The Heart's Country

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The Heart's Country is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mary Heaton Vorse • Curated US English Learning Edition

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Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

I should be much grown-upper than I am.

'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

[Here we see Miss Grant foreshadowing the Darwinian theory.] They don't know I try to be good, but I do try; but when joy gets into my feet I have to run, and I love to feel like that.

I think I only try to be good when I am not happy.

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Chapter V Reading 1/12

The Heart's Country Mary Heaton Vorse

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The Heart's Country is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me. I should be much grown-upper than I am. 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.' [Here we see Miss Grant foreshadowing the Darwinian theory.] They don't know I try to be good, but I do try; but when joy gets into my feet I have to run, and I love to feel like that. I think I only try to be good when I am not happy.

The Heart's Country

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The Heart's Country is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

Line 2

I should be much grown-upper than I am.

Line 3

'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

Line 4

[Here we see Miss Grant foreshadowing the Darwinian theory.] They don't know I try to be good, but I do try; but when joy gets into my feet I have to run, and I love to feel like that.

Line 5

I think I only try to be good when I am not happy.

/aɪ θɪŋk aɪ ˈoʊnli traɪ tuː biː ɡʊd wen aɪ æm nɑːt ˈhæpi/

Learner Dictionary

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.

bough noun US /baʊ/

any of the larger branches of a tree

From this reading “'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'”

Darwinian noun US /ˌdɑːrˈwɪniən/

an advocate of Darwinism

From this reading “[Here we see Miss Grant foreshadowing the Darwinian theory.] They don't know I try to be good, but I do try; but when joy gets into my feet I have to run, and I love to feel like that.”

foreshadowing noun US /fɔːrˈʃædoʊɪŋ/

the act of providing vague advance indications; representing beforehand

Grandma noun US /ˈɡrændmɑː/

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading “Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.”

Hathaway noun US /ˈhæθəweɪ/

wife of William Shakespeare (1556-1623)

From this reading “Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.”

monkey noun US /ˈmʌŋki/

any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians)

From this reading “'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'”

swing verb US /swɪŋ/

move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading “'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'”

tremble verb US /ˈtrembəl/

move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways

From this reading “'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

some day adjective + noun

In this reading “'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'”

gets into verb + particle counted as “get into”

get involved in or with

In this reading “[Here we see Miss Grant foreshadowing the Darwinian theory.] They don't know I try to be good, but I do try; but when joy gets into my feet I have to run, and I love to feel like that.”

wrote about verb + particle counted as “write about”

write about a particular topic

In this reading “Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.”

All words in this reading · 78

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

actsnounUS /ækts/

a New Testament book describing the development of the early church from Christ's Ascension to Paul's sojourn at Rome

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I should be much grown-upper than I am.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

AuntnounUS /ænt/

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading I should be much grown-upper than I am.

boughnounUS /baʊ/

any of the larger branches of a tree

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading [Here we see Miss Grant foreshadowing the Darwinian theory.] They don't know I try to be good, but I do try; but when joy gets into my feet I have to run, and I love to feel like that.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

DarwiniannounUS /ˌdɑːrˈwɪniən/

an advocate of Darwinism

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

don't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

Ellen

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

Emily

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

foreshadowingnounUS /fɔːrˈʃædoʊɪŋ/

the act of providing vague advance indications; representing beforehand

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

getsnounUS /ɡets/

plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

GrandmanounUS /ˈɡrændmɑː/

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

GrantverbUS /ɡrænt/

let have

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

grown-upper

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I should be much grown-upper than I am.

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading I think I only try to be good when I am not happy.

HathawaynounUS /ˈhæθəweɪ/

wife of William Shakespeare (1556-1623)

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I should be much grown-upper than I am.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

makesnounUS /meɪks/

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

mammanounUS /ˈmɑːmə/

informal terms for a mother

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

MercynounUS /ˈmɜːrsi/

leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

monkeynounUS /ˈmʌŋki/

any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians)

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading I should be much grown-upper than I am.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I think I only try to be good when I am not happy.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading I think I only try to be good when I am not happy.

runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

SarahnounUS /ˈserə/

(Old Testament) the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading I should be much grown-upper than I am.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

swingverbUS /swɪŋ/

move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

tailnounUS /teɪl/

the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading I should be much grown-upper than I am.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

theorynounUS /ˈθɪri/

a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading I think I only try to be good when I am not happy.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

trembleverbUS /ˈtrembəl/

move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

wroteverbUS /roʊt/

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading Ellen wrote about this time:-- "Grandma Hathaway, Aunt Sarah and mamma, all don't know what to do about me.

yourspronounUS /jʊrz/

the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to

From this reading 'Mercy,' said Aunt Sarah, 'that great girl of yours, Emily, acts so that she makes me tremble for fear she will some day swing by a tail from a bough, like a monkey.'

Chapter 5 of The Heart's Country by Mary Heaton Vorse holds 64 sentences, grouped into 13 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.

What does chapter 5 of The Heart's Country contain?

Chapter 5 holds 64 sentences of The Heart's Country, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The Heart's Country by Mary Heaton Vorse exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 64 sentences, grouped into 13 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.

How do I study chapter 5 of The Heart's Country?

Work through the 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 13 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.

Can chapter 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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.

Questions about reading The Heart's Country

Common questions about reading The Heart's Country by Mary Heaton Vorse on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Heart's Country?

Yes. All 2528 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36919 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Heart's Country is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36919, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Heart's Country take to read?

About 210 minutes of reading across 506 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Heart's Country

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Heart's Country, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Heart's: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Heart's Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Country: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Heart's Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Illustrated: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Heart's Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Little: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Heart's Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter V

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