Chapter 23 of A Modern Madonna is here in full — 218 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of A Modern Madonna is here in full — 218 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back. It was a gloomy room. The furniture and the hangings were dark and massive. Everything spoke of a bygone age and a lack of woman's touch. Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.
Chapter 23 of A Modern Madonna is here in full — 218 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/43 · 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.
plural of “blind” — people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group
From this reading “Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.”
past events to be put aside
From this reading “Everything spoke of a bygone age and a lack of woman's touch.”
plural of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading “THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.”
plural of “generation” — all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age
From this reading “THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.”
plural of “hanging” — decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading “The furniture and the hangings were dark and massive.”
imposing in size or bulk or solidity
From this reading “The furniture and the hangings were dark and massive.”
a heavy fabric of wool (or wool and cotton) used mostly in upholstery or for curtains
From this reading “Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.”
a resident of Venice
From this reading “Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.”
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 “Everything spoke of a bygone age and a lack of woman's touch.”
In this reading “Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.”
prevent from entering; shut out
In this reading “Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.”
In this reading “THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.”
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 It was a gloomy room.
how long something has existed
From this reading Everything spoke of a bygone age and a lack of woman's touch.
Having no one else present.
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The furniture and the hangings were dark and massive.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
plural of “blind” — people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group
From this reading Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.
past events to be put aside
From this reading Everything spoke of a bygone age and a lack of woman's touch.
plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The furniture and the hangings were dark and massive.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading Everything spoke of a bygone age and a lack of woman's touch.
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.
plural of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
furnishings that make a room or other area ready for occupancy
From this reading The furniture and the hangings were dark and massive.
plural of “generation” — all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
depressingly dark
From this reading It was a gloomy room.
having or deserving or conferring glory
From this reading Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.
possessive form of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.
plural of “hanging” — decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading The furniture and the hangings were dark and massive.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a gloomy room.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
From this reading Everything spoke of a bygone age and a lack of woman's touch.
a room where books are kept
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
imposing in size or bulk or solidity
From this reading The furniture and the hangings were dark and massive.
a heavy fabric of wool (or wool and cotton) used mostly in upholstery or for curtains
From this reading Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.
above and across; more than
From this reading Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading It was a gloomy room.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading Everything spoke of a bygone age and a lack of woman's touch.
the rays of the sun
From this reading Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading Everything spoke of a bygone age and a lack of woman's touch.
a resident of Venice
From this reading Faded moreen curtains hung over Venetian blinds and shut out God's glorious sunlight.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a gloomy room.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The furniture and the hangings were dark and massive.
which person or people
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Everything spoke of a bygone age and a lack of woman's touch.
the basic unit of money in South Korea
From this reading THE MAN WHO WON Richard De Jarnette sat alone in the library at Elmhurst--the home of his fathers for generations back.
Chapter 23 of A Modern Madonna by Caroline Abbot Stanley holds 218 sentences, grouped into 44 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 23 holds 218 sentences of A Modern Madonna, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of A Modern Madonna by Caroline Abbot Stanley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 218 sentences, grouped into 44 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 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 44 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 23 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 Modern Madonna by Caroline Abbot Stanley on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7951 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #57418 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #57418, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1591 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Modern Madonna section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of A Modern Madonna 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 Modern Madonna, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
