Chapter 17 of Perch of the Devil is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Perch of the Devil is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“So good of you to come and have a cup of tea with me.” She rang a bell and ordered tea of her Chinaman. “But why did you dress up? I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.” Whalen sat on the edge of his chair and stared into the fire, twirling his hat in his hands.
Chapter 17 of Perch of the Devil is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading “I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.””
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading ““So good of you to come and have a cup of tea with me.””
a soft light woolen fabric; used for clothing
From this reading “I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.””
the act of extracting ores or coal etc from the earth
From this reading “I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.””
plural of “overall” — (usually plural) work clothing consisting of denim trousers (usually with a bib and shoulder straps)
From this reading “I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.””
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading “She rang a bell and ordered tea of her Chinaman.”
plural of “shirt” — a garment worn on the upper half of the body
From this reading “I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.””
-ing form of “twirl” — turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading “Whalen sat on the edge of his chair and stared into the fire, twirling his hat in his hands.”
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 “I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.””
In this reading “She rang a bell and ordered tea of her Chinaman.”
In this reading “I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.””
In this reading “Whalen sat on the edge of his chair and stared into the fire, twirling his hat in his hands.”
In this reading “Whalen sat on the edge of his chair and stared into the fire, twirling his hat in his hands.”
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 “So good of you to come and have a cup of tea with me.”
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.”
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “So good of you to come and have a cup of tea with me.”
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading She rang a bell and ordered tea of her Chinaman.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But why did you dress up?
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.”
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading Whalen sat on the edge of his chair and stared into the fire, twirling his hat in his hands.
(ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Chinese descent
From this reading She rang a bell and ordered tea of her Chinaman.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “So good of you to come and have a cup of tea with me.”
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading “So good of you to come and have a cup of tea with me.”
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “But why did you dress up?
put on clothes
From this reading “But why did you dress up?
the boundary of a surface
From this reading Whalen sat on the edge of his chair and stared into the fire, twirling his hat in his hands.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Whalen sat on the edge of his chair and stared into the fire, twirling his hat in his hands.
a soft light woolen fabric; used for clothing
From this reading I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.”
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “So good of you to come and have a cup of tea with me.”
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Whalen sat on the edge of his chair and stared into the fire, twirling his hat in his hands.
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading Whalen sat on the edge of his chair and stared into the fire, twirling his hat in his hands.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “So good of you to come and have a cup of tea with me.”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She rang a bell and ordered tea of her Chinaman.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Whalen sat on the edge of his chair and stared into the fire, twirling his hat in his hands.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.”
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.”
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Whalen sat on the edge of his chair and stared into the fire, twirling his hat in his hands.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.”
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.”
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “So good of you to come and have a cup of tea with me.”
the act of extracting ores or coal etc from the earth
From this reading I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “So good of you to come and have a cup of tea with me.”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Whalen sat on the edge of his chair and stared into the fire, twirling his hat in his hands.
having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule
From this reading She rang a bell and ordered tea of her Chinaman.
plural of “overall” — (usually plural) work clothing consisting of denim trousers (usually with a bib and shoulder straps)
From this reading I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.”
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.”
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading She rang a bell and ordered tea of her Chinaman.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Whalen sat on the edge of his chair and stared into the fire, twirling his hat in his hands.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She rang a bell and ordered tea of her Chinaman.
plural of “shirt” — a garment worn on the upper half of the body
From this reading I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.”
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “So good of you to come and have a cup of tea with me.”
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Whalen sat on the edge of his chair and stared into the fire, twirling his hat in his hands.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading “So good of you to come and have a cup of tea with me.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I am accustomed to overalls and flannel shirts, and quite like the idea of living in a mining camp.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “So good of you to come and have a cup of tea with me.”
-ing form of “twirl” — turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading Whalen sat on the edge of his chair and stared into the fire, twirling his hat in his hands.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “But why did you dress up?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whalen sat on the edge of his chair and stared into the fire, twirling his hat in his hands.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “But why did you dress up?
in the company of; together with
From this reading “So good of you to come and have a cup of tea with me.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “So good of you to come and have a cup of tea with me.”
Chapter 17 of Perch of the Devil by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton holds 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 17 holds 415 sentences of Perch of the Devil, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Perch of the Devil by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 17 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 Perch of the Devil by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Perch of the Devil section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Perch of the Devil 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 Perch of the Devil, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
