Chapter 16 of A Dreadful Temptation is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of A Dreadful Temptation is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms. She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out: "I found him down there, lying on the wet sand all alone, mamma--all alone! Oh! Lora, Lora!"
Chapter 16 of A Dreadful Temptation is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/17 · 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.
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading “She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:”
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading “Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.”
informal terms for a mother
From this reading “"I found him down there, lying on the wet sand all alone, mamma--all alone!”
-ing form of “moan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading “She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:”
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading “She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:”
past form of “stagger” — walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading “Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.”
loud cries made while weeping
From this reading “Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.”
temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work
From this reading “Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.”
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.
In this reading “"I found him down there, lying on the wet sand all alone, mamma--all alone!”
In this reading “She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:”
In this reading “She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:”
In this reading “Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.”
In this reading “She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:”
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.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading "I found him down there, lying on the wet sand all alone, mamma--all alone!
Having no one else present.
From this reading "I found him down there, lying on the wet sand all alone, mamma--all alone!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:
a young person of either sex
From this reading She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:
set up or found
From this reading "I found him down there, lying on the wet sand all alone, mamma--all alone!
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I found him down there, lying on the wet sand all alone, mamma--all alone!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I found him down there, lying on the wet sand all alone, mamma--all alone!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
set down according to a plan
From this reading She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lora, Lora!"
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading "I found him down there, lying on the wet sand all alone, mamma--all alone!
informal terms for a mother
From this reading "I found him down there, lying on the wet sand all alone, mamma--all alone!
-ing form of “moan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:
possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Oh!
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading "I found him down there, lying on the wet sand all alone, mamma--all alone!
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:
an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
past form of “stagger” — walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "I found him down there, lying on the wet sand all alone, mamma--all alone!
a formal word for “on”
From this reading She sank down upon the floor by the side of the couch and laid the child on her mother's breast, moaning out:
loud cries made while weeping
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading "I found him down there, lying on the wet sand all alone, mamma--all alone!
in the company of; together with
From this reading Half dead with weariness and sorrow, Mrs. St. John staggered into her mother's presence with the wailing infant in her arms.
Chapter 16 of A Dreadful Temptation by Alex. McVeigh, Mrs. Miller holds 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 16 holds 88 sentences of A Dreadful Temptation, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of A Dreadful Temptation by Alex. McVeigh, Mrs. Miller exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 18 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 16 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 Dreadful Temptation by Alex. McVeigh, Mrs. Miller on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2453 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43911 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43911, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 204 minutes of reading across 491 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Dreadful Temptation section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of A Dreadful Temptation 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 Dreadful Temptation, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
