Chapter 2 of Peggy is here in full — 254 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Peggy is here in full — 254 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE BOX FROM FERNLEY. The box was no ordinary rough affair, knocked together for simple purposes of transportation. It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges. "We must take care how we open this!" said Bertha. "It would be a shame to spoil such a fine box."
Chapter 2 of Peggy is here in full — 254 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/50 · 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.
plural of “edge” — the boundary of a surface
From this reading “It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.”
in harmony with the spirit of particular persons or occasion
From this reading “It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.”
plural of “hinge” — a joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing relative to the other
From this reading “It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.”
either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye
From this reading “It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.”
with neatness
From this reading “It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.”
plural of “purpose” — an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading “The box was no ordinary rough affair, knocked together for simple purposes of transportation.”
make a mess of, destroy or ruin
From this reading “"It would be a shame to spoil such a fine box."”
a facility consisting of the means and equipment necessary for the movement of passengers or goods
From this reading “The box was no ordinary rough affair, knocked together for simple purposes of transportation.”
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 "It would be a shame to spoil such a fine box."
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading The box was no ordinary rough affair, knocked together for simple purposes of transportation.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "It would be a shame to spoil such a fine box."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We must take care how we open this!" said Bertha.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading THE BOX FROM FERNLEY.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading "We must take care how we open this!" said Bertha.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.
in a close relation or position in time or space
From this reading It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.
plural of “edge” — the boundary of a surface
From this reading It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE BOX FROM FERNLEY.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading "It would be a shame to spoil such a fine box."
in harmony with the spirit of particular persons or occasion
From this reading It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The box was no ordinary rough affair, knocked together for simple purposes of transportation.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE BOX FROM FERNLEY.
provided with whatever is necessary for a purpose (as furniture or equipment or authority)
From this reading It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.
plural of “hinge” — a joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing relative to the other
From this reading It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We must take care how we open this!" said Bertha.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading The box was no ordinary rough affair, knocked together for simple purposes of transportation.
either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye
From this reading It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "We must take care how we open this!" said Bertha.
with neatness
From this reading It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.
not any; not one
From this reading The box was no ordinary rough affair, knocked together for simple purposes of transportation.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The box was no ordinary rough affair, knocked together for simple purposes of transportation.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading "We must take care how we open this!" said Bertha.
a judge of a probate court
From this reading The box was no ordinary rough affair, knocked together for simple purposes of transportation.
plural of “purpose” — an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading The box was no ordinary rough affair, knocked together for simple purposes of transportation.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading The box was no ordinary rough affair, knocked together for simple purposes of transportation.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "We must take care how we open this!" said Bertha.
a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
From this reading "It would be a shame to spoil such a fine box."
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading The box was no ordinary rough affair, knocked together for simple purposes of transportation.
make a mess of, destroy or ruin
From this reading "It would be a shame to spoil such a fine box."
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "It would be a shame to spoil such a fine box."
carry out
From this reading "We must take care how we open this!" said Bertha.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BOX FROM FERNLEY.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "We must take care how we open this!" said Bertha.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "It would be a shame to spoil such a fine box."
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading The box was no ordinary rough affair, knocked together for simple purposes of transportation.
a facility consisting of the means and equipment necessary for the movement of passengers or goods
From this reading The box was no ordinary rough affair, knocked together for simple purposes of transportation.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The box was no ordinary rough affair, knocked together for simple purposes of transportation.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "We must take care how we open this!" said Bertha.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was neatly and carefully made, the edges fitting closely together, the lid furnished with hinges.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "It would be a shame to spoil such a fine box."
Chapter 2 of Peggy by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards holds 254 sentences, grouped into 51 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 254 sentences of Peggy, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Peggy by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 254 sentences, grouped into 51 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 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 51 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 Peggy by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3721 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25448 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25448, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 310 minutes of reading across 745 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Peggy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of Peggy 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 Peggy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
