Chapter 6 of The Wisdom of Fools is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of The Wisdom of Fools is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.” Sara looked at her wistfully. “Don’t you _want_ to, Nellie? I should think your very first thought would be to do something for her. Just think what she has done for you!”
Chapter 6 of The Wisdom of Fools is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
inflected form of “demur” — take exception to
From this reading ““Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.””
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading “Just think what she has done for you!””
put on clothes
From this reading ““Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.””
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading ““Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.””
by chance
From this reading ““Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.””
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading ““Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.””
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
in a wistful manner
From this reading “Sara looked at her wistfully.”
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.
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “Sara looked at her wistfully.”
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 “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Sara looked at her wistfully.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I should think your very first thought would be to do something for her.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
inflected form of “demur” — take exception to
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I should think your very first thought would be to do something for her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Don’t you _want_ to, Nellie?
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Just think what she has done for you!”
put on clothes
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading I should think your very first thought would be to do something for her.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I should think your very first thought would be to do something for her.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Just think what she has done for you!”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
and nothing more
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Sara looked at her wistfully.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
by chance
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sara looked at her wistfully.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Just think what she has done for you!”
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading I should think your very first thought would be to do something for her.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I should think your very first thought would be to do something for her.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading I should think your very first thought would be to do something for her.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
precisely as stated
From this reading I should think your very first thought would be to do something for her.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “Don’t you _want_ to, Nellie?
(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 “Well, just now,” Nellie demurred, “I really have to have a new dress; perhaps, later, I can give her a little something.”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Just think what she has done for you!”
in a wistful manner
From this reading Sara looked at her wistfully.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I should think your very first thought would be to do something for her.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Don’t you _want_ to, Nellie?
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I should think your very first thought would be to do something for her.
Chapter 6 of The Wisdom of Fools by Margaret Wade Campbell Deland holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 6 holds 408 sentences of The Wisdom of Fools, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of The Wisdom of Fools by Margaret Wade Campbell Deland exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 6 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 Wisdom of Fools by Margaret Wade Campbell Deland on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2520 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53579 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #53579, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 210 minutes of reading across 504 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Wisdom of Fools section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of The Wisdom of Fools 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 Wisdom of Fools, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
