A Hoosier holiday

Chapter XXXVII

Chapter 37 of A Hoosier holiday is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Theodore Dreiser • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for A Hoosier holiday

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Not Evansville alone but life itself was beautiful—the sky, the trees, the sun, the visible scene.

People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.

Getting up in the morning, going to bed at night.

The stars, the winds, hunger, thirst, the joy of playing or of idly musing.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXXVII Reading 1/37

A Hoosier holiday Theodore Dreiser

Chapter XXXVII

Chapter 37 of A Hoosier holiday is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

EVANSVILLE But I cannot possibly hope to convey the delicious sting life had in it for me at this time as a spectacle, a dream, something in which to bathe and be enfolded, as only youth and love know life. Not Evansville alone but life itself was beautiful—the sky, the trees, the sun, the visible scene. People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common. Getting up in the morning, going to bed at night. The stars, the winds, hunger, thirst, the joy of playing or of idly musing.

A Hoosier holiday

Chapter XXXVII

Chapter 37 of A Hoosier holiday is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

Not Evansville alone but life itself was beautiful—the sky, the trees, the sun, the visible scene.

Line 3

People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.

Line 4

Getting up in the morning, going to bed at night.

/ˈɡetɪŋ ʌp ɪn ðə ˈmɔːrnɪŋ ˈɡoʊɪŋ tuː bed æt naɪt/

Line 5

The stars, the winds, hunger, thirst, the joy of playing or of idly musing.

/ðə stɑːrz ðə wɪndz ˈhʌŋɡər θɜːrst ðə dʒɔɪ ʌv ˈpleɪɪŋ ɔːr ʌv ˈaɪdli ˈmjuːzɪŋ/

Learner Dictionary

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.

bathe verb US /beɪð/

cleanse the entire body

From this reading “EVANSVILLE But I cannot possibly hope to convey the delicious sting life had in it for me at this time as a spectacle, a dream, something in which to bathe and be enfolded, as only youth and love know life.”

convey verb US /kənˈveɪ/

(of information) make known; pass on

evansville noun US /ˈevənzvɪl/

a city in southwestern Indiana on the Ohio River

idling noun US /ˈaɪdəlɪŋ/

having no employment

From this reading “People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.”

idly adverb US /ˈaɪdli/

in an idle manner

From this reading “The stars, the winds, hunger, thirst, the joy of playing or of idly musing.”

musing noun US /ˈmjuːzɪŋ/

a calm, lengthy, intent consideration

From this reading “The stars, the winds, hunger, thirst, the joy of playing or of idly musing.”

sting verb US /stɪŋ/

cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort

whistles noun US /ˈwɪsəlz/

plural of “whistle” — the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture

From this reading “People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

church bells noun + noun counted as “church bell”

a bell in a church tower (usually sounded to summon people to church)

In this reading “People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.”

stretch of verb + particle

In this reading “People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.”

at night preposition + noun

In this reading “Getting up in the morning, going to bed at night.”

in the shade preposition + article + noun counted as “in … shade”

In this reading “People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.”

in the morning preposition + article + noun counted as “in … morning”

In this reading “Getting up in the morning, going to bed at night.”

All words in this reading · 72

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading EVANSVILLE But I cannot possibly hope to convey the delicious sting life had in it for me at this time as a spectacle, a dream, something in which to bathe and be enfolded, as only youth and love know life.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Not Evansville alone but life itself was beautiful—the sky, the trees, the sun, the visible scene.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

batheverbUS /beɪð/

cleanse the entire body

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading Not Evansville alone but life itself was beautiful—the sky, the trees, the sun, the visible scene.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading Getting up in the morning, going to bed at night.

bellsnounUS /belz/

plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

cannot

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

churchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.

commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.

conveyverbUS /kənˈveɪ/

(of information) make known; pass on

deliciousadjectiveUS /dɪˈlɪʃəs/

greatly pleasing or entertaining

dreamnounUS /driːm/

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.

enfolded

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

EVANSVILLEnounUS /ˈevənzvɪl/

a city in southwestern Indiana on the Ohio River

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

fro

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.

GettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

From this reading Getting up in the morning, going to bed at night.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading Getting up in the morning, going to bed at night.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

hungernounUS /ˈhʌŋɡər/

a physiological need for food; the consequence of food deprivation

From this reading The stars, the winds, hunger, thirst, the joy of playing or of idly musing.

hurryingadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːriɪŋ/

moving with great haste

From this reading People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

idlingnounUS /ˈaɪdəlɪŋ/

having no employment

From this reading People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.

idlyadverbUS /ˈaɪdli/

in an idle manner

From this reading The stars, the winds, hunger, thirst, the joy of playing or of idly musing.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading Not Evansville alone but life itself was beautiful—the sky, the trees, the sun, the visible scene.

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading The stars, the winds, hunger, thirst, the joy of playing or of idly musing.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Getting up in the morning, going to bed at night.

musingnounUS /ˈmjuːzɪŋ/

a calm, lengthy, intent consideration

From this reading The stars, the winds, hunger, thirst, the joy of playing or of idly musing.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Getting up in the morning, going to bed at night.

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Not Evansville alone but life itself was beautiful—the sky, the trees, the sun, the visible scene.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.

PeoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.

playingnounUS /ˈpleɪɪŋ/

the act of playing a musical instrument

From this reading The stars, the winds, hunger, thirst, the joy of playing or of idly musing.

possiblyadverbUS /ˈpɑːsəbli/

by chance

scenenounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading Not Evansville alone but life itself was beautiful—the sky, the trees, the sun, the visible scene.

shadenounUS /ʃeɪd/

relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body

From this reading People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading Not Evansville alone but life itself was beautiful—the sky, the trees, the sun, the visible scene.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.

spectaclenounUS /ˈspektəkəl/

something or someone seen (especially a notable or unusual sight)

starsnounUS /stɑːrz/

plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading The stars, the winds, hunger, thirst, the joy of playing or of idly musing.

stingverbUS /stɪŋ/

cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort

stretchverbUS /stretʃ/

occupy a large, elongated area

From this reading People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading Not Evansville alone but life itself was beautiful—the sky, the trees, the sun, the visible scene.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

thirstnounUS /θɜːrst/

a physiological need to drink

From this reading The stars, the winds, hunger, thirst, the joy of playing or of idly musing.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

treesnounUS /triːz/

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading Not Evansville alone but life itself was beautiful—the sky, the trees, the sun, the visible scene.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Getting up in the morning, going to bed at night.

visibleadjectiveUS /ˈvɪzəbəl/

capable of being seen; or open to easy view

From this reading Not Evansville alone but life itself was beautiful—the sky, the trees, the sun, the visible scene.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Not Evansville alone but life itself was beautiful—the sky, the trees, the sun, the visible scene.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

whistlesnounUS /ˈwɪsəlz/

plural of “whistle” — the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture

From this reading People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.

wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading People hurrying to and fro or idling in the shade, the sound of church bells, of whistles, a wide stretch of common.

windsnounUS /wɪndz/

plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading The stars, the winds, hunger, thirst, the joy of playing or of idly musing.

youthnounUS /juːθ/

a young person (especially a young man or boy)

Chapter 37 of A Hoosier holiday by Theodore Dreiser holds 185 sentences, grouped into 37 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.

What does chapter 37 of A Hoosier holiday contain?

Chapter 37 holds 185 sentences of A Hoosier holiday, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 37 of A Hoosier holiday by Theodore Dreiser exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 185 sentences, grouped into 37 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.

How do I study chapter 37 of A Hoosier holiday?

Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 37 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.

Can chapter 37 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 37 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.

Questions about reading A Hoosier holiday

Common questions about reading A Hoosier holiday by Theodore Dreiser on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Hoosier holiday?

Yes. All 8767 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #70269 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Hoosier holiday is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #70269, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Hoosier holiday take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1754 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Hoosier holiday

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Hoosier holiday, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Version: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Hoosier holiday; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter XXXVII

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