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An Experiment in Altruism
An Experiment in Altruism

Chapter XXXIX

Chapter 39 of An Experiment in Altruism is here in full — 72 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for An Experiment in Altruism
Context Illustration Reading 1/14 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
We are all busy still, and yet the world is not saved.
The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.
The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.
Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.
Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

An Experiment in Altruism

Chapter XXXIX

Chapter 39 of An Experiment in Altruism is here in full — 72 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/14 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
We are all busy still, and yet the world is not saved.
/wiː ɑːr ɔːl ˈbɪzi stɪl ənd jet ðə wɜːrld ɪz nɑːt seɪvd/
Line 2
The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.
Line 3
The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.
Line 4
Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.
Line 5
Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.
/fʊl əˈʃʊrəns hæz nɑːt bɪn ˈɡræntəd miː ənd ɪt ɪz maɪ lɑːt ɪn ˈduːɪŋ ˈbætəl tuː straɪk ˈɔːfən ɪn ðə dɑːrk/

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.

Anarchist noun US /ˈænərkɪst/

an advocate of anarchism

From this reading “The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.”

disheartened adjective US /dɪsˈhɑːrtənd/

made less hopeful or enthusiastic

From this reading “Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.”

finite adjective US /ˈfaɪnaɪt/

bounded or limited in magnitude or spatial or temporal extent

From this reading “The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.”

millennium noun US /məˈleniəm/

a span of 1000 years

From this reading “The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.”

perfecting verb US /pərˈfektɪŋ/

-ing form of “perfect” — make perfect or complete

From this reading “The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.”

Reformer noun US /rɪˈfɔːrmər/

a disputant who advocates reform

From this reading “The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.”

Socialists noun US /ˈsoʊʃələsts/

plural of “socialist” — a political advocate of socialism

From this reading “The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.”

translates verb US /trænzˈleɪts/

third-person singular of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language

From this reading “The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.”

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.

Many times adjective + noun

In this reading “Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.”

on the platform preposition + article + noun counted as “on … platform”

In this reading “The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.”

Full assurance adjective + noun

In this reading “Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.”

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

In this reading “Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.”

All words in this reading · 77

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.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 We are all busy still, and yet the world is not saved.

Altruistnoun

someone who makes charitable donations intended to increase human well-being

From this reading The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.

AnarchistnounUS /ˈænərkɪst/

an advocate of anarchism

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading We are all busy still, and yet the world is not saved.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading We are all busy still, and yet the world is not saved.

assurancenounUS /əˈʃʊrəns/

freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.

Barnet

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

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

battlenounUS /ˈbætəl/

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

busyadjectiveUS /ˈbɪzi/

actively or fully engaged or occupied

From this reading We are all busy still, and yet the world is not saved.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.

CausenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.

closedadjectiveUS /kloʊzd/

not open or affording passage or access

From this reading Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.

dailyadverbUS /ˈdeɪli/

every day; without missing a day

From this reading The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.

detailsnounUS /dɪˈteɪlz/

true confidential information

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

disheartenedadjectiveUS /dɪsˈhɑːrtənd/

made less hopeful or enthusiastic

From this reading Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.

economicadjectiveUS /ˌekəˈnɑːmɪk/

of or relating to an economy, the system of production and management of material wealth

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

finiteadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnaɪt/

bounded or limited in magnitude or spatial or temporal extent

From this reading The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.

FulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.

grantedadjectiveUS /ˈɡræntəd/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.

gravenounUS /ɡreɪv/

death of a person

From this reading Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

HousenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

infiniteadjectiveUS /ˈɪnfənət/

having no limits or boundaries in time or space or extent or magnitude

From this reading The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading We are all busy still, and yet the world is not saved.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.

Lad's

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

From this reading Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.

lotnounUS /lɑːt/

(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent

From this reading Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.

ManyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.

marchedverbUS /mɑːrtʃt/

past form of “march” — march in a procession

From this reading Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.

millenniumnounUS /məˈleniəm/

a span of 1000 years

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading We are all busy still, and yet the world is not saved.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.

onwardadverbUS /ˈɔːnwərd/

forward in time or order or degree

From this reading Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.

pausedverbUS /pɔːzd/

past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

From this reading Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.

perfectingverbUS /pərˈfektɪŋ/

-ing form of “perfect” — make perfect or complete

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

platformnounUS /ˈplætfɔːrm/

a raised horizontal surface

From this reading The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.

processverbUS /ˈprɑːses/

subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

ranksnounUS /ræŋks/

plural of “rank” — a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another

From this reading Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.

ReformernounUS /rɪˈfɔːrmər/

a disputant who advocates reform

From this reading The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.

savedadjectiveUS /seɪvd/

rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin

From this reading We are all busy still, and yet the world is not saved.

self-same

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

From this reading The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.

SocialistsnounUS /ˈsoʊʃələsts/

plural of “socialist” — a political advocate of socialism

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading We are all busy still, and yet the world is not saved.

strikeverbUS /straɪk/

deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon

From this reading Full assurance has not been granted me, and it is my lot in doing battle to strike often in the dark.

termsnounUS /tɜːrmz/

status with respect to the relations between people or groups

From this reading The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading We are all busy still, and yet the world is not saved.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading Many times since we closed ranks and marched onward over the Lad’s grave I have paused, disheartened.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

toilverbUS /tɔɪl/

work hard

From this reading The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.

translatesverbUS /trænzˈleɪts/

third-person singular of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language

From this reading The Altruist still translates the infinite into finite terms; the Young Reformer is on the platform; I toil daily in the self-same Cause, but the world is not saved.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We are all busy still, and yet the world is not saved.

workingadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/

actively engaged in paid work

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading We are all busy still, and yet the world is not saved.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading We are all busy still, and yet the world is not saved.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading The Anarchist is perfecting the process that shall bring his millennium to be, and the young Socialists in Barnet House are working out the details of their new economic order.

Chapter 39 of An Experiment in Altruism by Margaret Pollock Sherwood holds 72 sentences, grouped into 15 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 39 of An Experiment in Altruism contain?

Chapter 39 holds 72 sentences of An Experiment in Altruism, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 39 of An Experiment in Altruism by Margaret Pollock Sherwood exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 72 sentences, grouped into 15 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 39 of An Experiment in Altruism?

Work through the 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 15 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 39 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 39 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 An Experiment in Altruism

Common questions about reading An Experiment in Altruism by Margaret Pollock Sherwood on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of An Experiment in Altruism?

Yes. All 2299 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #67432 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of An Experiment in Altruism is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #67432, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does An Experiment in Altruism take to read?

About 191 minutes of reading across 460 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read An Experiment in Altruism section by section

How to work through An Experiment in Altruism section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of An Experiment in Altruism to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in An Experiment in Altruism

Words and structures a reader meets early in An Experiment in Altruism, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Tantalus
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An Experiment in Altruism; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Janet
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An Experiment in Altruism; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Standing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An Experiment in Altruism; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Water
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An Experiment in Altruism; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.