East Angels: A Novel

Chapter XXVI

Chapter 26 of East Angels: A Novel is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Constance Fenimore Woolson • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for East Angels: A Novel

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

"I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

"I cannot explain it even to myself."

The Doctor was evidently very unhappy, and much disturbed.

He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

She could not restore the blossoming vines to the stripped exterior, she could not bring to life again the old trees; but within she had made a great change; the rooms were fairly comfortable now, green blinds gave a semblance of the former leafy shade.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXVI Reading 1/84

East Angels: A Novel Constance Fenimore Woolson

Chapter XXVI

Chapter 26 of East Angels: A Novel is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

"I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby. "I cannot explain it even to myself." The Doctor was evidently very unhappy, and much disturbed. He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there. She could not restore the blossoming vines to the stripped exterior, she could not bring to life again the old trees; but within she had made a great change; the rooms were fairly comfortable now, green blinds gave a semblance of the former leafy shade.

East Angels: A Novel

Chapter XXVI

Chapter 26 of East Angels: A Novel is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

"I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

Line 2

"I cannot explain it even to myself."

Line 3

The Doctor was evidently very unhappy, and much disturbed.

/ðə ˈdɑːktər wɑːz ˈevədəntli ˈveri ənˈhæpi ənd mʌtʃ dɪˈstɜːrbd/

Line 4

He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

Line 5

/ʃiː kʊd nɑːt rɪˈstɔːr ðə ˈblɑːsəmɪŋ vaɪnz tuː ðə strɪpt ɪkˈstɪriər ʃiː kʊd nɑːt brɪŋ tuː laɪf əˈɡen ðə oʊld triːz bʌt wɪˈðɪn ʃiː hæd meɪd ə ɡreɪt tʃeɪndʒ ðə ruːmz wɜːr ˈferli ˈkʌmfərtəbəl naʊ ɡriːn blaɪndz ɡeɪv ə ˈsembləns ʌv ðə ˈfɔːrmər ˈliːfi ʃeɪd/

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.

blinds noun US /blaɪndz/

plural of “blind” — people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group

From this reading “She could not restore the blossoming vines to the stripped exterior, she could not bring to life again the old trees; but within she had made a great change; the rooms were fairly comfortable now, green blinds gave a semblance of the former leafy shade.”

blossoming noun US /ˈblɑːsəmɪŋ/

the time and process of budding and unfolding of blossoms

exterior noun US /ɪkˈstɪriər/

the region that is outside of something

habitation noun US /ˌhæbəˈteɪʃən/

the native habitat or home of an animal or plant

From this reading “He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.”

leafy adjective US /ˈliːfi/

having or covered with leaves

semblance noun US /ˈsembləns/

an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading

stripped adjective US /strɪpt/

having only essential or minimal features

vines noun US /vaɪnz/

plural of “vine” — a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface

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.

eight months adjective + noun counted as “eight month”

In this reading “He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.”

fairly comfortable adverb + adjective

In this reading “She could not restore the blossoming vines to the stripped exterior, she could not bring to life again the old trees; but within she had made a great change; the rooms were fairly comfortable now, green blinds gave a semblance of the former leafy shade.”

much disturbed adverb + adjective

In this reading “The Doctor was evidently very unhappy, and much disturbed.”

green blinds noun + noun counted as “green blind”

old trees adjective + noun counted as “old tree”

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading She could not restore the blossoming vines to the stripped exterior, she could not bring to life again the old trees; but within she had made a great change; the rooms were fairly comfortable now, green blinds gave a semblance of the former leafy shade.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The Doctor was evidently very unhappy, and much disturbed.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading "I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

blindsnounUS /blaɪndz/

plural of “blind” — people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group

blossomingnounUS /ˈblɑːsəmɪŋ/

the time and process of budding and unfolding of blossoms

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

cannot

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

From this reading "I cannot explain it even to myself."

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

comfortableadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmfərtəbəl/

providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

desolateadjectiveUS /ˈdesələt/

providing no shelter or sustenance

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

disturbedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɜːrbd/

having the place or position changed

From this reading The Doctor was evidently very unhappy, and much disturbed.

DoctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading The Doctor was evidently very unhappy, and much disturbed.

don't

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

From this reading "I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

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

From this reading "I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

eightadjectiveUS /eɪt/

being one more than seven

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading "I cannot explain it even to myself."

evidentlyadverbUS /ˈevədəntli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading The Doctor was evidently very unhappy, and much disturbed.

explainverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪn/

make plain and comprehensible

From this reading "I cannot explain it even to myself."

exteriornounUS /ɪkˈstɪriər/

the region that is outside of something

fairlyadverbUS /ˈferli/

to certain extent or degree

formeradjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrmər/

referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

greennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

habitationnounUS /ˌhæbəˈteɪʃən/

the native habitat or home of an animal or plant

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading "I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

Harold

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

From this reading "I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading "I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

housenounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

how

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

From this reading "I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "I cannot explain it even to myself."

Kirby

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

From this reading "I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading "I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

leafyadjectiveUS /ˈliːfi/

having or covered with leaves

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

Margaret's

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

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading "I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading The Doctor was evidently very unhappy, and much disturbed.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading "I cannot explain it even to myself."

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

restoreverbUS /rɪˈstɔːr/

return to its original or usable and functioning condition

rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

roomsnounUS /ruːmz/

apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)

semblancenounUS /ˈsembləns/

an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading

shadenounUS /ʃeɪd/

relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

sitting-room

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

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

strippedadjectiveUS /strɪpt/

having only essential or minimal features

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading "I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Doctor was evidently very unhappy, and much disturbed.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading He was in the sitting-room of the house on the river--a place not so desolate after eight months of Margaret's habitation there.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

treesnounUS /triːz/

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

unhappyadjectiveUS /ənˈhæpi/

experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent

From this reading The Doctor was evidently very unhappy, and much disturbed.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading The Doctor was evidently very unhappy, and much disturbed.

vinesnounUS /vaɪnz/

plural of “vine” — a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The Doctor was evidently very unhappy, and much disturbed.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I don't know how to tell you, Mrs. Harold, what has happened," began Dr. Kirby.

Chapter 26 of East Angels: A Novel by Constance Fenimore Woolson holds 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 26 of East Angels: A Novel contain?

Chapter 26 holds 424 sentences of East Angels: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 26 of East Angels: A Novel by Constance Fenimore Woolson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 26 of East Angels: A Novel?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 26 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 26 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.

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Yes. All 11414 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33143 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #33143, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 2283 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter XXVI

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