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Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People'
Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People'

Chapter XXIV · Chapter 24

Chapter 24 of Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People' is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Anna Balmer Myers • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People'
Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.
I haven't seen a robin or heard a song-sparrow.
Just the same, I've had a wonderful time these past weeks.
Of course my music gets first attention.
I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.
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.

Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People'

Chapter XXIV · Chapter 24

Chapter 24 of Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People' is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.
Line 2
I haven't seen a robin or heard a song-sparrow.
Line 3
Just the same, I've had a wonderful time these past weeks.
Line 4
Of course my music gets first attention.
/ʌv kɔːrs maɪ ˈmjuːzɪk ɡets fɜːrst əˈtenʃən/
Line 5
I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

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.

calendar noun US /ˈkæləndər/

a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year

From this reading “DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
declarations noun US /ˌdeklərˈeɪʃənz/

plural of “declaration” — a statement that is emphatic and explicit (spoken or written)

From this reading “DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
diary noun US /ˈdaɪəri/

a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations

From this reading “DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gets noun US /ɡets/

plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent

From this reading “Of course my music gets first attention.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
March verb US /mɑːrtʃ/

march in a procession

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
robin noun US /ˈrɑːbən/

small Old World songbird with a reddish breast

From this reading “I haven't seen a robin or heard a song-sparrow.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
singer noun US /ˈsɪŋər/

a person who sings

From this reading “I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
weeks noun US /wiːks/

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading “Just the same, I've had a wonderful time these past weeks.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 57

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.

22

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

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

Pending verification
adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading I haven't seen a robin or heard a song-sparrow.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
attentionnounUS /əˈtenʃən/

the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others

From this reading Of course my music gets first attention.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
becomeverbUS /bɪˈkʌm/

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
calendarnounUS /ˈkæləndər/

a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Of course my music gets first attention.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DECLARATIONSnounUS /ˌdeklərˈeɪʃənz/

plural of “declaration” — a statement that is emphatic and explicit (spoken or written)

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DIARYnounUS /ˈdaɪəri/

a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
didn't

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

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

Pending verification
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Of course my music gets first attention.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
getsnounUS /ɡets/

plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent

From this reading Of course my music gets first attention.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

From this reading I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Just the same, I've had a wonderful time these past weeks.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
haven't

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

From this reading I haven't seen a robin or heard a song-sparrow.

Pending verification
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading I haven't seen a robin or heard a song-sparrow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
I'd

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

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

Pending verification
I'm

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

From this reading I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

Pending verification
I've

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

From this reading Just the same, I've had a wonderful time these past weeks.

Pending verification
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JustadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Just the same, I've had a wonderful time these past weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MarchverbUS /mɑːrtʃ/

march in a procession

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
musicnounUS /ˈmjuːzɪk/

an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner

From this reading Of course my music gets first attention.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Of course my music gets first attention.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Of course my music gets first attention.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading I haven't seen a robin or heard a song-sparrow.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading Just the same, I've had a wonderful time these past weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
robinnounUS /ˈrɑːbən/

small Old World songbird with a reddish breast

From this reading I haven't seen a robin or heard a song-sparrow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading Just the same, I've had a wonderful time these past weeks.

Velmora curated lexicon
seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seenverbUS /siːn/

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

From this reading I haven't seen a robin or heard a song-sparrow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
singernounUS /ˈsɪŋər/

a person who sings

From this reading I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
song-sparrow

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

From this reading I haven't seen a robin or heard a song-sparrow.

Pending verification
SPRINGnounUS /sprɪŋ/

the season of growth

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading DIARY--DECLARATIONS _March 22._ SPRING is here but I'd never know it if I didn't read the calendar.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Just the same, I've had a wonderful time these past weeks.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Just the same, I've had a wonderful time these past weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
weeksnounUS /wiːks/

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Just the same, I've had a wonderful time these past weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
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 I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading I'm getting on well, though I'm beginning to see what a long, long time it will take before I become a great singer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading Just the same, I've had a wonderful time these past weeks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 24 of Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People' by Anna Balmer Myers holds 97 sentences, grouped into 20 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 24 of Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People' contain?

Chapter 24 holds 97 sentences of Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People', unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 24 of Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People' by Anna Balmer Myers exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 97 sentences, grouped into 20 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 24 of Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People'?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 24 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 24 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 Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People'

Common questions about reading Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People' by Anna Balmer Myers on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People'?

Yes. All 5696 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22827 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People' is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #22827, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People' take to read?

About 474 minutes of reading across 1140 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People' section by section

How to work through Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People' section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People'

Words and structures a reader meets early in Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People', each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Mother
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People'; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Father
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People'; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lovingly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People'; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Inscribed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People'; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.