Chapter 39 of Rough-Hewn is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXIX
Chapter 39 of Rough-Hewn is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Neale could not sleep. Of course he could not sleep. Sleep was for fools with nothing to think about. But Neale had ... such things to think about! She had let him in.
Chapter 39 of Rough-Hewn is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “Sleep was for fools with nothing to think about.”
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading “Of course he could not sleep.”
plural of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “Sleep was for fools with nothing to think about.”
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “She had let him in.”
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “Sleep was for fools with nothing to think about.”
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading “Neale could not sleep.”
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading “But Neale had ... such things to think about!”
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “Sleep was for fools with nothing to think about.”
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.
as might be expected
In this reading “Of course he could not sleep.”
have on one's mind, think about actively
In this reading “Sleep was for fools with nothing to think about.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Sleep was for fools with nothing to think about.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Neale had ... such things to think about!
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Neale could not sleep.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Of course he could not sleep.
plural of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading Sleep was for fools with nothing to think about.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Sleep was for fools with nothing to think about.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But Neale had ... such things to think about!
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Of course he could not sleep.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She had let him in.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She had let him in.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading She had let him in.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Neale could not sleep.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Neale could not sleep.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Sleep was for fools with nothing to think about.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Of course he could not sleep.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had let him in.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading Neale could not sleep.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading But Neale had ... such things to think about!
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading But Neale had ... such things to think about!
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Sleep was for fools with nothing to think about.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Sleep was for fools with nothing to think about.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Sleep was for fools with nothing to think about.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Sleep was for fools with nothing to think about.
Chapter 39 of Rough-Hewn by Dorothy Canfield Fisher holds 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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.
Chapter 39 holds 128 sentences of Rough-Hewn, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 39 of Rough-Hewn by Dorothy Canfield Fisher exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 39 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 Rough-Hewn by Dorothy Canfield Fisher on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9559 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37451 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #37451, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1912 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Rough-Hewn section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Rough-Hewn 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 Rough-Hewn, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
