adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
amusementsnounUS /əˈmjuːzmənts/
plural of “amusement” — a feeling of delight at being entertained
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
AsconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
attendverbUS /əˈtend/
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
barefootedadjective
without shoes
From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
becameverbUS /bɪˈkeɪm/
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
burningnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/
the act of burning something
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
chancesnounUS /ˈtʃænsəz/
plural of “chance” — a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
choresnounUS /tʃɔːrz/
plural of “chore” — a specific piece of work required to be done as a duty or for a specific fee
From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
comelyadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmli/
according with custom or propriety
From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
confinedadjectiveUS /kənˈfaɪnd/
not invading healthy tissue
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
cookedadjectiveUS /kʊkt/
having been prepared for eating by the application of heat
From this reading No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.
coursenounUS /kɔːrs/
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.
cropnounUS /krɑːp/
the yield from plants in a single growing season
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
daughternounUS /ˈdɔːtər/
a female human offspring
From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
day'snounUS /deɪz/
possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
easieradjectiveUS /ˈiːziər/
comparative of “easy” — posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
EggernounUS /ˈeɡər/
moth having nonfunctional mouthparts as adults; larvae feed on tree foliage and spin egg-shaped cocoons
From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
existencenounUS /eɡˈzɪstəns/
the state or fact of existing
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
exploreverbUS /ɪkˈsplɔːr/
inquire into
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
factnounUS /fækt/
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/
start firing a weapon
From this reading No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
fortnightnounUS /ˈfɔːrtnaɪt/
a period of fourteen consecutive days
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
frontnounUS /frʌnt/
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
gossipnounUS /ˈɡɑːsəp/
light informal conversation for social occasions
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading No sign of it there.
kitchennounUS /ˈkɪtʃən/
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
knockedverbUS /nɑːkt/
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
limitedadjectiveUS /ˈlɪmətəd/
small in range or scope
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
meditateverbUS /ˈmedəteɪt/
reflect deeply on a subject
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
meetingnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
men-folks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
milkingverbUS /ˈmɪlkɪŋ/
-ing form of “milk” — take milk from female mammals
From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/
a form of address for a man
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
mulesnounUS /mjuːlz/
plural of “mule” — hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse; usually sterile
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
neighborhoodnounUS /ˈneɪbərhʊd/
a surrounding or nearby region
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
offadverbUS /ɔːf/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
onceadverbUS /wʌns/
on one occasion
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
passedverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
porchnounUS /pɔːrtʃ/
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
pricenounUS /praɪs/
the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
prospectnounUS /ˈprɑːspekt/
the possibility of future success
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
religiousadjectiveUS /rɪˈlɪdʒəs/
concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
scantyadjectiveUS /ˈskænti/
lacking in magnitude or quantity
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
seemedverbUS /siːmd/
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
signnounUS /saɪn/
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
sitverbUS /sɪt/
be seated
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
statenounUS /steɪt/
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/
not in physical motion
From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
stovenounUS /stoʊv/
a kitchen appliance used for cooking food
From this reading No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.
sunnounUS /sʌn/
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
suppernounUS /ˈsʌpər/
a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
waitverbUS /weɪt/
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
wentverbUS /went/
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/
belonging to which person
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
workverbUS /wɜːrk/
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
