Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896 is here in full — 184 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Various • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

A book was open upon her lap, but she was not reading.

Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

He had been very kind to her throughout her illness, but never tender, and he was always grave nowadays.

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 II Reading 1/36

Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896 Various

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896 is here in full — 184 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24. A book was open upon her lap, but she was not reading. Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's. She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals. He had been very kind to her throughout her illness, but never tender, and he was always grave nowadays.

Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896 is here in full — 184 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

Line 2

A book was open upon her lap, but she was not reading.

/ə bʊk wɑːz ˈoʊ.pən əˈpɑːn hɜːr læp bʌt ʃiː wɑːz nɑːt ˈriːdɪŋ/

Line 3

Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

/hɜːr hændz wɜːr θɪn ənd waɪt hɜːr ɡreɪ aɪz wɜːr ənˈnætʃərəli lɑːrdʒ ənd dɑːrk ɪn ə feɪs ðæt hæd ˈweɪstɪd ənˈtɪl ɪt lʊkt laɪk æn elfs/

Line 4

She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

/ʃiː hæd leɪn ɪn bed fɔːr sɪks wiːks ənd wɑːz stɪl soʊ wiːk ðæt hɜːr ˈfɑːðər hæd ˈkærid hɜːr ʌp ənd daʊn sterz tuː hɜːr miːlz/

Line 5

He had been very kind to her throughout her illness, but never tender, and he was always grave nowadays.

/hiː hæd bɪn ˈveri kaɪnd tuː hɜːr θruːˈaʊt hɜːr ˈɪlnəs bʌt ˈnevər ˈtendər ənd hiː wɑːz ˈɔːlweɪz ɡreɪv ˈnaʊədeɪz/

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.

December noun US /dɪˈsembər/

the last (12th) month of the year

From this reading “Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.”

elf's noun US /elfs/

possessive form of “elf” — (folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous

From this reading “Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.”

Felicia noun US /fəˈliːʃə/

genus of tropical African herbs or subshrubs with usually blue flowers

From this reading “Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.”

lain verb US /leɪn/

inflected form of “lie” — be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position

From this reading “She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.”

meals noun US /miːlz/

plural of “meal” — the food served and eaten at one time

From this reading “She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.”

nowadays noun US /ˈnaʊədeɪz/

the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech

From this reading “He had been very kind to her throughout her illness, but never tender, and he was always grave nowadays.”

unnaturally adverb US /ənˈnætʃərəli/

in an unnatural way

From this reading “Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.”

wasted adjective US /ˈweɪstɪd/

serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being

From this reading “Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.”

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.

six weeks noun + noun counted as “six week”

In this reading “She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.”

gray eyes noun + noun

In this reading “Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.”

down stairs adjective + noun

In this reading “She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.”

lain in verb + particle counted as “lie in”

originate (in)

In this reading “She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.”

for six preposition + noun

In this reading “She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.”

in bed preposition + noun

In this reading “She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading A book was open upon her lap, but she was not reading.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading He had been very kind to her throughout her illness, but never tender, and he was always grave nowadays.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He had been very kind to her throughout her illness, but never tender, and he was always grave nowadays.

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading A book was open upon her lap, but she was not reading.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading A book was open upon her lap, but she was not reading.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

carriedverbUS /ˈkærid/

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

DecembernounUS /dɪˈsembər/

the last (12th) month of the year

From this reading Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

elf'snounUS /elfs/

possessive form of “elf” — (folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

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

From this reading She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

FelicianounUS /fəˈliːʃə/

genus of tropical African herbs or subshrubs with usually blue flowers

From this reading Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

gravenounUS /ɡreɪv/

death of a person

From this reading He had been very kind to her throughout her illness, but never tender, and he was always grave nowadays.

graynounUS /ɡreɪ/

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

Grigsby

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

From this reading Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had been very kind to her throughout her illness, but never tender, and he was always grave nowadays.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

illnessnounUS /ˈɪlnəs/

impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism

From this reading He had been very kind to her throughout her illness, but never tender, and he was always grave nowadays.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

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

From this reading He had been very kind to her throughout her illness, but never tender, and he was always grave nowadays.

lainverbUS /leɪn/

inflected form of “lie” — be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position

From this reading She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

lapverbUS /læp/

lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another

From this reading A book was open upon her lap, but she was not reading.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

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

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

mealsnounUS /miːlz/

plural of “meal” — the food served and eaten at one time

From this reading She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading He had been very kind to her throughout her illness, but never tender, and he was always grave nowadays.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading A book was open upon her lap, but she was not reading.

nowadaysnounUS /ˈnaʊədeɪz/

the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech

From this reading He had been very kind to her throughout her illness, but never tender, and he was always grave nowadays.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading A book was open upon her lap, but she was not reading.

readingnounUS /ˈriːdɪŋ/

the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message

From this reading A book was open upon her lap, but she was not reading.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

satnounUS /sæt/

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

From this reading Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading A book was open upon her lap, but she was not reading.

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

stairsnounUS /sterz/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

tenderadjectiveUS /ˈtendər/

given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality

From this reading He had been very kind to her throughout her illness, but never tender, and he was always grave nowadays.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Felicia Grigsby sat alone by the fire in her room on the afternoon of December 24.

thinadjectiveUS /θɪn/

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

throughoutprepositionUS /θruːˈaʊt/

in every part of a place, or for the whole of a period

From this reading He had been very kind to her throughout her illness, but never tender, and he was always grave nowadays.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

unnaturallyadverbUS /ənˈnætʃərəli/

in an unnatural way

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading A book was open upon her lap, but she was not reading.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading He had been very kind to her throughout her illness, but never tender, and he was always grave nowadays.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A book was open upon her lap, but she was not reading.

wastedadjectiveUS /ˈweɪstɪd/

serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

weakadjectiveUS /wiːk/

wanting in physical strength

From this reading She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

weeksnounUS /wiːks/

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading She had lain in bed for six weeks, and was still so weak that her father had carried her up and down stairs to her meals.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading Her hands were thin and white; her gray eyes were unnaturally large and dark in a face that had wasted until it looked like an elf's.

Chapter 2 of Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896 by Various holds 184 sentences, grouped into 37 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 Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896 contain?

Chapter 2 holds 184 sentences of Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896 by Various exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 184 sentences, grouped into 37 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 2 of Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896?

Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 37 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896

Common questions about reading Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896 by Various on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 1628 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #57888 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #57888, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896 take to read?

About 135 minutes of reading across 326 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896

Words and structures a reader meets early in Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Published: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Cents: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Harper's Round Table, May 26, 1896; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter II

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