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aching
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From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
Ah
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From this reading Ah, those nights!
ail
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From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
AlasexclamationUS /əˈlæs/
used to show sadness, pity, or regret
From this reading Alas for the sleepless human soul out in the eternal cold!
all
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From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But it brought no solace to the mind of the weak, hard-hearted, and guilty son.
askednounUS /asked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
aware
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From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
best
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From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
broughtnounUS /ˈbrought/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading But it brought no solace to the mind of the weak, hard-hearted, and guilty son.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it brought no solace to the mind of the weak, hard-hearted, and guilty son.
cause
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From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
cold
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From this reading Alas for the sleepless human soul out in the eternal cold!
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
comfort
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From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
consciencenounUS /ˈkɑːnʃəns/
the inner sense of right and wrong
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
constantly
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From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
covering
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From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
eternal
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From this reading Alas for the sleepless human soul out in the eternal cold!
evennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
eyes
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From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
false
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From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Alas for the sleepless human soul out in the eternal cold!
guilty
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From this reading But it brought no solace to the mind of the weak, hard-hearted, and guilty son.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
hard-hearted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But it brought no solace to the mind of the weak, hard-hearted, and guilty son.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
head
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
heartless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
houseless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
human
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From this reading Alas for the sleepless human soul out in the eternal cold!
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But it brought no solace to the mind of the weak, hard-hearted, and guilty son.
James
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From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
leastnounUS /least/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
mental
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
mindnounUS /mind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But it brought no solace to the mind of the weak, hard-hearted, and guilty son.
more
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From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
morningnounUS /morning/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
mother
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
narcotic
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From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
narrower
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From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
nightsnounUS /naɪts/
Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
From this reading Ah, those nights!
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading But it brought no solace to the mind of the weak, hard-hearted, and guilty son.
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But it brought no solace to the mind of the weak, hard-hearted, and guilty son.
once
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Alas for the sleepless human soul out in the eternal cold!
red
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From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
seen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
sleep
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
sleepless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Alas for the sleepless human soul out in the eternal cold!
slept
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
solace
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But it brought no solace to the mind of the weak, hard-hearted, and guilty son.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
son
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But it brought no solace to the mind of the weak, hard-hearted, and guilty son.
soothing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
soul
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Alas for the sleepless human soul out in the eternal cold!
succeeded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
suspected
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
tear-dimmed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
temporarily
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But it brought no solace to the mind of the weak, hard-hearted, and guilty son.
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Ah, those nights!
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But it brought no solace to the mind of the weak, hard-hearted, and guilty son.
uneasiness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
unhappy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
weak
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But it brought no solace to the mind of the weak, hard-hearted, and guilty son.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/
belonging to which person
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But so heartless was James, that, if his mother had come to him in the morning with her tear-dimmed eyes, he would never have asked himself what could ail her; would never even have seen that she was unhappy; least of all would have suspected himself the cause of her red eyes and aching head, or that the best thing in him was that mental uneasiness of which he was constantly aware.
wrap
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had succeeded once more in temporarily soothing his conscience with some narcotic of false comfort, and now slept the sleep of the houseless, whose covering was narrower than he could wrap himself in.
