Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
In His Steps
In His Steps

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of In His Steps is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for In His Steps
Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.
The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.
Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.
Tonight the great crowd was as quiet as Henry Maxwell's decorous audience ever was.
The fringe around the tent was deeper and the saloons were practically empty.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

In His Steps

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of In His Steps is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.
/ɡreɪ hæd rəˈkʌvərd hɪz vɔɪs soʊ ðæt baɪ ˈsætərdi hiː wɑːz ˈeɪbəl tuː spiːk/
Line 2
The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.
/ðə fækt ðæt hiː wɑːz əˈblaɪdʒd tuː juːs hɪz vɔɪs ˈkerfəli meɪd ɪt ˈnesəseri fɔːr ðə ˈpiːpəl tuː biː ˈveri ˈkwaɪət ɪf ðeɪ ˈwɔːntɪd tuː hiːr/
Line 3
Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.
Line 4
Tonight the great crowd was as quiet as Henry Maxwell's decorous audience ever was.
/təˈnaɪt ðə ɡreɪt kraʊd wɑːz æz ˈkwaɪət æz ˈhenri ˈmækswelz ˈdekərəs ˈɑːdiəns ˈevər wɑːz/
Line 5
The fringe around the tent was deeper and the saloons were practically empty.
/ðə frɪndʒ ərˈaʊnd ðə tent wɑːz ˈdiːpər ənd ðə səˈluːnz wɜːr ˈpræktɪkli ˈempti/

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.

decorous adjective US /ˈdekərəs/

characterized by propriety and dignity and good taste in manners and conduct

From this reading “Tonight the great crowd was as quiet as Henry Maxwell's decorous audience ever was.”

fringe noun US /frɪndʒ/

the outside boundary or surface of something

From this reading “The fringe around the tent was deeper and the saloons were practically empty.”

Maxwell's noun US /ˈmækswelz/

possessive form of “maxwell” — a cgs unit of magnetic flux equal to the flux perpendicular to an area of 1 square centimeter in a magnetic field of 1 gauss

From this reading “Tonight the great crowd was as quiet as Henry Maxwell's decorous audience ever was.”

practically adverb US /ˈpræktɪkli/

almost; nearly

From this reading “The fringe around the tent was deeper and the saloons were practically empty.”

saloons noun US /səˈluːnz/

plural of “saloon” — a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter

From this reading “The fringe around the tent was deeper and the saloons were practically empty.”

Saturday noun US /ˈsætərdi/

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

From this reading “Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.”

Savior noun US /ˈseɪvjər/

a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)

From this reading “Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.”

Tonight adverb US /təˈnaɪt/

On the present night.

From this reading “Tonight the great crowd was as quiet as Henry Maxwell's decorous audience ever was.”

All words in this reading · 72

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

ableadjectiveUS /ˈeɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading The fringe around the tent was deeper and the saloons were practically empty.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Tonight the great crowd was as quiet as Henry Maxwell's decorous audience ever was.

audiencenounUS /ˈɑːdiəns/

a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance

From this reading Tonight the great crowd was as quiet as Henry Maxwell's decorous audience ever was.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.

carefullyadverbUS /ˈkerfəli/

taking care or paying attention

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

crowdverbUS /kraʊd/

cause to herd, drive, or crowd together

From this reading Tonight the great crowd was as quiet as Henry Maxwell's decorous audience ever was.

decorousadjectiveUS /ˈdekərəs/

characterized by propriety and dignity and good taste in manners and conduct

From this reading Tonight the great crowd was as quiet as Henry Maxwell's decorous audience ever was.

deeperadverbUS /ˈdiːpər/

comparative of “deeply” — to a great depth psychologically or emotionally

From this reading The fringe around the tent was deeper and the saloons were practically empty.

emptyverbUS /ˈempti/

make void or empty of contents

From this reading The fringe around the tent was deeper and the saloons were practically empty.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading Tonight the great crowd was as quiet as Henry Maxwell's decorous audience ever was.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

fringenounUS /frɪndʒ/

the outside boundary or surface of something

From this reading The fringe around the tent was deeper and the saloons were practically empty.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

givingnounUS /ˈɡɪvɪŋ/

the act of giving

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

GraduallyadverbUS /ˈɡrædʒuːəli/

in a gradual manner

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

GraynounUS /ɡreɪ/

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Tonight the great crowd was as quiet as Henry Maxwell's decorous audience ever was.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

HenrynounUS /ˈhenri/

a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second

From this reading Tonight the great crowd was as quiet as Henry Maxwell's decorous audience ever was.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

knowledgenounUS /ˈnɑːlədʒ/

the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

Maxwell'snounUS /ˈmækswelz/

possessive form of “maxwell” — a cgs unit of magnetic flux equal to the flux perpendicular to an area of 1 square centimeter in a magnetic field of 1 gauss

From this reading Tonight the great crowd was as quiet as Henry Maxwell's decorous audience ever was.

necessaryadjectiveUS /ˈnesəseri/

absolutely essential

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

obligedadjectiveUS /əˈblaɪdʒd/

under a moral obligation to do something

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

perfectlyadverbUS /ˈpɜːrfəktli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

practicallyadverbUS /ˈpræktɪkli/

almost; nearly

From this reading The fringe around the tent was deeper and the saloons were practically empty.

quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

recoveredadjectiveUS /rəˈkʌvərd/

freed from illness or injury

From this reading Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.

saloonsnounUS /səˈluːnz/

plural of “saloon” — a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter

From this reading The fringe around the tent was deeper and the saloons were practically empty.

SaturdaynounUS /ˈsætərdi/

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

From this reading Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.

SaviornounUS /ˈseɪvjər/

a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.

speakverbUS /spiːk/

express in speech

From this reading Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.

strengthnounUS /streŋkθ/

the property of being physically or mentally strong

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/

an exchange of ideas via conversation

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

tentnounUS /tent/

a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)

From this reading The fringe around the tent was deeper and the saloons were practically empty.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.

TonightadverbUS /təˈnaɪt/

On the present night.

From this reading Tonight the great crowd was as quiet as Henry Maxwell's decorous audience ever was.

understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

unselfishadjective

disregarding your own advantages and welfare over those of others

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading The fact that he was obliged to use his voice carefully made it necessary for the people to be very quiet if they wanted to hear.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Gray had recovered his voice so that by Saturday he was able to speak.

weeksnounUS /wiːks/

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

From this reading Gradually they had come to understand that this man was talking these many weeks and giving his time and strength to give them a knowledge of a Savior, all out of a perfectly unselfish love for them.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The fringe around the tent was deeper and the saloons were practically empty.

Chapter 5 of In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon holds 400 sentences, grouped into 80 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 5 of In His Steps contain?

Chapter 5 holds 400 sentences of In His Steps, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 5 of In His Steps?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 In His Steps

Common questions about reading In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of In His Steps?

Yes. All 4806 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4540 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of In His Steps is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4540, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does In His Steps take to read?

About 400 minutes of reading across 962 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read In His Steps section by section

How to work through In His Steps section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of In His Steps to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in In His Steps

Words and structures a reader meets early in In His Steps, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Hereunto
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In His Steps; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Called
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In His Steps; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Because
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In His Steps; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Christ
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In His Steps; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.