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Poor and Proud
Poor and Proud

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Poor and Proud is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Poor and Proud
Context Illustration Reading 1/9 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
KATY GOES TO CHURCH, AND HAS A BIRTHDAY PARTY.
Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.
I suppose, therefore, that my young friends will need to be introduced to Miss Redburn.
There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.
She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Poor and Proud

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Poor and Proud is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
KATY GOES TO CHURCH, AND HAS A BIRTHDAY PARTY.
Line 2
Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.
Line 3
I suppose, therefore, that my young friends will need to be introduced to Miss Redburn.
Line 4
There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.
Line 5
She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

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.

Merchant noun US /ˈmɜːr.tʃənt/

A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.

From this reading “Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.”

All words in this reading · 84

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.

A

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

From this reading KATY GOES TO CHURCH, AND HAS A BIRTHDAY PARTY.

absurd

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

AND

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

From this reading KATY GOES TO CHURCH, AND HAS A BIRTHDAY PARTY.

any

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

apartment

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

at

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

be

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

From this reading I suppose, therefore, that my young friends will need to be introduced to Miss Redburn.

beautiful

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

BIRTHDAY

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

From this reading KATY GOES TO CHURCH, AND HAS A BIRTHDAY PARTY.

candy

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

From this reading Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.

care

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

change

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

From this reading Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.

child

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

From this reading Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.

CHURCH

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

From this reading KATY GOES TO CHURCH, AND HAS A BIRTHDAY PARTY.

done

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

else

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

enough

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

From this reading Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.

fine

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

From this reading Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.

for

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

friends

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

From this reading I suppose, therefore, that my young friends will need to be introduced to Miss Redburn.

girl

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

GOES

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

From this reading KATY GOES TO CHURCH, AND HAS A BIRTHDAY PARTY.

had

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

hangs

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

HAS

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

From this reading KATY GOES TO CHURCH, AND HAS A BIRTHDAY PARTY.

her

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

heroine

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

I

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

From this reading I suppose, therefore, that my young friends will need to be introduced to Miss Redburn.

in

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

into

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

From this reading Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.

introduced

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

From this reading I suppose, therefore, that my young friends will need to be introduced to Miss Redburn.

is

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

From this reading Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.

it

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

KATY

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

From this reading KATY GOES TO CHURCH, AND HAS A BIRTHDAY PARTY.

lady

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

From this reading Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.

like

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

little

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

From this reading Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.

long

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

From this reading Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.

looks

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

matron

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

merchantnounUS /ˈmɜːr.tʃənt/

A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.

From this reading Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.

mischievous

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

Miss

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

From this reading I suppose, therefore, that my young friends will need to be introduced to Miss Redburn.

mother

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

my

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

From this reading I suppose, therefore, that my young friends will need to be introduced to Miss Redburn.

need

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

From this reading I suppose, therefore, that my young friends will need to be introduced to Miss Redburn.

neither

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

no

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

not

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

of

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

one

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

only

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

PARTY

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

From this reading KATY GOES TO CHURCH, AND HAS A BIRTHDAY PARTY.

picture

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

pleasant

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

Redburn

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

From this reading I suppose, therefore, that my young friends will need to be introduced to Miss Redburn.

romance

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

she

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

side

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

sits

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

still

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

Street

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

supported

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

suppose

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

From this reading I suppose, therefore, that my young friends will need to be introduced to Miss Redburn.

taken

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

Temple

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

Ten

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

From this reading Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.

that

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

From this reading I suppose, therefore, that my young friends will need to be introduced to Miss Redburn.

the

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

From this reading Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.

There

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

therefore

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

From this reading I suppose, therefore, that my young friends will need to be introduced to Miss Redburn.

thing

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

though

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

time

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

From this reading Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.

TO

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

From this reading KATY GOES TO CHURCH, AND HAS A BIRTHDAY PARTY.

very

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

was

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

when

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

From this reading She is not beautiful enough to be the heroine of a romance, neither has she done any absurd thing; she has only supported her mother when she had no one else to care for her.

where

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

whom

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

From this reading There she sits in the pleasant apartment in Temple Street, where the picture of the mischievous girl still hangs, though it looks very little like the matron at her side, for whom it was taken.

will

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

From this reading I suppose, therefore, that my young friends will need to be introduced to Miss Redburn.

woman

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

From this reading Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.

years

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

From this reading Ten years is a long time--long enough to change the child into a woman, the little candy merchant into a fine lady.

young

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

From this reading I suppose, therefore, that my young friends will need to be introduced to Miss Redburn.

Chapter 21 of Poor and Proud by Oliver Optic holds 48 sentences, grouped into 10 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 21 of Poor and Proud contain?

Chapter 21 holds 48 sentences of Poor and Proud, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of Poor and Proud by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 48 sentences, grouped into 10 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 21 of Poor and Proud?

Work through the 10 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 10 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Poor and Proud

Common questions about reading Poor and Proud by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Poor and Proud?

Yes. All 2764 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #484 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Poor and Proud is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #484, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Poor and Proud take to read?

About 230 minutes of reading across 553 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Poor and Proud section by section

How to work through Poor and Proud section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of Poor and Proud 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 Poor and Proud

Words and structures a reader meets early in Poor and Proud, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Redburn
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poor and Proud; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Others
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poor and Proud; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Introduced
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poor and Proud; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Flounder
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poor and Proud; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.