Chapter 9 of Left to Themselves is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Left to Themselves is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
TWO OUT OF TWELVE. It is not good to dwell upon such scenes and moments. To write of them does not make us more composed in them when they come. But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news. It has been said that the steamer was far from crowded.
Chapter 9 of Left to Themselves is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/36 · 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.
the act of breaking something
From this reading “But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.”
serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress
From this reading “To write of them does not make us more composed in them when they come.”
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading “It has been said that the steamer was far from crowded.”
think moodily or anxiously about something
From this reading “It is not good to dwell upon such scenes and moments.”
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
plural of “scene” — the place where some action occurs
From this reading “It is not good to dwell upon such scenes and moments.”
a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading “It has been said that the steamer was far from crowded.”
(used as an intensifier) extremely well
From this reading “But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.”
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.
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
In this reading “But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.”
In this reading “It is not good to dwell upon such scenes and moments.”
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.
later than; following
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It is not good to dwell upon such scenes and moments.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It has been said that the steamer was far from crowded.
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
the act of breaking something
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
make calm or still
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading To write of them does not make us more composed in them when they come.
serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress
From this reading To write of them does not make us more composed in them when they come.
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading It has been said that the steamer was far from crowded.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading To write of them does not make us more composed in them when they come.
think moodily or anxiously about something
From this reading It is not good to dwell upon such scenes and moments.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading It has been said that the steamer was far from crowded.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It has been said that the steamer was far from crowded.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading It is not good to dwell upon such scenes and moments.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It has been said that the steamer was far from crowded.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading To write of them does not make us more composed in them when they come.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is not good to dwell upon such scenes and moments.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is not good to dwell upon such scenes and moments.
engage in
From this reading To write of them does not make us more composed in them when they come.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading It is not good to dwell upon such scenes and moments.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading To write of them does not make us more composed in them when they come.
information about recent and important events
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It is not good to dwell upon such scenes and moments.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading TWO OUT OF TWELVE.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading TWO OUT OF TWELVE.
established beyond doubt
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading It has been said that the steamer was far from crowded.
plural of “scene” — the place where some action occurs
From this reading It is not good to dwell upon such scenes and moments.
a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading It has been said that the steamer was far from crowded.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading It is not good to dwell upon such scenes and moments.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading To write of them does not make us more composed in them when they come.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading To write of them does not make us more composed in them when they come.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It is not good to dwell upon such scenes and moments.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading TWO OUT OF TWELVE.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading TWO OUT OF TWELVE.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading It is not good to dwell upon such scenes and moments.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading To write of them does not make us more composed in them when they come.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It has been said that the steamer was far from crowded.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
at the time that
From this reading To write of them does not make us more composed in them when they come.
(used as an intensifier) extremely well
From this reading But, as it proved, things on board the _Old Province_ that night were wonderfully calm after the first breaking of the news.
produce a literary work
From this reading To write of them does not make us more composed in them when they come.
Chapter 9 of Left to Themselves by Edward Prime-Stevenson holds 183 sentences, grouped into 37 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 9 holds 183 sentences of Left to Themselves, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Left to Themselves by Edward Prime-Stevenson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 183 sentences, grouped into 37 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 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 37 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 9 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 Left to Themselves by Edward Prime-Stevenson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4254 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #57203 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #57203, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 354 minutes of reading across 851 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Left to Themselves section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of Left to Themselves 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 Left to Themselves, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
