Chapter 8 of Humorous Ghost Stories is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Humorous Ghost Stories is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em. But there's a lot of doubt about it--knowing father. FOOTNOTES: [1] Skuat, windfall. THE HAUNTED PHOTOGRAPH BY RUTH McENERY STUART From _Harper's Bazar_, June, 1909. By permission of _Harper's Bazar_.
Chapter 8 of Humorous Ghost Stories is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
a street of small shops (especially in Orient)
English explorer and admiral who was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe and who helped to defeat the Spanish Armada (1540-1596)
From this reading “Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.”
plural of “footnote” — a printed note placed below the text on a printed page
From this reading “FOOTNOTES: [1] Skuat, windfall.”
possessive form of “harper” — someone who plays the harp
a European mint with aromatic and pungent leaves used in perfumery and as a seasoning in cookery; often cultivated as a remedy for bruises; yields hyssop oil
From this reading “Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.”
record on photographic film
From this reading “THE HAUNTED PHOTOGRAPH BY RUTH McENERY STUART From _Harper's Bazar_, June, 1909.”
United States painter best known for his portraits of George Washington (1755-1828)
From this reading “THE HAUNTED PHOTOGRAPH BY RUTH McENERY STUART From _Harper's Bazar_, June, 1909.”
fruit that has fallen from the tree
From this reading “FOOTNOTES: [1] Skuat, windfall.”
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.
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 FOOTNOTES: [1] Skuat, windfall.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE HAUNTED PHOTOGRAPH BY RUTH McENERY STUART From _Harper's Bazar_, June, 1909.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But there's a lot of doubt about it--knowing father.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading But there's a lot of doubt about it--knowing father.
anew
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
a street of small shops (especially in Orient)
From this reading THE HAUNTED PHOTOGRAPH BY RUTH McENERY STUART From _Harper's Bazar_, June, 1909.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But there's a lot of doubt about it--knowing father.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading THE HAUNTED PHOTOGRAPH BY RUTH McENERY STUART From _Harper's Bazar_, June, 1909.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading But there's a lot of doubt about it--knowing father.
English explorer and admiral who was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe and who helped to defeat the Spanish Armada (1540-1596)
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
a quad with a square body
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading But there's a lot of doubt about it--knowing father.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
plural of “footnote” — a printed note placed below the text on a printed page
From this reading FOOTNOTES: [1] Skuat, windfall.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE HAUNTED PHOTOGRAPH BY RUTH McENERY STUART From _Harper's Bazar_, June, 1909.
possessive form of “harper” — someone who plays the harp
From this reading THE HAUNTED PHOTOGRAPH BY RUTH McENERY STUART From _Harper's Bazar_, June, 1909.
having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something
From this reading THE HAUNTED PHOTOGRAPH BY RUTH McENERY STUART From _Harper's Bazar_, June, 1909.
a European mint with aromatic and pungent leaves used in perfumery and as a seasoning in cookery; often cultivated as a remedy for bruises; yields hyssop oil
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But there's a lot of doubt about it--knowing father.
become part of; become a member of a group or organization
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading THE HAUNTED PHOTOGRAPH BY RUTH McENERY STUART From _Harper's Bazar_, June, 1909.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading But there's a lot of doubt about it--knowing father.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading But there's a lot of doubt about it--knowing father.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE HAUNTED PHOTOGRAPH BY RUTH McENERY STUART From _Harper's Bazar_, June, 1909.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
not any; not one
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But there's a lot of doubt about it--knowing father.
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
approval to do something
From this reading By permission of _Harper's Bazar_.
record on photographic film
From this reading THE HAUNTED PHOTOGRAPH BY RUTH McENERY STUART From _Harper's Bazar_, June, 1909.
bring to an end; settle conclusively
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading THE HAUNTED PHOTOGRAPH BY RUTH McENERY STUART From _Harper's Bazar_, June, 1909.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FOOTNOTES: [1] Skuat, windfall.
United States painter best known for his portraits of George Washington (1755-1828)
From this reading THE HAUNTED PHOTOGRAPH BY RUTH McENERY STUART From _Harper's Bazar_, June, 1909.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE HAUNTED PHOTOGRAPH BY RUTH McENERY STUART From _Harper's Bazar_, June, 1909.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But there's a lot of doubt about it--knowing father.
plural of “ti” — a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
at the time that
From this reading Hyssop Drake died in that fixed resolve; and I'm sure I trust that, when 'tis my turn to join my parents again, I shall find no shadow between 'em.
fruit that has fallen from the tree
From this reading FOOTNOTES: [1] Skuat, windfall.
Chapter 8 of Humorous Ghost Stories by Dorothy Scarborough holds 443 sentences, grouped into 89 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 8 holds 443 sentences of Humorous Ghost Stories, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Humorous Ghost Stories by Dorothy Scarborough exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 443 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 8 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 Humorous Ghost Stories by Dorothy Scarborough on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4718 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26950 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26950, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 393 minutes of reading across 944 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Humorous Ghost Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Humorous Ghost Stories 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 Humorous Ghost Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
