Chapter 17 of Laicus is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Laicus is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Wanted--A Pastor. WE are in a sorry condition here at Wheathedge. The prospects are, that it will be worse before it is better. For weeks now (it seems like a year or two) we have been without the Gospel. I do not mean that literally the preaching of the Gospel has been dispensed with.
Chapter 17 of Laicus is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/21 · 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 state at a particular time
From this reading “WE are in a sorry condition here at Wheathedge.”
distributed or weighted out in carefully determined portions
From this reading “I do not mean that literally the preaching of the Gospel has been dispensed with.”
the four books in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) that tell the story of Christ's life and teachings
From this reading “For weeks now (it seems like a year or two) we have been without the Gospel.”
in a literal sense
From this reading “I do not mean that literally the preaching of the Gospel has been dispensed with.”
a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading “Wanted--A Pastor.”
an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service)
From this reading “I do not mean that literally the preaching of the Gospel has been dispensed with.”
plural of “prospect” — the possibility of future success
From this reading “The prospects are, that it will be worse before it is better.”
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading “For weeks now (it seems like a year or two) we have been without the Gospel.”
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 Wanted--A Pastor.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading WE are in a sorry condition here at Wheathedge.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading WE are in a sorry condition here at Wheathedge.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The prospects are, that it will be worse before it is better.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For weeks now (it seems like a year or two) we have been without the Gospel.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The prospects are, that it will be worse before it is better.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading The prospects are, that it will be worse before it is better.
a state at a particular time
From this reading WE are in a sorry condition here at Wheathedge.
distributed or weighted out in carefully determined portions
From this reading I do not mean that literally the preaching of the Gospel has been dispensed with.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I do not mean that literally the preaching of the Gospel has been dispensed with.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For weeks now (it seems like a year or two) we have been without the Gospel.
the four books in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) that tell the story of Christ's life and teachings
From this reading For weeks now (it seems like a year or two) we have been without the Gospel.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I do not mean that literally the preaching of the Gospel has been dispensed with.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading For weeks now (it seems like a year or two) we have been without the Gospel.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading WE are in a sorry condition here at Wheathedge.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I do not mean that literally the preaching of the Gospel has been dispensed with.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading WE are in a sorry condition here at Wheathedge.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The prospects are, that it will be worse before it is better.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The prospects are, that it will be worse before it is better.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading For weeks now (it seems like a year or two) we have been without the Gospel.
in a literal sense
From this reading I do not mean that literally the preaching of the Gospel has been dispensed with.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading I do not mean that literally the preaching of the Gospel has been dispensed with.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I do not mean that literally the preaching of the Gospel has been dispensed with.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading For weeks now (it seems like a year or two) we have been without the Gospel.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I do not mean that literally the preaching of the Gospel has been dispensed with.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading For weeks now (it seems like a year or two) we have been without the Gospel.
a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading Wanted--A Pastor.
an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service)
From this reading I do not mean that literally the preaching of the Gospel has been dispensed with.
plural of “prospect” — the possibility of future success
From this reading The prospects are, that it will be worse before it is better.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading For weeks now (it seems like a year or two) we have been without the Gospel.
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading WE are in a sorry condition here at Wheathedge.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The prospects are, that it will be worse before it is better.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The prospects are, that it will be worse before it is better.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading For weeks now (it seems like a year or two) we have been without the Gospel.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading Wanted--A Pastor.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading WE are in a sorry condition here at Wheathedge.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading For weeks now (it seems like a year or two) we have been without the Gospel.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WE are in a sorry condition here at Wheathedge.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading The prospects are, that it will be worse before it is better.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I do not mean that literally the preaching of the Gospel has been dispensed with.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading For weeks now (it seems like a year or two) we have been without the Gospel.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading The prospects are, that it will be worse before it is better.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading For weeks now (it seems like a year or two) we have been without the Gospel.
Chapter 17 of Laicus by Lyman Abbott holds 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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.
Chapter 17 holds 109 sentences of Laicus, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Laicus by Lyman Abbott exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 17 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 Laicus by Lyman Abbott on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4423 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4954 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4954, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 368 minutes of reading across 885 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Laicus section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 33 chapters of Laicus 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 Laicus, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
