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For Faith and Freedom
For Faith and Freedom

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of For Faith and Freedom is here in full — 319 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/63 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BEFORE THE ASSIZE.
Then we sat down and waited.
'Twas all that we could do.
Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.
Wherefore we hoped that he suffered nothing.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

For Faith and Freedom

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of For Faith and Freedom is here in full — 319 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/63 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BEFORE THE ASSIZE.
Line 2
Then we sat down and waited.
/ðen wiː sæt daʊn ənd ˈweɪtɪd/
Line 3
'Twas all that we could do.
Line 4
Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.
/deɪ ˈæftər deɪ wiː went tuː ðə ˈprɪzən wer maɪ ˈmʌðər sæt baɪ maɪ ˈfɑːðər huːz kənˈdɪʃən ˈnevər tʃeɪndʒd ɪn ðə liːst ˈbiːɪŋ ˈɔːlweɪz ðæt ʌv wʌn huː slept ɔːr ɪf hɪz aɪz wɜːr ˈoʊ.pən wɑːz ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəs ənd ðoʊ hiː maɪt ˈʌtər ə fjuː ˈræmblɪŋ wɜːrdz hæd noʊ kəˈmænd ʌv hɪz maɪnd ɔːr ʌv hɪz spiːtʃ/
Line 5
Wherefore we hoped that he suffered nothing.
/werˈfɔːr wiː hoʊpt ðæt hiː ˈsʌfərd ˈnʌθɪŋ/

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.

hoped verb US /hoʊpt/

past form of “hope” — expect and wish

From this reading “Wherefore we hoped that he suffered nothing.”

prison noun US /ˈprɪzən/

a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment

From this reading “Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.”

rambling adjective US /ˈræmblɪŋ/

spreading out in different directions or distributed irregularly

From this reading “Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.”

slept verb US /slept/

inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep

From this reading “Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.”

suffered verb US /ˈsʌfərd/

past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to

From this reading “Wherefore we hoped that he suffered nothing.”

unconscious adjective US /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəs/

not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead

From this reading “Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.”

utter verb US /ˈʌtər/

articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise

From this reading “Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.”

Wherefore adverb US /werˈfɔːr/

an old word meaning “why” or “for that reason”

From this reading “Wherefore we hoped that he suffered nothing.”

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.

after day preposition + noun

In this reading “Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.”

All words in this reading · 61

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 Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

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 'Twas all that we could do.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Then we sat down and waited.

ASSIZEnoun

the regulation of weights and measures of articles offered for sale

From this reading BEFORE THE ASSIZE.

BEFOREprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading BEFORE THE ASSIZE.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

changedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪndʒd/

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

commandnounUS /kəˈmænd/

an authoritative direction or instruction to do something

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

conditionnounUS /kənˈdɪʃən/

a state at a particular time

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading 'Twas all that we could do.

DaynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading 'Twas all that we could do.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Then we sat down and waited.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

hopedverbUS /hoʊpt/

past form of “hope” — expect and wish

From this reading Wherefore we hoped that he suffered nothing.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

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

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Wherefore we hoped that he suffered nothing.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

prisonnounUS /ˈprɪzən/

a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

ramblingadjectiveUS /ˈræmblɪŋ/

spreading out in different directions or distributed irregularly

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Then we sat down and waited.

sleptverbUS /slept/

inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

speechnounUS /spiːtʃ/

the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

sufferedverbUS /ˈsʌfərd/

past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to

From this reading Wherefore we hoped that he suffered nothing.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading 'Twas all that we could do.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading BEFORE THE ASSIZE.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then we sat down and waited.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

Twas

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

From this reading 'Twas all that we could do.

unconsciousadjectiveUS /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəs/

not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

utterverbUS /ˈʌtər/

articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

waitedverbUS /ˈweɪtɪd/

past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading Then we sat down and waited.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Then we sat down and waited.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

WhereforeadverbUS /werˈfɔːr/

an old word meaning “why” or “for that reason”

From this reading Wherefore we hoped that he suffered nothing.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading Day after day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of his speech.

Chapter 21 of For Faith and Freedom by Walter Besant holds 319 sentences, grouped into 64 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 21 of For Faith and Freedom contain?

Chapter 21 holds 319 sentences of For Faith and Freedom, unabridged, divided into 64 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of For Faith and Freedom by Walter Besant exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 319 sentences, grouped into 64 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 21 of For Faith and Freedom?

Work through the 64 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 64 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 For Faith and Freedom

Common questions about reading For Faith and Freedom by Walter Besant on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of For Faith and Freedom?

Yes. All 8548 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44963 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of For Faith and Freedom is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #44963, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does For Faith and Freedom take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1710 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read For Faith and Freedom section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of For Faith and Freedom 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 For Faith and Freedom

Words and structures a reader meets early in For Faith and Freedom, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Farewell
A word that appears in the opening chapter of For Faith and Freedom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sunday
A word that appears in the opening chapter of For Faith and Freedom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Morning
A word that appears in the opening chapter of For Faith and Freedom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
August
A word that appears in the opening chapter of For Faith and Freedom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.