Chapter 6 of The Cry at Midnight is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of The Cry at Midnight is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Hastening into the house, Penny sought Mrs. Weems in the kitchen. "Anything I can do to help with dinner?" she inquired. The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion. "And where do you plan to go when dinner is over, may I ask?" she inquired. "Only out to the monastery."
Chapter 6 of The Cry at Midnight is here in full — 417 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.
come to the boiling point and change from a liquid to vapor
From this reading “The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.”
having an eye or eyes or eyelike feature especially as specified; often used in combination
From this reading “The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.”
-ing form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed
From this reading “Hastening into the house, Penny sought Mrs. Weems in the kitchen.”
a servant who is employed to perform domestic task in a household
From this reading “The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.”
a metal pot for stewing or boiling; usually has a lid
From this reading “The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.”
the residence of a religious community
From this reading “"Only out to the monastery."”
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading “Hastening into the house, Penny sought Mrs. Weems in the kitchen.”
plural of “potato” — an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland
From this reading “The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.”
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 “Hastening into the house, Penny sought Mrs. Weems in the kitchen.”
In this reading “Hastening into the house, Penny sought Mrs. Weems in the kitchen.”
In this reading “The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.”
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 The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And where do you plan to go when dinner is over, may I ask?" she inquired.
any thing at all
From this reading "Anything I can do to help with dinner?" she inquired.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "And where do you plan to go when dinner is over, may I ask?" she inquired.
come to the boiling point and change from a liquid to vapor
From this reading The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Anything I can do to help with dinner?" she inquired.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading "Anything I can do to help with dinner?" she inquired.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Anything I can do to help with dinner?" she inquired.
having an eye or eyes or eyelike feature especially as specified; often used in combination
From this reading The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.
start firing a weapon
From this reading The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "And where do you plan to go when dinner is over, may I ask?" she inquired.
-ing form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed
From this reading Hastening into the house, Penny sought Mrs. Weems in the kitchen.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading "Anything I can do to help with dinner?" she inquired.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Hastening into the house, Penny sought Mrs. Weems in the kitchen.
a servant who is employed to perform domestic task in a household
From this reading The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Anything I can do to help with dinner?" she inquired.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Hastening into the house, Penny sought Mrs. Weems in the kitchen.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading "Anything I can do to help with dinner?" she inquired.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Hastening into the house, Penny sought Mrs. Weems in the kitchen.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "And where do you plan to go when dinner is over, may I ask?" she inquired.
a metal pot for stewing or boiling; usually has a lid
From this reading The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading Hastening into the house, Penny sought Mrs. Weems in the kitchen.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "And where do you plan to go when dinner is over, may I ask?" she inquired.
the residence of a religious community
From this reading "Only out to the monastery."
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Hastening into the house, Penny sought Mrs. Weems in the kitchen.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.
and nothing more
From this reading "Only out to the monastery."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Only out to the monastery."
above and across; more than
From this reading "And where do you plan to go when dinner is over, may I ask?" she inquired.
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading Hastening into the house, Penny sought Mrs. Weems in the kitchen.
have the will and intention to carry out some action
From this reading "And where do you plan to go when dinner is over, may I ask?" she inquired.
plural of “potato” — an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland
From this reading The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.
hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter
From this reading The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Anything I can do to help with dinner?" she inquired.
that is looked for
From this reading Hastening into the house, Penny sought Mrs. Weems in the kitchen.
an impression that something might be the case
From this reading The housekeeper, in the act of putting a kettle of potatoes on the fire to boil, eyed her with instant suspicion.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Hastening into the house, Penny sought Mrs. Weems in the kitchen.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Anything I can do to help with dinner?" she inquired.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hastening into the house, Penny sought Mrs. Weems in the kitchen.
at the time that
From this reading "And where do you plan to go when dinner is over, may I ask?" she inquired.
in or at the place that
From this reading "And where do you plan to go when dinner is over, may I ask?" she inquired.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Anything I can do to help with dinner?" she inquired.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "And where do you plan to go when dinner is over, may I ask?" she inquired.
Chapter 6 of The Cry at Midnight by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt holds 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 6 holds 417 sentences of The Cry at Midnight, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of The Cry at Midnight by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 417 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 6 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 The Cry at Midnight by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3881 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34441 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #34441, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 323 minutes of reading across 777 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Cry at Midnight section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Cry at Midnight 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 The Cry at Midnight, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
