Chapter 17 of A Girl of the Limberlost is here in full — 375 sentences across 75 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of A Girl of the Limberlost is here in full — 375 sentences across 75 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
WHEREIN MRS. COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something. He sat bolt upright, his eyes staring. Once he opened his lips, then thought again and closed them. The sound persisted.
Chapter 17 of A Girl of the Limberlost is here in full — 375 sentences across 75 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/75 · 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.
a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
From this reading “He sat bolt upright, his eyes staring.”
United States reformer who led moral crusades against art and literature that he considered obscene (1844-1915)
From this reading “COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.”
an admission of misdeeds or faults
From this reading “COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.”
plural of “dance” — an artistic form of nonverbal communication
From this reading “COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.”
a small natural hill
From this reading “COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.”
past form of “persist” — continue to exist
From this reading “The sound persisted.”
changing location by moving back and forth
From this reading “COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.”
in a vertical position; not sloping
From this reading “He sat bolt upright, his eyes staring.”
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 COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
anew
From this reading Once he opened his lips, then thought again and closed them.
(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 COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
From this reading He sat bolt upright, his eyes staring.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading Once he opened his lips, then thought again and closed them.
United States reformer who led moral crusades against art and literature that he considered obscene (1844-1915)
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
an admission of misdeeds or faults
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
plural of “dance” — an artistic form of nonverbal communication
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He sat bolt upright, his eyes staring.
a small natural hill
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He sat bolt upright, his eyes staring.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Once he opened his lips, then thought again and closed them.
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
the light of the Moon
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading WHEREIN MRS.
on one occasion
From this reading Once he opened his lips, then thought again and closed them.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Once he opened his lips, then thought again and closed them.
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
past form of “persist” — continue to exist
From this reading The sound persisted.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading He sat bolt upright, his eyes staring.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The sound persisted.
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading He sat bolt upright, his eyes staring.
changing location by moving back and forth
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Once he opened his lips, then thought again and closed them.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Once he opened his lips, then thought again and closed them.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
in a vertical position; not sloping
From this reading He sat bolt upright, his eyes staring.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
at the time that
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WHEREIN MRS.
in the company of; together with
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSION Billy was swinging in the hammock, at peace with himself and all the world, when he thought he heard something.
Chapter 17 of A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter holds 375 sentences, grouped into 75 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 17 holds 375 sentences of A Girl of the Limberlost, unabridged, divided into 75 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 375 sentences, grouped into 75 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 75 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 75 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 17 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 Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9518 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #125 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #125, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1904 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Girl of the Limberlost section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of A Girl of the Limberlost 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 Girl of the Limberlost, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
