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Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life
Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life is here in full — 95 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BIRDS.
Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.
At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.
"Seems to enjoy it," said Jean Thompson; "the worst sort of evidence.
If he showed distress of mind, it would not be so bad; but his calmness,--ugly feature."
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life 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
BIRDS.
/bɜːrdz/
Line 2
Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.
Line 3
At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.
Line 4
"Seems to enjoy it," said Jean Thompson; "the worst sort of evidence.
/siːmz tuː ˌenˈdʒɔɪ ɪt sed dʒiːn ˈtɑːmpsən ðə wɜːrst sɔːrt ʌv ˈevədəns/
Line 5
If he showed distress of mind, it would not be so bad; but his calmness,--ugly feature."

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.

calmness noun US /ˈkɑːmnəs/

steadiness of mind under stress

From this reading “If he showed distress of mind, it would not be so bad; but his calmness,--ugly feature."”

disappearance noun US /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns/

the act of leaving secretly or without explanation

From this reading “Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.”

favorable adjective US /ˈfeɪvərəbəl/

encouraging or approving or pleasing

From this reading “Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.”

patrol noun US /pəˈtroʊl/

a detachment used for security or reconnaissance

From this reading “At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.”

singly adverb US /ˈsɪŋɡli/

one by one; one at a time

From this reading “At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.”

symptom noun US /ˈsɪmptəm/

(medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease

From this reading “Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.”

Thompson noun US /ˈtɑːmpsən/

United States classical archaeologist (born in Canada) noted for leading the excavation of the Athenian agora (1906-2000)

From this reading “"Seems to enjoy it," said Jean Thompson; "the worst sort of evidence.”

unmolested adjective US /ˌʌnməˈlestɪd/

not interfered with, disturbed, or harmed

From this reading “At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.”

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 Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading If he showed distress of mind, it would not be so bad; but his calmness,--ugly feature."

BIRDSnounUS /bɜːrdz/

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading BIRDS.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

calmnessnounUS /ˈkɑːmnəs/

steadiness of mind under stress

From this reading If he showed distress of mind, it would not be so bad; but his calmness,--ugly feature."

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

daredverbUS /derd/

past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

disappearancenounUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns/

the act of leaving secretly or without explanation

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

distressnounUS /dɪˈstres/

psychological suffering

From this reading If he showed distress of mind, it would not be so bad; but his calmness,--ugly feature."

doorsnounUS /dɔːrz/

plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

enjoyverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪ/

derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading "Seems to enjoy it," said Jean Thompson; "the worst sort of evidence.

especiallyadverbUS /əˈspeʃli/

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

evidencenounUS /ˈevədəns/

your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

From this reading "Seems to enjoy it," said Jean Thompson; "the worst sort of evidence.

favorableadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪvərəbəl/

encouraging or approving or pleasing

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

featurenounUS /ˈfiːtʃər/

a prominent attribute or aspect of something

From this reading If he showed distress of mind, it would not be so bad; but his calmness,--ugly feature."

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

guardnounUS /ɡɑːrd/

a person who keeps watch over something or someone

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading If he showed distress of mind, it would not be so bad; but his calmness,--ugly feature."

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

instancenounUS /ˈɪnstəns/

an occurrence of something

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Seems to enjoy it," said Jean Thompson; "the worst sort of evidence.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

JeannounUS /dʒiːn/

a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric

From this reading "Seems to enjoy it," said Jean Thompson; "the worst sort of evidence.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

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

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading If he showed distress of mind, it would not be so bad; but his calmness,--ugly feature."

MonsieurnounUS /məˈsjɜːr/

used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

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

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

noticenounUS /ˈnoʊtəs/

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

others

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

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

patrolnounUS /pəˈtroʊl/

a detachment used for security or reconnaissance

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Seems to enjoy it," said Jean Thompson; "the worst sort of evidence.

SeemsverbUS /siːmz/

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading "Seems to enjoy it," said Jean Thompson; "the worst sort of evidence.

showedverbUS /ʃoʊd/

past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading If he showed distress of mind, it would not be so bad; but his calmness,--ugly feature."

signnounUS /saɪn/

a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

singlyadverbUS /ˈsɪŋɡli/

one by one; one at a time

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

sky-gazing

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

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

slowadjectiveUS /sloʊ/

not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading If he showed distress of mind, it would not be so bad; but his calmness,--ugly feature."

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading "Seems to enjoy it," said Jean Thompson; "the worst sort of evidence.

symptomnounUS /ˈsɪmptəm/

(medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

ThompsonnounUS /ˈtɑːmpsən/

United States classical archaeologist (born in Canada) noted for leading the excavation of the Athenian agora (1906-2000)

From this reading "Seems to enjoy it," said Jean Thompson; "the worst sort of evidence.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

uglyadjectiveUS /ˈʌɡli/

displeasing to the senses

From this reading If he showed distress of mind, it would not be so bad; but his calmness,--ugly feature."

unmolestedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnməˈlestɪd/

not interfered with, disturbed, or harmed

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

Vigneville

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

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

wakefulnessnoun

a periodic state during which you are conscious and aware of the world

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

walknounUS /wɔːk/

the act of traveling by foot

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

well-nighadverb

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

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading Monsieur Vigneville looked in at no more doors or windows; but if the disappearance of this symptom was a favorable sign, others came to notice which were especially bad,--for instance, wakefulness.

worstnounUS /wɜːrst/

the least favorable outcome

From this reading "Seems to enjoy it," said Jean Thompson; "the worst sort of evidence.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading At well-nigh any hour of the night, the city guard, which itself dared not patrol singly, would meet him on his slow, unmolested, sky-gazing walk.

Chapter 9 of Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life by George Washington Cable 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 9 of Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life contain?

Chapter 9 holds 95 sentences of Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life by George Washington Cable 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 9 of Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life?

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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life

Common questions about reading Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life by George Washington Cable on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 4137 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10234 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #10234, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 344 minutes of reading across 828 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life

Words and structures a reader meets early in Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Madame
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Delphine
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
During
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.