Chapter 2 of Around the Tea-Table is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Around the Tea-Table is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A GROWLER SOOTHED. Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers. I reply, Yes, and write for them too. "But I see their degeneracy. Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
Chapter 2 of Around the Tea-Table is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/9 · 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.
third-person singular of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading “Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.”
inflected form of “buy” — obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction
From this reading “Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.”
English architect who designed many churches (1814-1900)
From this reading “Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.”
the state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities
From this reading “"But I see their degeneracy.”
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.”
plural of “newspaper” — a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements
From this reading “Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.”
past form of “soothe” — give moral or emotional strength to
From this reading “A GROWLER SOOTHED.”
a tenth part; one part in ten equal parts
From this reading “Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.”
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 A GROWLER SOOTHED.
(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 Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I reply, Yes, and write for them too.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
third-person singular of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
inflected form of “buy” — obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction
From this reading Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But I see their degeneracy.
English architect who designed many churches (1814-1900)
From this reading Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
the state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities
From this reading "But I see their degeneracy.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.
at any time
From this reading Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I reply, Yes, and write for them too.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.
a speaker whose voice sounds like a growl
From this reading A GROWLER SOOTHED.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
immediately past
From this reading Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
plural of “newspaper” — a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements
From this reading Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
on one occasion
From this reading Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading I reply, Yes, and write for them too.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "But I see their degeneracy.
past form of “soothe” — give moral or emotional strength to
From this reading A GROWLER SOOTHED.
a tenth part; one part in ten equal parts
From this reading Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading "But I see their degeneracy.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I reply, Yes, and write for them too.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading I reply, Yes, and write for them too.
which person or people
From this reading Once you could believe nearly all they said; now he is a fool who believes a tenth part of it.
produce a literary work
From this reading I reply, Yes, and write for them too.
an affirmative
From this reading I reply, Yes, and write for them too.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Givemfits said to Dr. Butterfield, "You asked me last evening if I ever bought newspapers.
Chapter 2 of Around the Tea-Table by T. De Witt (Thomas De Witt) Talmage holds 48 sentences, grouped into 10 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 48 sentences of Around the Tea-Table, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Around the Tea-Table by T. De Witt (Thomas De Witt) Talmage exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 48 sentences, grouped into 10 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 10 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 10 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 Around the Tea-Table by T. De Witt (Thomas De Witt) Talmage on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4312 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14662 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14662, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 359 minutes of reading across 863 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Around the Tea-Table section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Around the Tea-Table 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 Around the Tea-Table, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
