Chapter 1 of Iola Leroy is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Iola Leroy is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CONTRABAND OF WAR. A few evenings after this conversation between Robert and Linda, a prayer-meeting was held. Under the cover of night a few dusky figures met by stealth in McCullough's woods. "Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes. "Thanks and praise; I'se all right.
Chapter 1 of Iola Leroy is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 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.
distributed or sold illicitly
From this reading “CONTRABAND OF WAR.”
(Old Testament) a youth who was taken into the court of Nebuchadnezzar and given divine protection when thrown into a den of lions (6th century BC)
From this reading “"Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.”
plural of “evening” — the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading “A few evenings after this conversation between Robert and Linda, a prayer-meeting was held.”
an expression of greeting
From this reading “"Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.”
a person who rules or guides or inspires others
From this reading “"Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.”
an expression of approval and commendation
From this reading “"Thanks and praise; I'se all right.”
past form of “precede” — be earlier in time; go back further
From this reading “"Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.”
avoiding detection by moving carefully
From this reading “Under the cover of night a few dusky figures met by stealth in McCullough's woods.”
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 A few evenings after this conversation between Robert and Linda, a prayer-meeting was held.
later than; following
From this reading A few evenings after this conversation between Robert and Linda, a prayer-meeting was held.
(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 "Thanks and praise; I'se all right.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A few evenings after this conversation between Robert and Linda, a prayer-meeting was held.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading "Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading A few evenings after this conversation between Robert and Linda, a prayer-meeting was held.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Under the cover of night a few dusky figures met by stealth in McCullough's woods.
distributed or sold illicitly
From this reading CONTRABAND OF WAR.
the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.
From this reading A few evenings after this conversation between Robert and Linda, a prayer-meeting was held.
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
From this reading Under the cover of night a few dusky figures met by stealth in McCullough's woods.
(Old Testament) a youth who was taken into the court of Nebuchadnezzar and given divine protection when thrown into a den of lions (6th century BC)
From this reading "Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.
lighted by or as if by twilight
From this reading Under the cover of night a few dusky figures met by stealth in McCullough's woods.
plural of “evening” — the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading A few evenings after this conversation between Robert and Linda, a prayer-meeting was held.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A few evenings after this conversation between Robert and Linda, a prayer-meeting was held.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading Under the cover of night a few dusky figures met by stealth in McCullough's woods.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading A few evenings after this conversation between Robert and Linda, a prayer-meeting was held.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.
an expression of greeting
From this reading "Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Thanks and praise; I'se all right.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Under the cover of night a few dusky figures met by stealth in McCullough's woods.
a person who rules or guides or inspires others
From this reading "Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A few evenings after this conversation between Robert and Linda, a prayer-meeting was held.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Under the cover of night a few dusky figures met by stealth in McCullough's woods.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading Under the cover of night a few dusky figures met by stealth in McCullough's woods.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading "Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Under the cover of night a few dusky figures met by stealth in McCullough's woods.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading CONTRABAND OF WAR.
an expression of approval and commendation
From this reading "Thanks and praise; I'se all right.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A few evenings after this conversation between Robert and Linda, a prayer-meeting was held.
past form of “precede” — be earlier in time; go back further
From this reading "Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "Thanks and praise; I'se all right.
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading A few evenings after this conversation between Robert and Linda, a prayer-meeting was held.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.
avoiding detection by moving carefully
From this reading Under the cover of night a few dusky figures met by stealth in McCullough's woods.
an acknowledgment of appreciation
From this reading "Thanks and praise; I'se all right.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Under the cover of night a few dusky figures met by stealth in McCullough's woods.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading A few evenings after this conversation between Robert and Linda, a prayer-meeting was held.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading "Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Under the cover of night a few dusky figures met by stealth in McCullough's woods.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading CONTRABAND OF WAR.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A few evenings after this conversation between Robert and Linda, a prayer-meeting was held.
which person or people
From this reading "Howdy," said Robert, approaching Uncle Daniel, the leader of the prayer-meeting, who had preceded him but a few minutes.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading Under the cover of night a few dusky figures met by stealth in McCullough's woods.
Chapter 1 of Iola Leroy by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper holds 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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 1 holds 178 sentences of Iola Leroy, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Iola Leroy by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 36 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 1 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 Iola Leroy by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4356 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12352 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12352, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 363 minutes of reading across 872 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Iola Leroy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of Iola Leroy 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 Iola Leroy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
