Chapter 16 of Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!" He avoided her gaze, and went on cleaning his gun. "I'm fixed here, you know. This suits me." "I hope you are not serious, my son."
Chapter 16 of Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
state capital of Texas on the Colorado River; site of the University of Texas
From this reading “"Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"”
past form of “avoid” — stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading “He avoided her gaze, and went on cleaning his gun.”
the act of making something clean
From this reading “He avoided her gaze, and went on cleaning his gun.”
a long fixed look
From this reading “He avoided her gaze, and went on cleaning his gun.”
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading “He avoided her gaze, and went on cleaning his gun.”
having or showing great strength or force or intensity
From this reading “"Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"”
past form of “muse” — reflect deeply on a subject
From this reading “"Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"”
plural of “suit” — a set of garments (usually including a jacket and trousers or skirt) for outerwear all of the same fabric and color
From this reading “This suits me."”
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.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He avoided her gaze, and went on cleaning his gun.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "I hope you are not serious, my son."
state capital of Texas on the Colorado River; site of the University of Texas
From this reading "Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"
past form of “avoid” — stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading He avoided her gaze, and went on cleaning his gun.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"
the act of making something clean
From this reading He avoided her gaze, and went on cleaning his gun.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading "Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading "I'm fixed here, you know.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"
a long fixed look
From this reading He avoided her gaze, and went on cleaning his gun.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading He avoided her gaze, and went on cleaning his gun.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He avoided her gaze, and went on cleaning his gun.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He avoided her gaze, and went on cleaning his gun.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "I'm fixed here, you know.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He avoided her gaze, and went on cleaning his gun.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading "I hope you are not serious, my son."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I hope you are not serious, my son."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm fixed here, you know.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading "Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "I'm fixed here, you know.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"
having or showing great strength or force or intensity
From this reading "Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"
past form of “muse” — reflect deeply on a subject
From this reading "Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I hope you are not serious, my son."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I hope you are not serious, my son."
not one thing; not anything
From this reading "Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He avoided her gaze, and went on cleaning his gun.
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading "I hope you are not serious, my son."
a male human offspring
From this reading "I hope you are not serious, my son."
plural of “suit” — a set of garments (usually including a jacket and trousers or skirt) for outerwear all of the same fabric and color
From this reading This suits me."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This suits me."
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading "Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He avoided her gaze, and went on cleaning his gun.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Mighty kind of Uncle William," mused Austin, "but of course there's nothing in it for me!"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I'm fixed here, you know.
Chapter 16 of Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby by Kathleen Thompson Norris holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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.
Chapter 16 holds 418 sentences of Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby by Kathleen Thompson Norris exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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.
Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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.
Common questions about reading Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby by Kathleen Thompson Norris on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6931 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4348 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4348, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 577 minutes of reading across 1387 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
