Chapter 4 of The Merryweathers is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Merryweathers is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AFTER THE PICNIC "AND what comes next on the programme?" asked the Chief. "Coma, I should say," replied Colonel Ferrers. "After that watermelon, I see nothing else for it. It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason. The boy has eaten more than his own weight.
Chapter 4 of The Merryweathers is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/42 · 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.
openly declared as such
From this reading “It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.”
a state of deep and often prolonged unconsciousness; usually the result of disease or injury
From this reading “"Coma, I should say," replied Colonel Ferrers.”
past form of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading “It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.”
inflected form of “eat” — take in solid food
From this reading “The boy has eaten more than his own weight.”
a son of your brother or sister
From this reading “It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.”
a day devoted to an outdoor social gathering
From this reading “AFTER THE PICNIC "AND what comes next on the programme?" asked the Chief.”
an announcement of the events that will occur as part of a theatrical or sporting event
From this reading “AFTER THE PICNIC "AND what comes next on the programme?" asked the Chief.”
an African melon
From this reading “"After that watermelon, I see nothing else for it.”
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.
later than; following
From this reading AFTER THE PICNIC "AND what comes next on the programme?" asked the Chief.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading AFTER THE PICNIC "AND what comes next on the programme?" asked the Chief.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading AFTER THE PICNIC "AND what comes next on the programme?" asked the Chief.
openly declared as such
From this reading It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.
any cognitive content held as true
From this reading It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.
a youthful male person
From this reading The boy has eaten more than his own weight.
a person who is in charge
From this reading AFTER THE PICNIC "AND what comes next on the programme?" asked the Chief.
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading "Coma, I should say," replied Colonel Ferrers.
a state of deep and often prolonged unconsciousness; usually the result of disease or injury
From this reading "Coma, I should say," replied Colonel Ferrers.
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading AFTER THE PICNIC "AND what comes next on the programme?" asked the Chief.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.
past form of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.
inflected form of “eat” — take in solid food
From this reading The boy has eaten more than his own weight.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "After that watermelon, I see nothing else for it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Coma, I should say," replied Colonel Ferrers.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "After that watermelon, I see nothing else for it.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The boy has eaten more than his own weight.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Coma, I should say," replied Colonel Ferrers.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "After that watermelon, I see nothing else for it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The boy has eaten more than his own weight.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.
a son of your brother or sister
From this reading It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading AFTER THE PICNIC "AND what comes next on the programme?" asked the Chief.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading "After that watermelon, I see nothing else for it.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading AFTER THE PICNIC "AND what comes next on the programme?" asked the Chief.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading The boy has eaten more than his own weight.
a day devoted to an outdoor social gathering
From this reading AFTER THE PICNIC "AND what comes next on the programme?" asked the Chief.
an announcement of the events that will occur as part of a theatrical or sporting event
From this reading AFTER THE PICNIC "AND what comes next on the programme?" asked the Chief.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "Coma, I should say," replied Colonel Ferrers.
express in words
From this reading "Coma, I should say," replied Colonel Ferrers.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "After that watermelon, I see nothing else for it.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "Coma, I should say," replied Colonel Ferrers.
plural of “stand” — a support or foundation
From this reading It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.
move an implement through
From this reading It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The boy has eaten more than his own weight.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "After that watermelon, I see nothing else for it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AFTER THE PICNIC "AND what comes next on the programme?" asked the Chief.
in or at that place or location
From this reading It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It's my avowed belief that my nephew there could not stir if his life depended on it; it stands to reason.
an African melon
From this reading "After that watermelon, I see nothing else for it.
the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
From this reading The boy has eaten more than his own weight.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading AFTER THE PICNIC "AND what comes next on the programme?" asked the Chief.
Chapter 4 of The Merryweathers by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards holds 212 sentences, grouped into 43 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 4 holds 212 sentences of The Merryweathers, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Merryweathers by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 212 sentences, grouped into 43 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 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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 4 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 Merryweathers by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3054 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25505 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25505, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 254 minutes of reading across 611 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Merryweathers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Merryweathers 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 Merryweathers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
