Chapter 13 of Gaslight Sonatas is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of Gaslight Sonatas is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"She don't need to know, mama. I'm not asking that. That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied. Just humor 'em. Ain't I the one with life before me--ain't I, mama?"
Chapter 13 of Gaslight Sonatas is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading “That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied.”
the verbal act of requesting
From this reading “I'm not asking that.”
a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
From this reading “Just humor 'em.”
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading “That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied.”
informal terms for a mother
From this reading “"She don't need to know, mama.”
a condition requiring relief
From this reading “"She don't need to know, mama.”
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading “That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied.”
filled with satisfaction
From this reading “That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ain't I the one with life before me--ain't I, mama?"
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied.
the verbal act of requesting
From this reading I'm not asking that.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Ain't I the one with life before me--ain't I, mama?"
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "She don't need to know, mama.
a quad with a square body
From this reading Just humor 'em.
a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
From this reading Just humor 'em.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Ain't I the one with life before me--ain't I, mama?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm not asking that.
and nothing more
From this reading Just humor 'em.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "She don't need to know, mama.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Ain't I the one with life before me--ain't I, mama?"
informal terms for a mother
From this reading "She don't need to know, mama.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Ain't I the one with life before me--ain't I, mama?"
a condition requiring relief
From this reading "She don't need to know, mama.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I'm not asking that.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Ain't I the one with life before me--ain't I, mama?"
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied.
filled with satisfaction
From this reading That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "She don't need to know, mama.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I'm not asking that.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "She don't need to know, mama.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied.
in the company of; together with
From this reading That's the way they always do with old people to keep them satisfied.
Chapter 13 of Gaslight Sonatas by Fannie Hurst holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 13 holds 408 sentences of Gaslight Sonatas, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of Gaslight Sonatas by Fannie Hurst exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 13 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 Gaslight Sonatas by Fannie Hurst on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5326 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10025 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #10025, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 443 minutes of reading across 1066 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Gaslight Sonatas section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of Gaslight Sonatas 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 Gaslight Sonatas, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
