Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Mary Frances Garden Book
The Mary Frances Garden Book

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of The Mary Frances Garden Book is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Jane Eayre Fryer • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Mary Frances Garden Book
Context Illustration Reading 1/25 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.
“Perhaps you and Father suspected we were gardening.”
“We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.
We didn’t try to find out.”
“Wasn’t that dear!” exclaimed Eleanor.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Mary Frances Garden Book

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of The Mary Frances Garden Book is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.
/ˈfɑːðər ənd ˈmʌðərz sərˈpraɪz pərˈhæps juː səˈspektɪd ˈmʌðər dɪr sed ˈmeri ˈfrænsɪs ˈæftər ˈʃoʊɪŋ ðə ˈrædɪʃɪz ənd ˈletəs ənd ˈtelɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðə ˈɡɑːrdən ˈlesənz ˈbɪli hæd tɔːt hɜːr/
Line 2
“Perhaps you and Father suspected we were gardening.”
/pərˈhæps juː ənd ˈfɑːðər səˈspektɪd wiː wɜːr ˈɡɑːrdənɪŋ/
Line 3
“We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.
/wiː hæd æn aɪˈdiːə ðæt ˈsʌmθɪŋ wɑːz ˈbiːɪŋ dʌn ɪn ðæt laɪn smaɪld hɜːr ˈmʌðər bʌt wiː dɪd dʒʌst æz juː rɪˈkwestɪd/
Line 4
We didn’t try to find out.”
Line 5
“Wasn’t that dear!” exclaimed Eleanor.

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.

Frances noun US /ˈfrænsɪs/

plural of “france” — a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

From this reading “FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gardening noun US /ˈɡɑːrdənɪŋ/

the cultivation of plants

From this reading ““Perhaps you and Father suspected we were gardening.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lessons noun US /ˈlesənz/

plural of “lesson” — a unit of instruction

From this reading “FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lettuce noun US /ˈletəs/

informal terms for money

From this reading “FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
radishes noun US /ˈrædɪʃɪz/

plural of “radish” — pungent fleshy edible root

From this reading “FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
requested adjective US /rɪˈkwestɪd/

asked for

From this reading ““We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
showing noun US /ˈʃoʊɪŋ/

the display of a motion picture

From this reading “FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suspected adjective US /səˈspektɪd/

believed likely

From this reading “FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

find out verb + adjective

establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study

In this reading “We didn’t try to find out.””

44,234 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 51

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading “We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading “We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading “We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BillynounUS /ˈbɪli/

a short stout club used primarily by policemen

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading “We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
didn't

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

From this reading We didn’t try to find out.”

Pending verification
doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading “We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Eleanor

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

From this reading “Wasn’t that dear!” exclaimed Eleanor.

Pending verification
exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading “Wasn’t that dear!” exclaimed Eleanor.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FATHERnounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading We didn’t try to find out.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FrancesnounUS /ˈfrænsɪs/

plural of “france” — a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gardeningnounUS /ˈɡɑːrdənɪŋ/

the cultivation of plants

From this reading “Perhaps you and Father suspected we were gardening.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ideanounUS /aɪˈdiːə/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading “We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading “We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lessonsnounUS /ˈlesənz/

plural of “lesson” — a unit of instruction

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lettucenounUS /ˈletəs/

informal terms for money

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading “We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MarynounUS /ˈmeri/

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MOTHER'SnounUS /ˈmʌðərz/

possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading We didn’t try to find out.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PERHAPSadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
radishesnounUS /ˈrædɪʃɪz/

plural of “radish” — pungent fleshy edible root

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
requestedadjectiveUS /rɪˈkwestɪd/

asked for

From this reading “We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
showingnounUS /ˈʃoʊɪŋ/

the display of a motion picture

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smiledverbUS /smaɪld/

past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading “We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading “We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
SURPRISEnounUS /sərˈpraɪz/

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suspectedadjectiveUS /səˈspektɪd/

believed likely

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
taughtverbUS /tɔːt/

inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tellingadjectiveUS /ˈtelɪŋ/

disclosing unintentionally something concealed

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading We didn’t try to find out.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading We didn’t try to find out.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading “We had an idea that something was being done in that line,” smiled her mother, “but we did just as you requested.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Wasn't

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

From this reading “Wasn’t that dear!” exclaimed Eleanor.

Pending verification
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “Perhaps you and Father suspected we were gardening.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading “Perhaps you and Father suspected we were gardening.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading FATHER AND MOTHER’S SURPRISE “PERHAPS you suspected, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances after showing the radishes and lettuce, and telling about the garden lessons Billy had taught her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 21 of The Mary Frances Garden Book by Jane Eayre Fryer holds 129 sentences, grouped into 26 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 21 of The Mary Frances Garden Book contain?

Chapter 21 holds 129 sentences of The Mary Frances Garden Book, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of The Mary Frances Garden Book by Jane Eayre Fryer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 129 sentences, grouped into 26 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 21 of The Mary Frances Garden Book?

Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 26 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Mary Frances Garden Book

Common questions about reading The Mary Frances Garden Book by Jane Eayre Fryer on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Mary Frances Garden Book?

Yes. All 4758 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53098 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Mary Frances Garden Book is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #53098, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Mary Frances Garden Book take to read?

About 396 minutes of reading across 952 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Mary Frances Garden Book section by section

How to work through The Mary Frances Garden Book section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Mary Frances Garden Book 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 Mary Frances Garden Book

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Mary Frances Garden Book, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Girls
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mary Frances Garden Book; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Things
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mary Frances Garden Book; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Eayre
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mary Frances Garden Book; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fryer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mary Frances Garden Book; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.