Chapter 12 of The Daughters of Danaus is here in full — 337 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of The Daughters of Danaus is here in full — 337 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The family had reassembled for the New Year's festivities. The change in Algitha since her departure from home was striking. She was gentler, more affectionate to her parents, than of yore. The tendency to grow hard and fretful had entirely disappeared. The sense of self was obviously lessened with the need for self-defence.
Chapter 12 of The Daughters of Danaus is here in full — 337 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/67 · 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 “festivity” — any joyous diversion
From this reading “The family had reassembled for the New Year's festivities.”
nervous and unable to relax
From this reading “The tendency to grow hard and fretful had entirely disappeared.”
comparative of “gentle” — soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading “She was gentler, more affectionate to her parents, than of yore.”
impaired by diminution
From this reading “The sense of self was obviously lessened with the need for self-defence.”
past form of “reassemble” — assemble once again, after taking something apart
From this reading “The family had reassembled for the New Year's festivities.”
the act of defending yourself
From this reading “The sense of self was obviously lessened with the need for self-defence.”
possessive form of “year” — a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading “The family had reassembled for the New Year's festivities.”
time long past
From this reading “She was gentler, more affectionate to her parents, than of yore.”
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.
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading She was gentler, more affectionate to her parents, than of yore.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The change in Algitha since her departure from home was striking.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The tendency to grow hard and fretful had entirely disappeared.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading The change in Algitha since her departure from home was striking.
the act of departing
From this reading The change in Algitha since her departure from home was striking.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading The tendency to grow hard and fretful had entirely disappeared.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading The tendency to grow hard and fretful had entirely disappeared.
a social unit living together
From this reading The family had reassembled for the New Year's festivities.
plural of “festivity” — any joyous diversion
From this reading The family had reassembled for the New Year's festivities.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The family had reassembled for the New Year's festivities.
nervous and unable to relax
From this reading The tendency to grow hard and fretful had entirely disappeared.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The change in Algitha since her departure from home was striking.
comparative of “gentle” — soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading She was gentler, more affectionate to her parents, than of yore.
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading The tendency to grow hard and fretful had entirely disappeared.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The family had reassembled for the New Year's festivities.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading The tendency to grow hard and fretful had entirely disappeared.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The change in Algitha since her departure from home was striking.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading The change in Algitha since her departure from home was striking.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The change in Algitha since her departure from home was striking.
impaired by diminution
From this reading The sense of self was obviously lessened with the need for self-defence.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading She was gentler, more affectionate to her parents, than of yore.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading The sense of self was obviously lessened with the need for self-defence.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The family had reassembled for the New Year's festivities.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading The sense of self was obviously lessened with the need for self-defence.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She was gentler, more affectionate to her parents, than of yore.
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading She was gentler, more affectionate to her parents, than of yore.
past form of “reassemble” — assemble once again, after taking something apart
From this reading The family had reassembled for the New Year's festivities.
your consciousness of your own identity
From this reading The sense of self was obviously lessened with the need for self-defence.
the act of defending yourself
From this reading The sense of self was obviously lessened with the need for self-defence.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading The sense of self was obviously lessened with the need for self-defence.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was gentler, more affectionate to her parents, than of yore.
from a time in the past until now
From this reading The change in Algitha since her departure from home was striking.
sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
From this reading The change in Algitha since her departure from home was striking.
an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others
From this reading The tendency to grow hard and fretful had entirely disappeared.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading She was gentler, more affectionate to her parents, than of yore.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The family had reassembled for the New Year's festivities.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She was gentler, more affectionate to her parents, than of yore.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The change in Algitha since her departure from home was striking.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The sense of self was obviously lessened with the need for self-defence.
possessive form of “year” — a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading The family had reassembled for the New Year's festivities.
time long past
From this reading She was gentler, more affectionate to her parents, than of yore.
Chapter 12 of The Daughters of Danaus by Mona Caird holds 337 sentences, grouped into 68 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 12 holds 337 sentences of The Daughters of Danaus, unabridged, divided into 68 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The Daughters of Danaus by Mona Caird exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 337 sentences, grouped into 68 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 68 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 68 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 12 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 Daughters of Danaus by Mona Caird on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9732 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21858 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21858, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1947 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Daughters of Danaus section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Daughters of Danaus 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 Daughters of Danaus, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
