Chapter 2 of A House-Boat on the Styx is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter II
Chapter 2 of A House-Boat on the Styx is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board. "Any one here to-night?" "Yes, sir," said Charon. "Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero." "Ha-ha!" laughed Shakespeare.
Chapter 2 of A House-Boat on the Styx is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 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.
having help; often used as a combining form
From this reading “"How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.”
back and sides of a hog salted and dried or smoked; usually sliced thin and fried
From this reading “"Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."”
(Greek mythology) the ferryman who brought the souls of the dead across the river Styx or the river Acheron to Hades
From this reading “"How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.”
a loud laugh that sounds like a horse neighing
From this reading “"Ha-ha!" laughed Shakespeare.”
someone employed to clean and maintain a building
From this reading “"How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.”
Roman Emperor notorious for his monstrous vice and fantastic luxury (was said to have started a fire that destroyed much of Rome in 64) but the Roman Empire remained prosperous during his rule (37-68)
From this reading “"Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."”
an excavation that is (usually) filled with water
From this reading “"Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."”
English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)
From this reading “"How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "Any one here to-night?"
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.
having help; often used as a combining form
From this reading "How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.
back and sides of a hog salted and dried or smoked; usually sliced thin and fried
From this reading "Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading "How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.
(Greek mythology) the ferryman who brought the souls of the dead across the river Styx or the river Acheron to Hades
From this reading "How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading "Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."
a loud laugh that sounds like a horse neighing
From this reading "Ha-ha!" laughed Shakespeare.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Any one here to-night?"
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."
someone employed to clean and maintain a building
From this reading "How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.
English writer and lexicographer (1709-1784)
From this reading "Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading "Ha-ha!" laughed Shakespeare.
a room where books are kept
From this reading "Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading "Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."
Roman Emperor notorious for his monstrous vice and fantastic luxury (was said to have started a fire that destroyed much of Rome in 64) but the Roman Empire remained prosperous during his rule (37-68)
From this reading "Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "Any one here to-night?"
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading "Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."
an excavation that is (usually) filled with water
From this reading "Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.
English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)
From this reading "How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.
term of address for a man
From this reading "Yes, sir," said Charon.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Any one here to-night?"
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Lord Bacon is up in the library, and Doctor Johnson is down in the billiard-room, playing pool with Nero."
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes, sir," said Charon.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "How are you, Charon?" said Shakespeare, as the Janitor assisted him on board.
Chapter 2 of A House-Boat on the Styx by John Kendrick Bangs holds 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 161 sentences of A House-Boat on the Styx, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of A House-Boat on the Styx by John Kendrick Bangs exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 33 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 House-Boat on the Styx by John Kendrick Bangs on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1664 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2618 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2618, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 138 minutes of reading across 333 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A House-Boat on the Styx section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of A House-Boat on the Styx 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 House-Boat on the Styx, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
