Chapter 2 of A Christmas Posy is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of A Christmas Posy is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Those never loved Who dream that they 'loved once.'"--E. B. BROWNING. "YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh. "I don't half like your going. Couldn't you wait till the day after to-morrow?" "Or at least take me with you," said Molly, Sylvia's younger sister, eagerly.
Chapter 2 of A Christmas Posy is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/29 · 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.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading “"YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh.”
United States inventor of firearms (especially automatic pistols and repeating rifles and a machine gun called the Peacemaker) (1855-1926)
From this reading “"Those never loved Who dream that they 'loved once.'"--E. B. BROWNING.”
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading “"Those never loved Who dream that they 'loved once.'"--E. B. BROWNING.”
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading “"Or at least take me with you," said Molly, Sylvia's younger sister, eagerly.”
popular aquarium fish
From this reading “"Or at least take me with you," said Molly, Sylvia's younger sister, eagerly.”
heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading “"YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh.”
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading “Couldn't you wait till the day after to-morrow?"”
used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father
From this reading “"Or at least take me with you," said Molly, Sylvia's younger sister, eagerly.”
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 "YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh.
later than; following
From this reading Couldn't you wait till the day after to-morrow?"
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Or at least take me with you," said Molly, Sylvia's younger sister, eagerly.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading "YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh.
aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil
From this reading "Those never loved Who dream that they 'loved once.'"--E. B. BROWNING.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh.
United States inventor of firearms (especially automatic pistols and repeating rifles and a machine gun called the Peacemaker) (1855-1926)
From this reading "Those never loved Who dream that they 'loved once.'"--E. B. BROWNING.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Couldn't you wait till the day after to-morrow?"
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Couldn't you wait till the day after to-morrow?"
dearly loved
From this reading "YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't half like your going.
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading "Those never loved Who dream that they 'loved once.'"--E. B. BROWNING.
a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body
From this reading "Those never loved Who dream that they 'loved once.'"--E. B. BROWNING.
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading "Or at least take me with you," said Molly, Sylvia's younger sister, eagerly.
the act of departing
From this reading "I don't half like your going.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading "I don't half like your going.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I don't half like your going.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading "Or at least take me with you," said Molly, Sylvia's younger sister, eagerly.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "I don't half like your going.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading "YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh.
held dear
From this reading "Those never loved Who dream that they 'loved once.'"--E. B. BROWNING.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Or at least take me with you," said Molly, Sylvia's younger sister, eagerly.
popular aquarium fish
From this reading "Or at least take me with you," said Molly, Sylvia's younger sister, eagerly.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "Those never loved Who dream that they 'loved once.'"--E. B. BROWNING.
on one occasion
From this reading "Those never loved Who dream that they 'loved once.'"--E. B. BROWNING.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "Or at least take me with you," said Molly, Sylvia's younger sister, eagerly.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh.
heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading "YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading "Or at least take me with you," said Molly, Sylvia's younger sister, eagerly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Or at least take me with you," said Molly, Sylvia's younger sister, eagerly.
carry out
From this reading "Or at least take me with you," said Molly, Sylvia's younger sister, eagerly.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Those never loved Who dream that they 'loved once.'"--E. B. BROWNING.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Couldn't you wait till the day after to-morrow?"
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Those never loved Who dream that they 'loved once.'"--E. B. BROWNING.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading "Those never loved Who dream that they 'loved once.'"--E. B. BROWNING.
up to a particular time
From this reading Couldn't you wait till the day after to-morrow?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Couldn't you wait till the day after to-morrow?"
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Couldn't you wait till the day after to-morrow?"
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh.
which person or people
From this reading "Those never loved Who dream that they 'loved once.'"--E. B. BROWNING.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "YOU won't be long any way, dear Auntie?" said Sylvia with a little sigh.
used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father
From this reading "Or at least take me with you," said Molly, Sylvia's younger sister, eagerly.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I don't half like your going.
Chapter 2 of A Christmas Posy by Mrs. Molesworth holds 148 sentences, grouped into 30 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 2 holds 148 sentences of A Christmas Posy, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of A Christmas Posy by Mrs. Molesworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 148 sentences, grouped into 30 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 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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 2 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 A Christmas Posy by Mrs. Molesworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2630 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26015 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26015, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 219 minutes of reading across 526 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Christmas Posy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of A Christmas Posy 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 A Christmas Posy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
