Chapter 4 of The Plum Tree is here in full — 420 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Plum Tree is here in full — 420 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir." "I shan't hold you to that," I replied with a laugh. "No,--I'll never marry," he went on. "There was an--an angel. You know the Shaker settlement?--well, out there."
Chapter 4 of The Plum Tree is here in full — 420 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
spiritual being attendant upon God
From this reading “"There was an--an angel.”
English physician and scientist who described the circulation of the blood; he later proposed that all animals originate from an ovum produced by the female of the species (1578-1657)
From this reading “"I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."”
A person legally or magically entitled to the property or rank of another on that person's death.
From this reading “"I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."”
the sound of laughing
From this reading “"I shan't hold you to that," I replied with a laugh.”
take in marriage
From this reading “"No,--I'll never marry," he went on.”
a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government
From this reading “You know the Shaker settlement?--well, out there."”
a person who wields power and influence
From this reading “You know the Shaker settlement?--well, out there."”
any one of a set, it does not matter which
From this reading “"I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "I shan't hold you to that," I replied with a laugh.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "There was an--an angel.
spiritual being attendant upon God
From this reading "There was an--an angel.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
a youthful male person
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
a young female
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
English physician and scientist who described the circulation of the blood; he later proposed that all animals originate from an ovum produced by the female of the species (1578-1657)
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
A person legally or magically entitled to the property or rank of another on that person's death.
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "I shan't hold you to that," I replied with a laugh.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "No,--I'll never marry," he went on.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading You know the Shaker settlement?--well, out there."
the sound of laughing
From this reading "I shan't hold you to that," I replied with a laugh.
take in marriage
From this reading "No,--I'll never marry," he went on.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "No,--I'll never marry," he went on.
not any; not one
From this reading "No,--I'll never marry," he went on.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "No,--I'll never marry," he went on.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading You know the Shaker settlement?--well, out there."
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "I shan't hold you to that," I replied with a laugh.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government
From this reading You know the Shaker settlement?--well, out there."
a person who wields power and influence
From this reading You know the Shaker settlement?--well, out there."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I shan't hold you to that," I replied with a laugh.
express in words
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
in or at that place or location
From this reading "There was an--an angel.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "There was an--an angel.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading You know the Shaker settlement?--well, out there."
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "No,--I'll never marry," he went on.
any one of a set, it does not matter which
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
in the company of; together with
From this reading "I shan't hold you to that," I replied with a laugh.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I want to tell you, Harvey," said he, "that the--boy or girl--whichever it is--is to be my heir."
Chapter 4 of The Plum Tree by David Graham Phillips holds 420 sentences, grouped into 84 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 420 sentences of The Plum Tree, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Plum Tree by David Graham Phillips exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 420 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 Plum Tree by David Graham Phillips on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4145 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20449 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20449, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 345 minutes of reading across 829 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Plum Tree section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Plum Tree 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 Plum Tree, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
