Chapter 16 of Ruth Erskine's Son is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of Ruth Erskine's Son is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
FOR MAYBELLE'S SAKE MRS. BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened. What _could_ the woman mean! "Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle. "I must ask you to forgive me, dear Mrs. Burnham.
Chapter 16 of Ruth Erskine's Son is here in full — 126 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.
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading “BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.”
United States architect who designed the first important skyscraper with a skeleton (1846-1912)
From this reading “BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.”
in a physically fierce manner
From this reading “"Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle.”
stop blaming or grant forgiveness
From this reading “"I must ask you to forgive me, dear Mrs. Burnham.”
made afraid
From this reading “BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.”
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading “"Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle.”
a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading “BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.”
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading “BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.”
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.
In this reading “BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading "Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "I must ask you to forgive me, dear Mrs. Burnham.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.
United States architect who designed the first important skyscraper with a skeleton (1846-1912)
From this reading BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading What _could_ the woman mean!
dearly loved
From this reading "I must ask you to forgive me, dear Mrs. Burnham.
in a physically fierce manner
From this reading "Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading FOR MAYBELLE'S SAKE MRS.
stop blaming or grant forgiveness
From this reading "I must ask you to forgive me, dear Mrs. Burnham.
made afraid
From this reading BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading "Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle.
a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I must ask you to forgive me, dear Mrs. Burnham.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading "Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading "Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FOR MAYBELLE'S SAKE MRS.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I must ask you to forgive me, dear Mrs. Burnham.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading What _could_ the woman mean!
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading FOR MAYBELLE'S SAKE MRS.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "I must ask you to forgive me, dear Mrs. Burnham.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.
a reason for wanting something done
From this reading FOR MAYBELLE'S SAKE MRS.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle.
and nothing more
From this reading BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading "Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading What _could_ the woman mean!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I must ask you to forgive me, dear Mrs. Burnham.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What _could_ the woman mean!
which person or people
From this reading "Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle.
in the company of; together with
From this reading BURNHAM stared at her guest with a look that was not simply bewildered, it was frightened.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading What _could_ the woman mean!
the words that are spoken
From this reading "Who is Maybelle?" she spoke the words almost fiercely; but her bewildered guest kept her voice low and gentle.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I must ask you to forgive me, dear Mrs. Burnham.
Chapter 16 of Ruth Erskine's Son by Pansy holds 126 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 16 holds 126 sentences of Ruth Erskine's Son, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of Ruth Erskine's Son by Pansy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 126 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 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 Ruth Erskine's Son by Pansy on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4075 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43785 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43785, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 339 minutes of reading across 815 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ruth Erskine's Son section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of Ruth Erskine's Son 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 Ruth Erskine's Son, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
