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Confession
Confession

Chapter XXV · Chapter 25

Chapter 25 of Confession is here in full — 228 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/45 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
STILL THE CLOUD.
For three days and nights did I watch beside the sick bed of my wife.
In all this time her fate continued doubtful.
I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.
Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Confession

Chapter XXV · Chapter 25

Chapter 25 of Confession is here in full — 228 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/45 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
STILL THE CLOUD.
/stɪl ðə klaʊd/
Line 2
For three days and nights did I watch beside the sick bed of my wife.
/fɔːr θriː deɪz ənd naɪts dɪd aɪ wɑːtʃ bɪˈsaɪd ðə sɪk bed ʌv maɪ waɪf/
Line 3
In all this time her fate continued doubtful.
/ɪn ɔːl ðɪs taɪm hɜːr feɪt kənˈtɪnjuːd ˈdaʊtfəl/
Line 4
I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.
/aɪ daʊt ɪf ˈeni æŋˈzaɪəti ɔːr əˈtenʃən kʊd hæv ɪkˈsiːdəd maɪn æz ɪt wɑːz klɪr tuː ˌmaɪˈself ðæt ɪn spaɪt ʌv ˈdʒeləsi ənd səˈspɪʃən maɪ lʌv fɔːr hɜːr rɪˈmeɪnd wɪˈθaʊt ˌdɪməˈnuːʃən/
Line 5
Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.
/jet ðɪs wɑːtʃ wɑːz nɑːt meɪnˈteɪnd wɪˈθaʊt sʌm ˈtraɪəlz fɑːr mɔːr səˈvɪr ənd ˈsɜːrtʃɪŋ ðæn ðoʊz wɪtʃ ɪt prəˈduːst əˈpɑːn ðə ˈbɑːdi/

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.

diminution noun US /ˌdɪməˈnuːʃən/

change toward something smaller or lower

From this reading “I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.”

doubtful adjective US /ˈdaʊtfəl/

open to doubt or suspicion

From this reading “In all this time her fate continued doubtful.”

exceeded verb US /ɪkˈsiːdəd/

past form of “exceed” — be greater in scope or size than some standard

From this reading “I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.”

jealousy noun US /ˈdʒeləsi/

a feeling of jealous envy (especially of a rival)

From this reading “I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.”

maintained adjective US /meɪnˈteɪnd/

kept in good condition

From this reading “Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.”

searching adjective US /ˈsɜːrtʃɪŋ/

diligent and thorough in inquiry or investigation

From this reading “Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.”

severe adjective US /səˈvɪr/

intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality

From this reading “Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.”

trials noun US /ˈtraɪəlz/

plural of “trial” — the act of testing something

From this reading “Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.”

All words in this reading · 64

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 In all this time her fate continued doubtful.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading For three days and nights did I watch beside the sick bed of my wife.

anxietynounUS /æŋˈzaɪəti/

(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

attentionnounUS /əˈtenʃən/

the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading For three days and nights did I watch beside the sick bed of my wife.

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading For three days and nights did I watch beside the sick bed of my wife.

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.

clearverbUS /klɪr/

rid of obstructions

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

CLOUDverbUS /klaʊd/

make overcast or cloudy

From this reading STILL THE CLOUD.

continuedadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːd/

without stop or interruption

From this reading In all this time her fate continued doubtful.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading For three days and nights did I watch beside the sick bed of my wife.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading For three days and nights did I watch beside the sick bed of my wife.

diminutionnounUS /ˌdɪməˈnuːʃən/

change toward something smaller or lower

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

doubtnounUS /daʊt/

the state of being unsure of something

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

doubtfuladjectiveUS /ˈdaʊtfəl/

open to doubt or suspicion

From this reading In all this time her fate continued doubtful.

exceededverbUS /ɪkˈsiːdəd/

past form of “exceed” — be greater in scope or size than some standard

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.

fatenounUS /feɪt/

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading In all this time her fate continued doubtful.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For three days and nights did I watch beside the sick bed of my wife.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading In all this time her fate continued doubtful.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading For three days and nights did I watch beside the sick bed of my wife.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In all this time her fate continued doubtful.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

jealousynounUS /ˈdʒeləsi/

a feeling of jealous envy (especially of a rival)

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

maintainedadjectiveUS /meɪnˈteɪnd/

kept in good condition

From this reading Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading For three days and nights did I watch beside the sick bed of my wife.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

nightsnounUS /naɪts/

Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

From this reading For three days and nights did I watch beside the sick bed of my wife.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading For three days and nights did I watch beside the sick bed of my wife.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

producedverbUS /prəˈduːst/

past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield

From this reading Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.

remainedverbUS /rɪˈmeɪnd/

past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

searchingadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtʃɪŋ/

diligent and thorough in inquiry or investigation

From this reading Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.

severeadjectiveUS /səˈvɪr/

intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality

From this reading Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.

sickadjectiveUS /sɪk/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading For three days and nights did I watch beside the sick bed of my wife.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.

spitenounUS /spaɪt/

feeling a need to see others suffer

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

STILLadjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading STILL THE CLOUD.

suspicionnounUS /səˈspɪʃən/

an impression that something might be the case

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading STILL THE CLOUD.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading In all this time her fate continued doubtful.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading For three days and nights did I watch beside the sick bed of my wife.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading In all this time her fate continued doubtful.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

trialsnounUS /ˈtraɪəlz/

plural of “trial” — the act of testing something

From this reading Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading For three days and nights did I watch beside the sick bed of my wife.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading For three days and nights did I watch beside the sick bed of my wife.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading I doubt if any anxiety or attention could have exceeded mine; as it was clear to myself that, in spite of jealousy and suspicion, my love for her remained without diminution.

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Yet this watch was not maintained without some trials far more severe and searching than those which it produced upon the body.

Chapter 25 of Confession by William Gilmore Simms holds 228 sentences, grouped into 46 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 25 of Confession contain?

Chapter 25 holds 228 sentences of Confession, unabridged, divided into 46 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 25 of Confession by William Gilmore Simms exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 228 sentences, grouped into 46 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 25 of Confession?

Work through the 46 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 46 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 25 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 25 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 Confession

Common questions about reading Confession by William Gilmore Simms on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Confession?

Yes. All 7827 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6059 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Confession is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6059, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Confession take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1566 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Confession section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Confession 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 Confession

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

Confession
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Confession; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Blind
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Confession; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Heart
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Confession; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dares
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Confession; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.