Chapter 18 of Not Without Thorns is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of Not Without Thorns is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
It was broad daylight. Rachel was standing by her bedside, a cup of tea in her hand. "What is the matter?" asked Eugenia, confusedly. Then, coming a little to herself, she sat up and looked at the girl. "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
Chapter 18 of Not Without Thorns is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
causing a dull and steady pain
From this reading “"My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?”
space by the side of a bed (especially the bed of a sick or dying person)
From this reading “Rachel was standing by her bedside, a cup of tea in her hand.”
the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside
From this reading “It was broad daylight.”
of a dreadful kind
From this reading “"My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?”
tropical trees and shrubs with aromatic leaves and often valuable hard wood
From this reading “"What is the matter?" asked Eugenia, confusedly.”
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading “"My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?”
plural of “pillow” — a cushion to support the head of a sleeping person
From this reading “"My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?”
(Old Testament) the second wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin
From this reading “Rachel was standing by her bedside, a cup of tea in her hand.”
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.
In this reading “It was broad daylight.”
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “Then, coming a little to herself, she sat up and looked at the girl.”
In this reading “"My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?”
In this reading “"My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?”
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 Rachel was standing by her bedside, a cup of tea in her hand.
causing a dull and steady pain
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then, coming a little to herself, she sat up and looked at the girl.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "What is the matter?" asked Eugenia, confusedly.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then, coming a little to herself, she sat up and looked at the girl.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
space by the side of a bed (especially the bed of a sick or dying person)
From this reading Rachel was standing by her bedside, a cup of tea in her hand.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading It was broad daylight.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Rachel was standing by her bedside, a cup of tea in her hand.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Then, coming a little to herself, she sat up and looked at the girl.
in a confused manner
From this reading "What is the matter?" asked Eugenia, confusedly.
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading Rachel was standing by her bedside, a cup of tea in her hand.
the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside
From this reading It was broad daylight.
of a dreadful kind
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
tropical trees and shrubs with aromatic leaves and often valuable hard wood
From this reading "What is the matter?" asked Eugenia, confusedly.
a young female
From this reading Then, coming a little to herself, she sat up and looked at the girl.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Rachel was standing by her bedside, a cup of tea in her hand.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Rachel was standing by her bedside, a cup of tea in her hand.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Then, coming a little to herself, she sat up and looked at the girl.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Rachel was standing by her bedside, a cup of tea in her hand.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What is the matter?" asked Eugenia, confusedly.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was broad daylight.
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Then, coming a little to herself, she sat up and looked at the girl.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Then, coming a little to herself, she sat up and looked at the girl.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "What is the matter?" asked Eugenia, confusedly.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Rachel was standing by her bedside, a cup of tea in her hand.
plural of “pillow” — a cushion to support the head of a sleeping person
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
(Old Testament) the second wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin
From this reading Rachel was standing by her bedside, a cup of tea in her hand.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Then, coming a little to herself, she sat up and looked at the girl.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then, coming a little to herself, she sat up and looked at the girl.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
having a supporting base
From this reading Rachel was standing by her bedside, a cup of tea in her hand.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading Rachel was standing by her bedside, a cup of tea in her hand.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "What is the matter?" asked Eugenia, confusedly.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, coming a little to herself, she sat up and looked at the girl.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then, coming a little to herself, she sat up and looked at the girl.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Then, coming a little to herself, she sat up and looked at the girl.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was broad daylight.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What is the matter?" asked Eugenia, confusedly.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "My head is aching dreadfully," she said, laying it back among the pillows as she spoke; "is that why you have brought me some tea, Rachel?
Chapter 18 of Not Without Thorns by Mrs. Molesworth holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 18 holds 408 sentences of Not Without Thorns, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of Not Without Thorns by Mrs. Molesworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 18 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 Not Without Thorns by Mrs. Molesworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7781 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43106 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43106, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1557 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Not Without Thorns section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of Not Without Thorns 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 Not Without Thorns, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
