters of My Little Sister 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 My Little Sister

Words and structures a reader meets early in My Little Sister, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Under
A word that appears in the opening chapter of My Little Sister; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Woman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of My Little Sister; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Writer's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of My Little Sister; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
League
A word that appears in the opening chapter of My Little Sister; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.