Old Kensington

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter 28 of Old Kensington is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Anne Thackeray Ritchie • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THUS FAR THE MILES ARE MEASURED FROM THY FRIEND.

If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?

Shall I never miss Home-talk and blessing and the common kiss That comes to each in turn, nor count it strange, When I look up, to drop on a new range Of walls and floors, another home than this?

--E. B. Browning.

The three came back to All Saints' by many a winding way.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXVIII Reading 1/24

Old Kensington

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter 28 of Old Kensington is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THUS FAR THE MILES ARE MEASURED FROM THY FRIEND.

/ðʌs fɑːr ðə maɪlz ɑːr ˈmeʒərd frʌm ðaɪ frend/

Line 2

If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?

/ɪf aɪ liːv ɔːl fɔːr ðiː wɪlt ðaʊ ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ ənd biː ɔːl tuː miː/

Line 3

Shall I never miss Home-talk and blessing and the common kiss That comes to each in turn, nor count it strange, When I look up, to drop on a new range Of walls and floors, another home than this?

Line 4

--E. B. Browning.

/iː biː ˈbraʊnɪŋ/

Line 5

The three came back to All Saints' by many a winding way.

/ðə θriː keɪm bæk tuː ɔːl seɪnts baɪ ˈmeni ə ˈwaɪndɪŋ weɪ/

Learner Dictionary

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.

blessing noun US /ˈblesɪŋ/

the formal act of approving

From this reading “Shall I never miss Home-talk and blessing and the common kiss That comes to each in turn, nor count it strange, When I look up, to drop on a new range Of walls and floors, another home than this?”

Browning noun US /ˈbraʊnɪŋ/

United States inventor of firearms (especially automatic pistols and repeating rifles and a machine gun called the Peacemaker) (1855-1926)

From this reading “--E. B. Browning.”

exchange noun US /ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ/

chemical process in which one atom or ion or group changes places with another

From this reading “If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?”

floors noun US /flɔːrz/

plural of “floor” — the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

measured adjective US /ˈmeʒərd/

having notes of fixed rhythmic value

From this reading “THUS FAR THE MILES ARE MEASURED FROM THY FRIEND.”

Saints noun US /seɪnts/

plural of “saint” — a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization

From this reading “The three came back to All Saints' by many a winding way.”

wilt modal verb US /wɪlt/

an old form of “will”, used with “thou”

From this reading “If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?”

winding adjective US /ˈwaɪndɪŋ/

marked by repeated turns and bends

From this reading “The three came back to All Saints' by many a winding way.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

came back verb + particle counted as “come back”

be restored

In this reading “The three came back to All Saints' by many a winding way.”

look up verb + adjective

seek information from

In this reading “Shall I never miss Home-talk and blessing and the common kiss That comes to each in turn, nor count it strange, When I look up, to drop on a new range Of walls and floors, another home than this?”

winding way adjective + noun

In this reading “The three came back to All Saints' by many a winding way.”

drop on verb + particle

All words in this reading · 64

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Shall I never miss Home-talk and blessing and the common kiss That comes to each in turn, nor count it strange, When I look up, to drop on a new range Of walls and floors, another home than this?

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

AREauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading THUS FAR THE MILES ARE MEASURED FROM THY FRIEND.

BnounUS /biː/

aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil

From this reading --E. B. Browning.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading The three came back to All Saints' by many a winding way.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?

blessingnounUS /ˈblesɪŋ/

the formal act of approving

BrowningnounUS /ˈbraʊnɪŋ/

United States inventor of firearms (especially automatic pistols and repeating rifles and a machine gun called the Peacemaker) (1855-1926)

From this reading --E. B. Browning.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The three came back to All Saints' by many a winding way.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading The three came back to All Saints' by many a winding way.

comesnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

countverbUS /kaʊnt/

determine the number or amount of

dropverbUS /drɑːp/

let fall to the ground

EnounUS /iː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body

From this reading --E. B. Browning.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

exchangenounUS /ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ/

chemical process in which one atom or ion or group changes places with another

From this reading If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?

FARadverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading THUS FAR THE MILES ARE MEASURED FROM THY FRIEND.

floorsnounUS /flɔːrz/

plural of “floor” — the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?

FRIENDnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading THUS FAR THE MILES ARE MEASURED FROM THY FRIEND.

FROMprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THUS FAR THE MILES ARE MEASURED FROM THY FRIEND.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

Home-talk

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

kissnounUS /kɪs/

the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading The three came back to All Saints' by many a winding way.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?

MEASUREDadjectiveUS /ˈmeʒərd/

having notes of fixed rhythmic value

From this reading THUS FAR THE MILES ARE MEASURED FROM THY FRIEND.

MILESnounUS /maɪlz/

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading THUS FAR THE MILES ARE MEASURED FROM THY FRIEND.

missverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

rangenounUS /reɪndʒ/

an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"

SaintsnounUS /seɪnts/

plural of “saint” — a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization

From this reading The three came back to All Saints' by many a winding way.

Shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THUS FAR THE MILES ARE MEASURED FROM THY FRIEND.

theepronounUS /ðiː/

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

thoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading The three came back to All Saints' by many a winding way.

THUSadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading THUS FAR THE MILES ARE MEASURED FROM THY FRIEND.

THYdeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading THUS FAR THE MILES ARE MEASURED FROM THY FRIEND.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading The three came back to All Saints' by many a winding way.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

wiltmodal verbUS /wɪlt/

an old form of “will”, used with “thou”

From this reading If I leave all for thee, wilt thou exchange, And be all to me?

windingadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪndɪŋ/

marked by repeated turns and bends

From this reading The three came back to All Saints' by many a winding way.

Chapter 28 of Old Kensington by Anne Thackeray Ritchie holds 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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.

What does chapter 28 of Old Kensington contain?

Chapter 28 holds 123 sentences of Old Kensington, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 28 of Old Kensington by Anne Thackeray Ritchie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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.

How do I study chapter 28 of Old Kensington?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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.

Can chapter 28 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 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.

Questions about reading Old Kensington

Common questions about reading Old Kensington by Anne Thackeray Ritchie on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Old Kensington?

Yes. All 8731 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36235 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Old Kensington is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36235, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Old Kensington take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1747 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Old Kensington section by section

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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Old Kensington

Words and structures a reader meets early in Old Kensington, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

London: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Kensington; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Smith: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Kensington; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Elder: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Kensington; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Waterloo: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Kensington; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXVIII

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