Chapter 4 of The Old Pincushion is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Old Pincushion is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment. It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her. And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her. 'Poor Aunt Clotilda!' thought the boy. 'It is really very sad for her.
Chapter 4 of The Old Pincushion is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 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.
possessive form of “aunt” — the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading “AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment.”
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading “AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment.”
a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading “AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment.”
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading “It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.”
plural of “holiday” — leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading “And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.”
plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading “And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.”
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading “'It is really very sad for her.”
use up a period of time in a specific way
From this reading “And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.”
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.
tolerate or accommodate oneself to
In this reading “It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.”
In this reading “'It is really very sad for her.”
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.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading 'Poor Aunt Clotilda!' thought the boy.
possessive form of “aunt” — the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
a youthful male person
From this reading 'Poor Aunt Clotilda!' thought the boy.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'Poor Aunt Clotilda!' thought the boy.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.
a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment.
at any time
From this reading And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading 'It is really very sad for her.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
plural of “holiday” — leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment.
not any; not one
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.
and nothing more
From this reading And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading 'Poor Aunt Clotilda!' thought the boy.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading 'It is really very sad for her.
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading 'It is really very sad for her.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment.
use up a period of time in a specific way
From this reading And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.
in or at that place or location
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading 'Poor Aunt Clotilda!' thought the boy.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AT TY-GWYN. is aunt's letter, though so kind, had caused Neville some disappointment.
precisely as stated
From this reading 'It is really very sad for her.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And indeed, these coming holidays were probably the only ones they could ever hope to spend with her.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was evident to him that there was no hope of her being able to have Kathleen to live with her.
Chapter 4 of The Old Pincushion by Mrs. Molesworth holds 163 sentences, grouped into 33 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 163 sentences of The Old Pincushion, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Old Pincushion by Mrs. Molesworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 163 sentences, grouped into 33 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 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 33 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 Old Pincushion by Mrs. Molesworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2446 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39833 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #39833, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 203 minutes of reading across 490 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Old Pincushion section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Old Pincushion 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 Old Pincushion, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
