Chapter 15 of Better days is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of Better days is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Is this law? Aye, marry is it?” “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court. Who represents the applicant?” “The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.
Chapter 15 of Better days is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 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.
a person who requests or seeks something such as assistance or employment or admission
From this reading “Who represents the applicant?””
the act of bringing something to bear; using it for a particular purpose
From this reading ““In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.”
United States author who was an outspoken critic of racism (1924-1987)
From this reading ““The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.”
United States inventor of firearms (especially automatic pistols and repeating rifles and a machine gun called the Peacemaker) (1855-1926)
From this reading ““In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.”
someone who is no longer alive
From this reading ““In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.”
everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities
From this reading ““In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.”
United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)
From this reading ““In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.”
third-person singular of “represent” — take the place of or be parallel or equivalent to
From this reading “Who represents the applicant?””
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.
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 “The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.
a person who requests or seeks something such as assistance or employment or admission
From this reading Who represents the applicant?”
the act of bringing something to bear; using it for a particular purpose
From this reading “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Aye, marry is it?”
United States author who was an outspoken critic of racism (1924-1987)
From this reading “The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.
having no beard
From this reading “The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.
United States inventor of firearms (especially automatic pistols and repeating rifles and a machine gun called the Peacemaker) (1855-1926)
From this reading “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.
an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.
someone who is no longer alive
From this reading “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.
everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities
From this reading “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading “The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.
marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
From this reading “The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.
a man of refinement
From this reading “The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.
a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
From this reading “The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Is this law?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Aye, marry is it?”
the collection of rules imposed by authority
From this reading “Is this law?
the literary culture
From this reading “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.
United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)
From this reading “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.
take in marriage
From this reading Aye, marry is it?”
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading “The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.
third-person singular of “represent” — take the place of or be parallel or equivalent to
From this reading Who represents the applicant?”
wearing, or having the face adorned with, eyeglasses or an eyeglass
From this reading “The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading “The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “In the matter of the estate of Lorin French deceased, the application of Louis Browning for letters executory is before the court.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Is this law?
which person or people
From this reading Who represents the applicant?”
in the company of; together with
From this reading “The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “The firm of Bruff & Baldwin, your honor,” replied a tall gentleman with spectacled nose and a beardless face.
Chapter 15 of Better days by Thomas Fitch holds 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 15 holds 132 sentences of Better days, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of Better days by Thomas Fitch exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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 15 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 Better days by Thomas Fitch on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3662 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #67835 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #67835, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 305 minutes of reading across 733 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Better days section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of Better days 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 Better days, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
