Princess Sarah, and Other Stories

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Princess Sarah, and Other Stories is here in full — 51 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By John Strange Winter • Curated US English Learning Edition

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A FAMILY CATASTROPHE I am bound to say that Flossie’s brothers and sisters (and Sarah) received the news of her approaching departure from her father’s roof with unmixed feelings.

Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one.

Not a regret at the blank her going would cause leavened the general satisfaction at her happiness.

And Flossie herself was the least sorrowful, the least regretful, and the most satisfied of all.

Like May, she was marrying well--that is to say, she was marrying money.

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Chapter XV Reading 1/10

Princess Sarah, and Other Stories John Strange Winter

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Princess Sarah, and Other Stories is here in full — 51 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

A FAMILY CATASTROPHE I am bound to say that Flossie’s brothers and sisters (and Sarah) received the news of her approaching departure from her father’s roof with unmixed feelings. Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one. Not a regret at the blank her going would cause leavened the general satisfaction at her happiness. And Flossie herself was the least sorrowful, the least regretful, and the most satisfied of all. Like May, she was marrying well--that is to say, she was marrying money.

Princess Sarah, and Other Stories

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Princess Sarah, and Other Stories is here in full — 51 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/10 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

A FAMILY CATASTROPHE I am bound to say that Flossie’s brothers and sisters (and Sarah) received the news of her approaching departure from her father’s roof with unmixed feelings.

Line 2

Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one.

/nɑːt ə drɑːp ʌv ˈsɑːroʊ wɑːz ðer tuː mɑːr ðə kʌp ʌv dʒɔɪ wɪtʃ ðə əˈkeɪʒən priˈzentɪd tuː ˈevəri wʌn/

Line 3

Not a regret at the blank her going would cause leavened the general satisfaction at her happiness.

/nɑːt ə rəˈɡret æt ðə blæŋk hɜːr ˈɡoʊɪŋ wʊd kɑːz ˈlevənd ðə ˈdʒenərəl ˌsætəˈsfækʃən æt hɜːr ˈhæpinəs/

Line 4

And Flossie herself was the least sorrowful, the least regretful, and the most satisfied of all.

Line 5

Like May, she was marrying well--that is to say, she was marrying money.

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.

catastrophe noun US /kəˈtæstrəfi/

an event resulting in great loss and misfortune

From this reading “A FAMILY CATASTROPHE I am bound to say that Flossie’s brothers and sisters (and Sarah) received the news of her approaching departure from her father’s roof with unmixed feelings.”

leavened adjective US /ˈlevənd/

made light by aerating, as with yeast or baking powder; often used as a combining form

From this reading “Not a regret at the blank her going would cause leavened the general satisfaction at her happiness.”

mar verb US /mɑːr/

make imperfect

From this reading “Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one.”

marrying verb US /ˈmeriɪŋ/

-ing form of “marry” — take in marriage

From this reading “Like May, she was marrying well--that is to say, she was marrying money.”

regretful adjective US /rɪˈɡretfəl/

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

From this reading “And Flossie herself was the least sorrowful, the least regretful, and the most satisfied of all.”

Sarah noun US /ˈserə/

(Old Testament) the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac

sorrowful adjective US /ˈsɑːroʊfəl/

experiencing or marked by or expressing sorrow especially that associated with irreparable loss

From this reading “And Flossie herself was the least sorrowful, the least regretful, and the most satisfied of all.”

unmixed adjective US /ənˈmɪkst/

not mixed with extraneous elements

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

approaching departure noun + noun

In this reading “A FAMILY CATASTROPHE I am bound to say that Flossie’s brothers and sisters (and Sarah) received the news of her approaching departure from her father’s roof with unmixed feelings.”

general satisfaction adjective + noun

In this reading “Not a regret at the blank her going would cause leavened the general satisfaction at her happiness.”

All words in this reading · 65

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 A FAMILY CATASTROPHE I am bound to say that Flossie’s brothers and sisters (and Sarah) received the news of her approaching departure from her father’s roof with unmixed feelings.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading And Flossie herself was the least sorrowful, the least regretful, and the most satisfied of all.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

approachingnounUS /əˈproʊtʃɪŋ/

the event of one object coming closer to another

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Not a regret at the blank her going would cause leavened the general satisfaction at her happiness.

blankadjectiveUS /blæŋk/

(of a surface) not written or printed on

From this reading Not a regret at the blank her going would cause leavened the general satisfaction at her happiness.

boundadjectiveUS /baʊnd/

confined by bonds

brothersnounUS /ˈbrʌðərz/

plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else

CATASTROPHEnounUS /kəˈtæstrəfi/

an event resulting in great loss and misfortune

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading Not a regret at the blank her going would cause leavened the general satisfaction at her happiness.

cupnounUS /kʌp/

a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle

From this reading Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one.

departurenounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/

the act of departing

dropverbUS /drɑːp/

let fall to the ground

From this reading Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one.

FAMILYnounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

feelingsnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋz/

emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity)

Flossie

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

From this reading And Flossie herself was the least sorrowful, the least regretful, and the most satisfied of all.

Flossie's

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

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

generaladjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəl/

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading Not a regret at the blank her going would cause leavened the general satisfaction at her happiness.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading Not a regret at the blank her going would cause leavened the general satisfaction at her happiness.

happinessnounUS /ˈhæpinəs/

state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy

From this reading Not a regret at the blank her going would cause leavened the general satisfaction at her happiness.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading And Flossie herself was the least sorrowful, the least regretful, and the most satisfied of all.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Like May, she was marrying well--that is to say, she was marrying money.

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading And Flossie herself was the least sorrowful, the least regretful, and the most satisfied of all.

leavenedadjectiveUS /ˈlevənd/

made light by aerating, as with yeast or baking powder; often used as a combining form

From this reading Not a regret at the blank her going would cause leavened the general satisfaction at her happiness.

LikeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Like May, she was marrying well--that is to say, she was marrying money.

marverbUS /mɑːr/

make imperfect

From this reading Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one.

marryingverbUS /ˈmeriɪŋ/

-ing form of “marry” — take in marriage

From this reading Like May, she was marrying well--that is to say, she was marrying money.

Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Like May, she was marrying well--that is to say, she was marrying money.

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading Like May, she was marrying well--that is to say, she was marrying money.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading And Flossie herself was the least sorrowful, the least regretful, and the most satisfied of all.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one.

occasionnounUS /əˈkeɪʒən/

an event that occurs at a critical time

From this reading Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one.

presentedverbUS /priˈzentɪd/

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

From this reading Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one.

receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

regretverbUS /rəˈɡret/

feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about

From this reading Not a regret at the blank her going would cause leavened the general satisfaction at her happiness.

regretfuladjectiveUS /rɪˈɡretfəl/

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

From this reading And Flossie herself was the least sorrowful, the least regretful, and the most satisfied of all.

roofnounUS /ruːf/

a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building

SarahnounUS /ˈserə/

(Old Testament) the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac

satisfactionnounUS /ˌsætəˈsfækʃən/

the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation

From this reading Not a regret at the blank her going would cause leavened the general satisfaction at her happiness.

satisfiedadjectiveUS /ˈsætəsfaɪd/

filled with satisfaction

From this reading And Flossie herself was the least sorrowful, the least regretful, and the most satisfied of all.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Like May, she was marrying well--that is to say, she was marrying money.

sistersnounUS /ˈsɪstərz/

plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person

sorrownounUS /ˈsɑːroʊ/

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one.

sorrowfuladjectiveUS /ˈsɑːroʊfəl/

experiencing or marked by or expressing sorrow especially that associated with irreparable loss

From this reading And Flossie herself was the least sorrowful, the least regretful, and the most satisfied of all.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

unmixedadjectiveUS /ənˈmɪkst/

not mixed with extraneous elements

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one.

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 Like May, she was marrying well--that is to say, she was marrying money.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Not a drop of sorrow was there to mar the cup of joy which the occasion presented to every one.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Not a regret at the blank her going would cause leavened the general satisfaction at her happiness.

Chapter 15 of Princess Sarah, and Other Stories by John Strange Winter holds 51 sentences, grouped into 11 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 15 of Princess Sarah, and Other Stories contain?

Chapter 15 holds 51 sentences of Princess Sarah, and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Princess Sarah, and Other Stories by John Strange Winter exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 51 sentences, grouped into 11 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 15 of Princess Sarah, and Other Stories?

Work through the 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 11 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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.

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Yes. All 2342 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41906 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #41906, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 195 minutes of reading across 469 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Little: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Princess Sarah, and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter XV

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