Chapter 2 of Mollie's Substitute Husband is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Mollie's Substitute Husband is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"In short," said Alicia sweetly, "Mr. Rockwell himself will collapse." Rockwell took no heed of her. "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray. I was eating turtle soup and olives"--he laughed theatrically,--"but I was a desperate man. I had no hope, no interest left in life.
Chapter 2 of Mollie's Substitute Husband is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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 spot that is open late at night and that provides entertainment (as singers or dancers) as well as dancing and food and drink
From this reading “"Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.”
an abrupt failure of function or complete physical exhaustion
From this reading “"In short," said Alicia sweetly, "Mr. Rockwell himself will collapse."”
plural of “olive” — small ovoid fruit of the European olive tree; important food and source of oil
From this reading “I was eating turtle soup and olives"--he laughed theatrically,--"but I was a desperate man.”
United States illustrator whose works present a sentimental idealized view of everyday life (1894-1978)
From this reading “"In short," said Alicia sweetly, "Mr. Rockwell himself will collapse."”
in an affectionate or loving manner (“sweet” is sometimes a poetic or informal variant of “sweetly”)
From this reading “"In short," said Alicia sweetly, "Mr. Rockwell himself will collapse."”
in a stagy and theatrical manner
From this reading “I was eating turtle soup and olives"--he laughed theatrically,--"but I was a desperate man.”
a sweater or jersey with a high close-fitting collar
From this reading “I was eating turtle soup and olives"--he laughed theatrically,--"but I was a desperate man.”
resistant to guidance or discipline
From this reading “"Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.”
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.
soup usually made of the flesh of green turtles
In this reading “I was eating turtle soup and olives"--he laughed theatrically,--"but I was a desperate man.”
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 I was eating turtle soup and olives"--he laughed theatrically,--"but I was a desperate man.
in the past
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "In short," said Alicia sweetly, "Mr. Rockwell himself will collapse."
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I was eating turtle soup and olives"--he laughed theatrically,--"but I was a desperate man.
a spot that is open late at night and that provides entertainment (as singers or dancers) as well as dancing and food and drink
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
an abrupt failure of function or complete physical exhaustion
From this reading "In short," said Alicia sweetly, "Mr. Rockwell himself will collapse."
arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope
From this reading I was eating turtle soup and olives"--he laughed theatrically,--"but I was a desperate man.
the act of eating dinner
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
the act of consuming food
From this reading I was eating turtle soup and olives"--he laughed theatrically,--"but I was a desperate man.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had no hope, no interest left in life.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
paying particular notice (as to children or helpless people)
From this reading Rockwell took no heed of her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Rockwell took no heed of her.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading "In short," said Alicia sweetly, "Mr. Rockwell himself will collapse."
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading I had no hope, no interest left in life.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "In short," said Alicia sweetly, "Mr. Rockwell himself will collapse."
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading I had no hope, no interest left in life.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading I was eating turtle soup and olives"--he laughed theatrically,--"but I was a desperate man.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading I had no hope, no interest left in life.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading I had no hope, no interest left in life.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I was eating turtle soup and olives"--he laughed theatrically,--"but I was a desperate man.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "In short," said Alicia sweetly, "Mr. Rockwell himself will collapse."
British classical scholar (born in Australia) who advocated the League of Nations and the United Nations (1866-1957)
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
not any; not one
From this reading Rockwell took no heed of her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Rockwell took no heed of her.
plural of “olive” — small ovoid fruit of the European olive tree; important food and source of oil
From this reading I was eating turtle soup and olives"--he laughed theatrically,--"but I was a desperate man.
United States illustrator whose works present a sentimental idealized view of everyday life (1894-1978)
From this reading "In short," said Alicia sweetly, "Mr. Rockwell himself will collapse."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "In short," said Alicia sweetly, "Mr. Rockwell himself will collapse."
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading "In short," said Alicia sweetly, "Mr. Rockwell himself will collapse."
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
liquid food especially of meat or fish or vegetable stock often containing pieces of solid food
From this reading I was eating turtle soup and olives"--he laughed theatrically,--"but I was a desperate man.
in an affectionate or loving manner (“sweet” is sometimes a poetic or informal variant of “sweetly”)
From this reading "In short," said Alicia sweetly, "Mr. Rockwell himself will collapse."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
in a stagy and theatrical manner
From this reading I was eating turtle soup and olives"--he laughed theatrically,--"but I was a desperate man.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Rockwell took no heed of her.
a sweater or jersey with a high close-fitting collar
From this reading I was eating turtle soup and olives"--he laughed theatrically,--"but I was a desperate man.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
resistant to guidance or discipline
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "In short," said Alicia sweetly, "Mr. Rockwell himself will collapse."
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)
From this reading "Half an hour ago," he said, "I was sitting yonder in the Cabaret, dining with Miss Wayward and Father Murray.
Chapter 2 of Mollie's Substitute Husband by Max McConn holds 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 2 holds 424 sentences of Mollie's Substitute Husband, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Mollie's Substitute Husband by Max McConn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 2 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 Mollie's Substitute Husband by Max McConn on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6706 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48626 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #48626, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 558 minutes of reading across 1342 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mollie's Substitute Husband section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of Mollie's Substitute Husband 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 Mollie's Substitute Husband, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
