Chapter 31 of Ruth Hall is here in full — 91 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXI
Chapter 31 of Ruth Hall is here in full — 91 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Mr. Walter sat in his office, looking over the morning mail. "I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package. "It bears the right post-mark, and the handwriting is a lady's. A splendid hand it is, too. There's character in that hand; I hope 'tis 'Floy's.'"
Chapter 31 of Ruth Hall is here in full — 91 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/18 · 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.
plural of “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
From this reading “"It bears the right post-mark, and the handwriting is a lady's.”
a small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse
From this reading “"I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.”
past form of “examine” — consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
From this reading “"I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.”
something written by hand
From this reading “"It bears the right post-mark, and the handwriting is a lady's.”
possessive form of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading “"It bears the right post-mark, and the handwriting is a lady's.”
the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service
From this reading “Mr. Walter sat in his office, looking over the morning mail.”
a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading “"I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.”
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading “Mr. Walter sat in his office, looking over the morning mail.”
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 “Mr. Walter sat in his office, looking over the morning mail.”
In this reading “"I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.”
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 "I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "It bears the right post-mark, and the handwriting is a lady's.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.
plural of “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
From this reading "It bears the right post-mark, and the handwriting is a lady's.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading There's character in that hand; I hope 'tis 'Floy's.'"
a small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse
From this reading "I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.
past form of “examine” — consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
From this reading "I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There's character in that hand; I hope 'tis 'Floy's.'"
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading A splendid hand it is, too.
something written by hand
From this reading "It bears the right post-mark, and the handwriting is a lady's.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Mr. Walter sat in his office, looking over the morning mail.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading There's character in that hand; I hope 'tis 'Floy's.'"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Mr. Walter sat in his office, looking over the morning mail.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It bears the right post-mark, and the handwriting is a lady's.
possessive form of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading "It bears the right post-mark, and the handwriting is a lady's.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Mr. Walter sat in his office, looking over the morning mail.
the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service
From this reading Mr. Walter sat in his office, looking over the morning mail.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Mr. Walter sat in his office, looking over the morning mail.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Mr. Walter sat in his office, looking over the morning mail.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading Mr. Walter sat in his office, looking over the morning mail.
above and across; more than
From this reading Mr. Walter sat in his office, looking over the morning mail.
a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading "I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It bears the right post-mark, and the handwriting is a lady's.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "It bears the right post-mark, and the handwriting is a lady's.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Mr. Walter sat in his office, looking over the morning mail.
having great beauty and splendor
From this reading A splendid hand it is, too.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There's character in that hand; I hope 'tis 'Floy's.'"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mr. Walter sat in his office, looking over the morning mail.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There's character in that hand; I hope 'tis 'Floy's.'"
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.
plural of “ti” — a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite
From this reading There's character in that hand; I hope 'tis 'Floy's.'"
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading A splendid hand it is, too.
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading Mr. Walter sat in his office, looking over the morning mail.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading "I wonder is this from 'Floy'?" he said, as he examined a compact little package.
Chapter 31 of Ruth Hall by Fanny Fern holds 91 sentences, grouped into 19 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 31 holds 91 sentences of Ruth Hall, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 31 of Ruth Hall by Fanny Fern exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 91 sentences, grouped into 19 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 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 19 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 31 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 Hall by Fanny Fern on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3544 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40814 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #40814, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 295 minutes of reading across 709 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ruth Hall section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Ruth Hall 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 Hall, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
