Chapter 23 of Sparrows: The Story of an Unprotected Girl is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of Sparrows: The Story of an Unprotected Girl is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"The worst! Let me know the worst!" gasped the terror-stricken girl. Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's. "Will he get over it?" was Mavis's next question. "It's for a lot of money.
Chapter 23 of Sparrows: The Story of an Unprotected Girl is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading “Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.”
possessive form of “broker” — a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission
From this reading “Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.”
acute contagious infection caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae; marked by the formation of a false membrane in the throat and other air passages causing difficulty in breathing
From this reading “Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.”
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading “Let me know the worst!" gasped the terror-stricken girl.”
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading “"It's for a lot of money.”
common Old World thrush noted for its song
From this reading “Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.”
the act of having and controlling property
From this reading “Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.”
the least favorable outcome
From this reading “"The worst!”
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 Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
in addition
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
possessive form of “broker” — a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
acute contagious infection caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae; marked by the formation of a false membrane in the throat and other air passages causing difficulty in breathing
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "It's for a lot of money.
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading Let me know the worst!" gasped the terror-stricken girl.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Will he get over it?" was Mavis's next question.
a young female
From this reading Let me know the worst!" gasped the terror-stricken girl.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Will he get over it?" was Mavis's next question.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Will he get over it?" was Mavis's next question.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's for a lot of money.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Let me know the worst!" gasped the terror-stricken girl.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Let me know the worst!" gasped the terror-stricken girl.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading "It's for a lot of money.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
common Old World thrush noted for its song
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Will he get over it?" was Mavis's next question.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Let me know the worst!" gasped the terror-stricken girl.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading "It's for a lot of money.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading "Will he get over it?" was Mavis's next question.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "It's for a lot of money.
above and across; more than
From this reading "Will he get over it?" was Mavis's next question.
the act of having and controlling property
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading "Will he get over it?" was Mavis's next question.
struck or filled with terror
From this reading Let me know the worst!" gasped the terror-stricken girl.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "The worst!
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Will he get over it?" was Mavis's next question.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Mavis was told that her baby was ill with diphtheria; also, that a broker's man was in possession at Mrs Trivett's.
the least favorable outcome
From this reading "The worst!
Chapter 23 of Sparrows: The Story of an Unprotected Girl by Horace W. C. (Horace Wykeham Can) Newte holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 23 holds 410 sentences of Sparrows: The Story of an Unprotected Girl, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of Sparrows: The Story of an Unprotected Girl by Horace W. C. (Horace Wykeham Can) Newte exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 23 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 Sparrows: The Story of an Unprotected Girl by Horace W. C. (Horace Wykeham Can) Newte on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 11065 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4345 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4345, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2213 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Sparrows: The Story of an Unprotected Girl section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of Sparrows: The Story of an Unprotected Girl 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 Sparrows: The Story of an Unprotected Girl, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
