Chapter 18 of Our World is here in full — 247 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of Our World is here in full — 247 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MR. M'FADDEN SEES SHADOWS IN THE FUTURE. NIGHT has quickly drawn its curtain over the scene. Mr. M'Fadden lies on his bed, writhing under the pain of the poisoned wound. He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
Chapter 18 of Our World is here in full — 247 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/49 · 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 sacred writings of the Christian religions
From this reading “He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.”
hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading “NIGHT has quickly drawn its curtain over the scene.”
small crude shelter used as a dwelling
From this reading “He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.”
decrease in size, extent, or range
From this reading “He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.”
past form of “poison” — spoil as if by poison
From this reading “Mr. M'Fadden lies on his bed, writhing under the pain of the poisoned wound.”
someone whose occupation is preaching the gospel
From this reading “He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.”
past form of “secure” — get by special effort
From this reading “He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.”
moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
From this reading “Mr. M'Fadden lies on his bed, writhing under the pain of the poisoned wound.”
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 He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading Mr. M'Fadden lies on his bed, writhing under the pain of the poisoned wound.
the sacred writings of the Christian religions
From this reading He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading NIGHT has quickly drawn its curtain over the scene.
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading NIGHT has quickly drawn its curtain over the scene.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
yet to be or coming
From this reading M'FADDEN SEES SHADOWS IN THE FUTURE.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading NIGHT has quickly drawn its curtain over the scene.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Mr. M'Fadden lies on his bed, writhing under the pain of the poisoned wound.
small crude shelter used as a dwelling
From this reading He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading M'FADDEN SEES SHADOWS IN THE FUTURE.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading NIGHT has quickly drawn its curtain over the scene.
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 He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
decrease in size, extent, or range
From this reading He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
in order that something should not happen
From this reading He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth
From this reading Mr. M'Fadden lies on his bed, writhing under the pain of the poisoned wound.
past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock
From this reading He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading M'FADDEN SEES SHADOWS IN THE FUTURE.
a form of address for a man
From this reading MR.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading NIGHT has quickly drawn its curtain over the scene.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mr. M'Fadden lies on his bed, writhing under the pain of the poisoned wound.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Mr. M'Fadden lies on his bed, writhing under the pain of the poisoned wound.
above and across; more than
From this reading NIGHT has quickly drawn its curtain over the scene.
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading Mr. M'Fadden lies on his bed, writhing under the pain of the poisoned wound.
past form of “poison” — spoil as if by poison
From this reading Mr. M'Fadden lies on his bed, writhing under the pain of the poisoned wound.
someone whose occupation is preaching the gospel
From this reading He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
with speed
From this reading NIGHT has quickly drawn its curtain over the scene.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading NIGHT has quickly drawn its curtain over the scene.
past form of “secure” — get by special effort
From this reading He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
plural of “see” — the seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located
From this reading M'FADDEN SEES SHADOWS IN THE FUTURE.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading M'FADDEN SEES SHADOWS IN THE FUTURE.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading M'FADDEN SEES SHADOWS IN THE FUTURE.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Mr. M'Fadden lies on his bed, writhing under the pain of the poisoned wound.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed
From this reading He left his preacher locked up for the night in a cold hovel, and he has secured the dangerous Bible, lest it lessen his value.
an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)
From this reading Mr. M'Fadden lies on his bed, writhing under the pain of the poisoned wound.
moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
From this reading Mr. M'Fadden lies on his bed, writhing under the pain of the poisoned wound.
Chapter 18 of Our World by F. Colburn (Francis Colburn) Adams holds 247 sentences, grouped into 50 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 18 holds 247 sentences of Our World, unabridged, divided into 50 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of Our World by F. Colburn (Francis Colburn) Adams exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 247 sentences, grouped into 50 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 50 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 50 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 Our World by F. Colburn (Francis Colburn) Adams on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9304 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4677 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4677, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1861 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Our World section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Our World 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 Our World, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
