Chapter 14 of A Waif of the Mountains is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of A Waif of the Mountains is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary. He must not alarm his friend. He smoked a few minutes in silence. "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?" "Very likely."
Chapter 14 of A Waif of the Mountains is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/20 · 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.
moving forward
From this reading “"It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"”
the trait of being cautious; being attentive to possible danger
From this reading “THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.”
third-person singular of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading “"It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"”
United States religious leader who founded the sect that is now called Jehovah's Witnesses (1852-1916)
From this reading “THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.”
stinginess resulting from a concern for your own welfare and a disregard of others
From this reading “"It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"”
(used especially of meats and fish) dried and cured by hanging in wood smoke
From this reading “He smoked a few minutes in silence.”
a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
From this reading “THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.”
-ing form of “tread” — put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading “THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.”
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 “THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.”
In this reading “He smoked a few minutes in silence.”
In this reading “"It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"”
place or press the foot on
In this reading “THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.”
In this reading “He smoked a few minutes in silence.”
In this reading “"It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"”
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 He smoked a few minutes in silence.
moving forward
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading He must not alarm his friend.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
the trait of being cautious; being attentive to possible danger
From this reading THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.
a lawyer who pleads cases in court
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury
From this reading THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading He smoked a few minutes in silence.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading He must not alarm his friend.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.
third-person singular of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He must not alarm his friend.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He must not alarm his friend.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He smoked a few minutes in silence.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
a commissioned military officer
From this reading THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading "Very likely."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading He smoked a few minutes in silence.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading He must not alarm his friend.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
absolutely essential
From this reading THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He must not alarm his friend.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.
United States religious leader who founded the sect that is now called Jehovah's Witnesses (1852-1916)
From this reading THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.
stinginess resulting from a concern for your own welfare and a disregard of others
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading He smoked a few minutes in silence.
(used especially of meats and fish) dried and cured by hanging in wood smoke
From this reading He smoked a few minutes in silence.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.
a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
From this reading THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
-ing form of “tread” — put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity
From this reading THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.
precisely as stated
From this reading "Very likely."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.
in or at the place that
From this reading THE THUNDERBOLT Lieutenant Russell was treading on delicate ground, where the utmost caution was necessary.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
a late time of life
From this reading "It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?"
Chapter 14 of A Waif of the Mountains by Edward Sylvester Ellis holds 100 sentences, grouped into 20 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 14 holds 100 sentences of A Waif of the Mountains, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of A Waif of the Mountains by Edward Sylvester Ellis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 100 sentences, grouped into 20 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 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 20 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 14 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.
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Yes. All 3476 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29693 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #29693, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 289 minutes of reading across 696 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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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 Waif of the Mountains, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
