Chapter 8 of "If Youth but Knew!" is here in full — 391 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of "If Youth but Knew!" is here in full — 391 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"She is dressing for the journey," said Steven. "Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage. You can see the sun gleam on the harness. If you had my ears, you would hear your horses stamp. They, too, are impatient.
Chapter 8 of "If Youth but Knew!" is here in full — 391 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/78 · 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.
savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type
From this reading “"She is dressing for the journey," said Steven.”
be shiny, as if wet
From this reading “You can see the sun gleam on the harness.”
put a harness
From this reading “You can see the sun gleam on the harness.”
restless or short-tempered under delay or opposition
From this reading “They, too, are impatient.”
-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively
From this reading “"Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage.”
walk heavily
From this reading “If you had my ears, you would hear your horses stamp.”
a heavy rain
From this reading “"Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage.”
distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)
From this reading “"Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage.”
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.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They, too, are impatient.
a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading "Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage.
a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
From this reading "Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading You can see the sun gleam on the harness.
a railcar where passengers ride
From this reading "Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage.
savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type
From this reading "She is dressing for the journey," said Steven.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading If you had my ears, you would hear your horses stamp.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "She is dressing for the journey," said Steven.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage.
be shiny, as if wet
From this reading You can see the sun gleam on the harness.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading If you had my ears, you would hear your horses stamp.
put a harness
From this reading You can see the sun gleam on the harness.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading If you had my ears, you would hear your horses stamp.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading If you had my ears, you would hear your horses stamp.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If you had my ears, you would hear your horses stamp.
restless or short-tempered under delay or opposition
From this reading They, too, are impatient.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "She is dressing for the journey," said Steven.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading "She is dressing for the journey," said Steven.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading "Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading If you had my ears, you would hear your horses stamp.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading You can see the sun gleam on the harness.
-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively
From this reading "Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "She is dressing for the journey," said Steven.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading You can see the sun gleam on the harness.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "She is dressing for the journey," said Steven.
walk heavily
From this reading If you had my ears, you would hear your horses stamp.
plural of “stand” — a support or foundation
From this reading "Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "She is dressing for the journey," said Steven.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading You can see the sun gleam on the harness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "She is dressing for the journey," said Steven.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They, too, are impatient.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading They, too, are impatient.
a heavy rain
From this reading "Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If you had my ears, you would hear your horses stamp.
distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)
From this reading "Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You can see the sun gleam on the harness.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Look," said Geiger-Hans, pointing with his bow, "yonder, by the torrent bridge stands your carriage.
Chapter 8 of "If Youth but Knew!" by Agnes Castle holds 391 sentences, grouped into 79 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 391 sentences of "If Youth but Knew!", unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of "If Youth but Knew!" by Agnes Castle exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 391 sentences, grouped into 79 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 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 79 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 "If Youth but Knew!" by Agnes Castle on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5337 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44286 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #44286, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 444 minutes of reading across 1068 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through "If Youth but Knew!" section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of "If Youth but Knew!" 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 "If Youth but Knew!", each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
