Chapter 16 of Husks is here in full — 241 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of Husks is here in full — 241 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it. He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise. "Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead. "Shall I tell Mrs. Hammond that you are here? She went down to the ball-room awhile ago."
Chapter 16 of Husks is here in full — 241 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/48 · 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.
for a short time
From this reading “She went down to the ball-room awhile ago."”
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading “"Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.”
an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading “He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.”
United States rock star singer and pianist (born in 1935)
From this reading “Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.”
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.”
held in check with difficulty
From this reading “He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.”
possessive form of “wife” — a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading “Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.”
past form of “wipe” — rub with a circular motion
From this reading “"Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.”
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.
In this reading “Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.”
get rid of
In this reading “"Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.”
In this reading “Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.”
In this reading “"Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.”
move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
In this reading “She went down to the ball-room awhile ago."”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
later than; following
From this reading Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.
in the past
From this reading She went down to the ball-room awhile ago."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.
for a short time
From this reading She went down to the ball-room awhile ago."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She went down to the ball-room awhile ago."
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading She went down to the ball-room awhile ago."
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.
the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one
From this reading Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading "Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.
an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
a young female
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Shall I tell Mrs. Hammond that you are here?
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading "Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading "Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Shall I tell Mrs. Hammond that you are here?
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Shall I tell Mrs. Hammond that you are here?
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.
United States rock star singer and pianist (born in 1935)
From this reading Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading "Shall I tell Mrs. Hammond that you are here?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading "Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading "Shall I tell Mrs. Hammond that you are here?
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading "Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.
term of address for a man
From this reading "Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
held in check with difficulty
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
express in words
From this reading "Shall I tell Mrs. Hammond that you are here?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading "Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She went down to the ball-room awhile ago."
exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress
From this reading He looked so ill and weary that the girl, Mary, gave a stifled scream of fright and surprise.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading She went down to the ball-room awhile ago."
possessive form of “wife” — a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.
past form of “wipe” — rub with a circular motion
From this reading "Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading Lewis had entered his wife's room within fifteen minutes after she left it.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Are you sick, sir?" she asked hastily, as he threw off his hat, and wiped his pale forehead.
Chapter 16 of Husks by Marion Harland holds 241 sentences, grouped into 49 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 16 holds 241 sentences of Husks, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of Husks by Marion Harland exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 241 sentences, grouped into 49 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 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 49 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 16 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 Husks by Marion Harland on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3569 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48461 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #48461, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 297 minutes of reading across 714 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Husks section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of Husks 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 Husks, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
