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The Little Minister
The Little Minister

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of The Little Minister is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Little Minister
Context Illustration Reading 1/36 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
WHILE THE TEN O'CLOCK BELL WAS RINGING.
In the square and wynds--weavers in groups:
"No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.
Tammas Whamond and Peter Tosh carried him to the Session-house.
Ay, an awful scene."
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Little Minister

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of The Little Minister is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
WHILE THE TEN O'CLOCK BELL WAS RINGING.
/waɪl ðə ten əˈklɑːk bel wɑːz ˈrɪŋɪŋ/
Line 2
In the square and wynds--weavers in groups:
Line 3
"No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.
Line 4
Tammas Whamond and Peter Tosh carried him to the Session-house.
Line 5
Ay, an awful scene."

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.

ascended verb US /əˈsendɪd/

past form of “ascend” — travel up

From this reading “"No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.”

fainted verb US /ˈfeɪntɪd/

past form of “faint” — pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain

From this reading “"No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.”

groups noun US /ɡruːps/

plural of “group” — any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

From this reading “In the square and wynds--weavers in groups:”

piper noun US /ˈpaɪpər/

someone who plays the bagpipe

From this reading “"No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.”

pulpit noun US /ˈpʊlpɪt/

a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it

From this reading “"No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.”

ringing noun US /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/

the sound of a bell ringing

From this reading “WHILE THE TEN O'CLOCK BELL WAS RINGING.”

Tosh noun US /tɑːʃ/

pretentious or silly talk or writing

From this reading “Tammas Whamond and Peter Tosh carried him to the Session-house.”

weavers noun US /ˈwiːvərz/

plural of “weaver” — a craftsman who weaves cloth

From this reading “In the square and wynds--weavers in groups:”

All words in this reading · 45

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.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Ay, an awful scene."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading In the square and wynds--weavers in groups:

ascendedverbUS /əˈsendɪd/

past form of “ascend” — travel up

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

awa

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

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

awfuladjectiveUS /ˈɑːfəl/

exceptionally bad or displeasing

From this reading Ay, an awful scene."

Ay

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

From this reading Ay, an awful scene."

BELLnounUS /bel/

a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading WHILE THE TEN O'CLOCK BELL WAS RINGING.

blowverbUS /bloʊ/

exhale hard

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

carriedverbUS /ˈkærid/

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading Tammas Whamond and Peter Tosh carried him to the Session-house.

conductverbUS /ˈkɑːndəkt/

direct the course of; manage or control

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

Davitnoun

a crane-like device (usually one of a pair) for suspending or lowering equipment (as a lifeboat)

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

Dishart

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

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

faintedverbUS /ˈfeɪntɪd/

past form of “faint” — pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

groupsnounUS /ɡruːps/

plural of “group” — any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

From this reading In the square and wynds--weavers in groups:

hadna

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

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading In the square and wynds--weavers in groups:

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

O'CLOCKadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading WHILE THE TEN O'CLOCK BELL WAS RINGING.

PeternounUS /ˈpiːtər/

disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope

From this reading Tammas Whamond and Peter Tosh carried him to the Session-house.

pipernounUS /ˈpaɪpər/

someone who plays the bagpipe

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

prayer-meeting

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

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

pulpitnounUS /ˈpʊlpɪt/

a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

rainnounUS /reɪn/

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

RINGINGnounUS /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/

the sound of a bell ringing

From this reading WHILE THE TEN O'CLOCK BELL WAS RINGING.

scenenounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading Ay, an awful scene."

Session-house

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

From this reading Tammas Whamond and Peter Tosh carried him to the Session-house.

squareverbUS /skwer/

make square

From this reading In the square and wynds--weavers in groups:

Tammas

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

From this reading Tammas Whamond and Peter Tosh carried him to the Session-house.

TENnounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading WHILE THE TEN O'CLOCK BELL WAS RINGING.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading WHILE THE TEN O'CLOCK BELL WAS RINGING.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "No, no, Davit, Mr. Dishart hadna felt the blow the piper gave him till he ascended the pulpit to conduct the prayer-meeting for rain, and then he fainted awa.

ToshnounUS /tɑːʃ/

pretentious or silly talk or writing

From this reading Tammas Whamond and Peter Tosh carried him to the Session-house.

WASauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading WHILE THE TEN O'CLOCK BELL WAS RINGING.

weaversnounUS /ˈwiːvərz/

plural of “weaver” — a craftsman who weaves cloth

From this reading In the square and wynds--weavers in groups:

Whamond

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

From this reading Tammas Whamond and Peter Tosh carried him to the Session-house.

WHILEconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading WHILE THE TEN O'CLOCK BELL WAS RINGING.

wynds

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

From this reading In the square and wynds--weavers in groups:

Chapter 31 of The Little Minister by J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie holds 183 sentences, grouped into 37 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 31 of The Little Minister contain?

Chapter 31 holds 183 sentences of The Little Minister, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 31 of The Little Minister by J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 183 sentences, grouped into 37 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 31 of The Little Minister?

Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 37 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 31 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Little Minister

Common questions about reading The Little Minister by J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Little Minister?

Yes. All 7030 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5093 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Little Minister is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5093, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Little Minister take to read?

About 585 minutes of reading across 1406 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Little Minister section by section

How to work through The Little Minister section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Little Minister to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Little Minister

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Little Minister, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Alongside
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Little Minister; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Making
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Little Minister; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Minister
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Little Minister; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Coast
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Little Minister; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.