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Condensed Novels
Condensed Novels

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Condensed Novels is here in full — 36 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Condensed Novels
Context Illustration Reading 1/7 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"I remember him a little boy," said the Duchess.
"His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."
"And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.
"Never; he was an orphan shortly after.
I have often reproached myself, but it is so difficult to see boys."
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Condensed Novels

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Condensed Novels is here in full — 36 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/7 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"I remember him a little boy," said the Duchess.
/aɪ rɪˈmɛm.bər hɪm ə ˈlɪtəl bɔɪ sed ðə ˈdʌtʃəs/
Line 2
"His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."
/hɪz ˈmʌðər wɑːz ə dɪr frend ʌv maɪn juː noʊ ʃiː wɑːz wʌn ʌv maɪ ˈbraɪdzmeɪdz/
Line 3
"And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.
/ənd juː hæv ˈnevər siːn hɪm sɪns ˈmɑːmə æskt ðə ˈoʊldəst ˈmerid ˈdɔːtər huː dɪd nɑːt lʊk ə deɪ ˈoʊldər ðæn hɜːr ˈmʌðər/
Line 4
"Never; he was an orphan shortly after.
/ˈnevər hiː wɑːz æn ˈɔːrfən ˈʃɔːrtli ˈæftər/
Line 5
I have often reproached myself, but it is so difficult to see boys."

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.

bridesmaids noun US /ˈbraɪdzmeɪdz/

plural of “bridesmaid” — an unmarried woman who attends the bride at a wedding

From this reading “"His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."”

difficult adjective US /ˈdɪfəkəlt/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading “I have often reproached myself, but it is so difficult to see boys."”

Duchess noun US /ˈdʌtʃəs/

the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right

From this reading “"I remember him a little boy," said the Duchess.”

mamma noun US /ˈmɑːmə/

informal terms for a mother

From this reading “"And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.”

older adjective US /ˈoʊldər/

advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)

From this reading “"And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.”

oldest adjective US /ˈoʊldəst/

superlative of “old” — (used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading “"And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.”

orphan noun US /ˈɔːrfən/

a child who has lost both parents

From this reading “"Never; he was an orphan shortly after.”

shortly adverb US /ˈʃɔːrtli/

for a short time

From this reading “"Never; he was an orphan shortly after.”

All words in this reading · 56

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading "I remember him a little boy," said the Duchess.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading "Never; he was an orphan shortly after.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "Never; he was an orphan shortly after.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading "I remember him a little boy," said the Duchess.

boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading I have often reproached myself, but it is so difficult to see boys."

bridesmaidsnounUS /ˈbraɪdzmeɪdz/

plural of “bridesmaid” — an unmarried woman who attends the bride at a wedding

From this reading "His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I have often reproached myself, but it is so difficult to see boys."

daughternounUS /ˈdɔːtər/

a female human offspring

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading "His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

difficultadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfəkəlt/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading I have often reproached myself, but it is so difficult to see boys."

DuchessnounUS /ˈdʌtʃəs/

the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right

From this reading "I remember him a little boy," said the Duchess.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading "His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Never; he was an orphan shortly after.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "I remember him a little boy," said the Duchess.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading "His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I remember him a little boy," said the Duchess.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading I have often reproached myself, but it is so difficult to see boys."

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I have often reproached myself, but it is so difficult to see boys."

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading "I remember him a little boy," said the Duchess.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

mammanounUS /ˈmɑːmə/

informal terms for a mother

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

marriedadjectiveUS /ˈmerid/

joined in matrimony

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading "His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading I have often reproached myself, but it is so difficult to see boys."

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading I have often reproached myself, but it is so difficult to see boys."

olderadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldər/

advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

oldestadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldəst/

superlative of “old” — (used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."

orphannounUS /ˈɔːrfən/

a child who has lost both parents

From this reading "Never; he was an orphan shortly after.

rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading "I remember him a little boy," said the Duchess.

reproached

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

From this reading I have often reproached myself, but it is so difficult to see boys."

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I remember him a little boy," said the Duchess.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading I have often reproached myself, but it is so difficult to see boys."

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."

shortlyadverbUS /ˈʃɔːrtli/

for a short time

From this reading "Never; he was an orphan shortly after.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading I have often reproached myself, but it is so difficult to see boys."

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "I remember him a little boy," said the Duchess.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I have often reproached myself, but it is so difficult to see boys."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."

Chapter 4 of Condensed Novels by Bret Harte holds 36 sentences, grouped into 8 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 4 of Condensed Novels contain?

Chapter 4 holds 36 sentences of Condensed Novels, unabridged, divided into 8 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Condensed Novels by Bret Harte exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 36 sentences, grouped into 8 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 4 of Condensed Novels?

Work through the 8 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 8 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Condensed Novels

Common questions about reading Condensed Novels by Bret Harte on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Condensed Novels?

Yes. All 1918 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2277 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Condensed Novels is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2277, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Condensed Novels take to read?

About 159 minutes of reading across 384 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Condensed Novels section by section

How to work through Condensed Novels section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 35 chapters of Condensed Novels 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 Condensed Novels

Words and structures a reader meets early in Condensed Novels, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Dodds
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Condensed Novels; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Twenty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Condensed Novels; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Slept
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Condensed Novels; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Under
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Condensed Novels; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.