Chapter 2 of Silverthorns is here in full — 447 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Silverthorns is here in full — 447 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Is she fair or dark?" asked Charlotte. "You must have seen that." "Fair, of course. You know my beauties are always fair. That is why I am so disappointed in you, poor Gipsy," said Mr Waldron teasingly.
Chapter 2 of Silverthorns is here in full — 447 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/89 · 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 “beauty” — the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading “You know my beauties are always fair.”
the largest city in North Carolina; located in south central North Carolina
From this reading “"Is she fair or dark?" asked Charlotte.”
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading “"Fair, of course.”
absence of light or illumination
From this reading “"Is she fair or dark?" asked Charlotte.”
disappointingly unsuccessful
From this reading “That is why I am so disappointed in you, poor Gipsy," said Mr Waldron teasingly.”
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading “"Is she fair or dark?" asked Charlotte.”
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading “That is why I am so disappointed in you, poor Gipsy," said Mr Waldron teasingly.”
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “"You must have seen that."”
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.
as might be expected
In this reading “"Fair, of course.”
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.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading You know my beauties are always fair.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading That is why I am so disappointed in you, poor Gipsy," said Mr Waldron teasingly.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading You know my beauties are always fair.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Is she fair or dark?" asked Charlotte.
plural of “beauty” — the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading You know my beauties are always fair.
the largest city in North Carolina; located in south central North Carolina
From this reading "Is she fair or dark?" asked Charlotte.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading "Fair, of course.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading "Is she fair or dark?" asked Charlotte.
disappointingly unsuccessful
From this reading That is why I am so disappointed in you, poor Gipsy," said Mr Waldron teasingly.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading "Is she fair or dark?" asked Charlotte.
a laborer who moves from place to place as demanded by employment
From this reading That is why I am so disappointed in you, poor Gipsy," said Mr Waldron teasingly.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "You must have seen that."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading That is why I am so disappointed in you, poor Gipsy," said Mr Waldron teasingly.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading That is why I am so disappointed in you, poor Gipsy," said Mr Waldron teasingly.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Is she fair or dark?" asked Charlotte.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading You know my beauties are always fair.
a form of address for a man
From this reading That is why I am so disappointed in you, poor Gipsy," said Mr Waldron teasingly.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "You must have seen that."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading You know my beauties are always fair.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Fair, of course.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "Is she fair or dark?" asked Charlotte.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading That is why I am so disappointed in you, poor Gipsy," said Mr Waldron teasingly.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading That is why I am so disappointed in you, poor Gipsy," said Mr Waldron teasingly.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "You must have seen that."
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Is she fair or dark?" asked Charlotte.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading That is why I am so disappointed in you, poor Gipsy," said Mr Waldron teasingly.
in a playfully teasing manner
From this reading That is why I am so disappointed in you, poor Gipsy," said Mr Waldron teasingly.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "You must have seen that."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That is why I am so disappointed in you, poor Gipsy," said Mr Waldron teasingly.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading That is why I am so disappointed in you, poor Gipsy," said Mr Waldron teasingly.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You must have seen that."
Chapter 2 of Silverthorns by Mrs. Molesworth holds 447 sentences, grouped into 90 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 447 sentences of Silverthorns, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Silverthorns by Mrs. Molesworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 447 sentences, grouped into 90 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 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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 Silverthorns by Mrs. Molesworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3587 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43122 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43122, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 298 minutes of reading across 718 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Silverthorns section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of Silverthorns 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 Silverthorns, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
