Ghosts and Family Legends

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Ghosts and Family Legends is here in full — 41 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Catherine Crowe • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Ghosts and Family Legends

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_Aug.

18, 1854._ MADAM, I have received your kind favor of the 15th, and I really feel that I must now apologize to you, for venturing so quickly to call in question the accuracy of your details.

Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

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.

Ghosts and Family Legends Catherine Crowe

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Ghosts and Family Legends is here in full — 41 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

_Aug. 18, 1854._ MADAM, I have received your kind favor of the 15th, and I really feel that I must now apologize to you, for venturing so quickly to call in question the accuracy of your details. Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write. Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation. Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

Ghosts and Family Legends

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Ghosts and Family Legends is here in full — 41 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/8 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

_Aug.

/ˈɔːɡəst/

Line 2

18, 1854._ MADAM, I have received your kind favor of the 15th, and I really feel that I must now apologize to you, for venturing so quickly to call in question the accuracy of your details.

Line 3

Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

/ˈbiːɪŋ ˌʌnəˈwer ˌhaʊˈevər ʌv ðə ˈmɑːrvələs koʊˈɪnsɪdəns ʌv ðə tuː driːmz aɪ fiːl əˈʃʊrd juː æt wʌns əˈpriːʃieɪtɪd ðə ˈmoʊtɪvz wɪtʃ əˈloʊn ˌɪmˈpeld miː tuː raɪt/

Line 4

Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

/əˈlaʊ miː ðen tuː əˈtempt ə neˈreɪʃən ʌv ðə pərˈtɪkjələrz rəˈfɜːrd tuː ɪn maɪ læst æz ˈhævɪŋ kʌm ˈʌndər maɪ oʊn ˌɑːbzərˈveɪʃən/

Line 5

Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

/tuː ˈɪntəmət frendz ʌv maɪn ˈklɜːrdʒimɪn ʌv ðə tʃɜːrtʃ ʌv ˈɪŋɡlənd ənd wʌn ʌv huːm ɪz ənˈmerid hæv fɔːr ðə læst θriː jɪrz ˈɑːkjəpaɪd ə lɑːrdʒ ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd haʊs ɪn ðə ˈkʌntri/

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.

apologize verb US /əˈpɑːlədʒaɪz/

acknowledge faults or shortcomings or failing

From this reading “18, 1854._ MADAM, I have received your kind favor of the 15th, and I really feel that I must now apologize to you, for venturing so quickly to call in question the accuracy of your details.”

Aug noun US /ˈɔːɡəst/

the month following July and preceding September

clergymen noun US /ˈklɜːrdʒimɪn/

plural of “clergyman” — a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church

From this reading “Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.”

coincidence noun US /koʊˈɪnsɪdəns/

an event that might have been arranged although it was really accidental

From this reading “Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.”

impelled adjective US /ˌɪmˈpeld/

urged or forced to action through moral pressure

From this reading “Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.”

narration noun US /neˈreɪʃən/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading “Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.”

unmarried adjective US /ənˈmerid/

not married or related to the unmarried state

venturing verb US /ˈventʃərɪŋ/

-ing form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers

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.

intimate friends adjective + noun counted as “intimate friend”

In this reading “Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.”

three years noun + noun

at once preposition + adverb

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

In this reading “Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.”

feel assured verb + adjective

In this reading “Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.”

old-fashioned house adjective + noun

own observation verb + noun

In this reading “Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.”

last three adjective + noun

favor of verb + particle

In this reading “18, 1854._ MADAM, I have received your kind favor of the 15th, and I really feel that I must now apologize to you, for venturing so quickly to call in question the accuracy of your details.”

All words in this reading · 80

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.

15th

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

From this reading 18, 1854._ MADAM, I have received your kind favor of the 15th, and I really feel that I must now apologize to you, for venturing so quickly to call in question the accuracy of your details.

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

1854

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

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

accuracynounUS /ˈækjərəsi/

the quality of being near to the true value

AllowverbUS /əˈlaʊ/

make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen

From this reading Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

apologizeverbUS /əˈpɑːlədʒaɪz/

acknowledge faults or shortcomings or failing

appreciatedadjectiveUS /əˈpriːʃieɪtɪd/

fully understood or grasped

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

assuredadjectiveUS /əˈʃʊrd/

marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

attemptnounUS /əˈtempt/

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

AugnounUS /ˈɔːɡəst/

the month following July and preceding September

From this reading _Aug.

Beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

ChurchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

clergymennounUS /ˈklɜːrdʒimɪn/

plural of “clergyman” — a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

coincidencenounUS /koʊˈɪnsɪdəns/

an event that might have been arranged although it was really accidental

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

detailsnounUS /dɪˈteɪlz/

true confidential information

dreamsnounUS /driːmz/

plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

EnglandnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlənd/

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

favorverbUS /ˈfeɪvər/

promote over another

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

housenounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

impelledadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpeld/

urged or forced to action through moral pressure

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

intimateadjectiveUS /ˈɪntəmət/

marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

MADAMnounUS /ˈmædəm/

a woman of refinement

marvellousadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːrvələs/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

motivesnounUS /ˈmoʊtɪvz/

plural of “motive” — the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

narrationnounUS /neˈreɪʃən/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

observationnounUS /ˌɑːbzərˈveɪʃən/

the act of making and recording a measurement

From this reading Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

occupiedadjectiveUS /ˈɑːkjəpaɪd/

held or filled or in use

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

old-fashionedadjectiveUS /ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd/

out of fashion

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

particularsnounUS /pərˈtɪkjələrz/

plural of “particular” — a fact about some part (as opposed to general)

From this reading Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

quicklyadverbUS /ˈkwɪkli/

with speed

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

referredverbUS /rəˈfɜːrd/

inflected form of “refer” — make reference to

From this reading Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

threenounUS /θriː/

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

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

unawareadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈwer/

(often followed by “of”) not aware

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in my last, as having come under my own observation.

unmarriedadjectiveUS /ənˈmerid/

not married or related to the unmarried state

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

venturingverbUS /ˈventʃərɪŋ/

-ing form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

writeverbUS /raɪt/

produce a literary work

From this reading Being unaware, however, of the marvellous coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated the motives which alone impelled me to write.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large old-fashioned house in the country.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

Chapter 2 of Ghosts and Family Legends by Catherine Crowe holds 41 sentences, grouped into 9 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 2 of Ghosts and Family Legends contain?

Chapter 2 holds 41 sentences of Ghosts and Family Legends, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Ghosts and Family Legends by Catherine Crowe exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 41 sentences, grouped into 9 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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #39485, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 192 minutes of reading across 463 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Ghosts and Family Legends

Words and structures a reader meets early in Ghosts and Family Legends, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Ghosts: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ghosts and Family Legends; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Family: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ghosts and Family Legends; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Legends: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ghosts and Family Legends; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Volume: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ghosts and Family Legends; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter II

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Vocabulary met early in Ghosts and Family Legends