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Spirits Do Return
Spirits Do Return

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Spirits Do Return is here in full — 13 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Spirits Do Return
Context Illustration Reading 1/2 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.
Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.
Kansas City, Mo.: Franklin Hudson Publishing Co.
I DEDICATE THIS BOOK. Discharged from the Hospital 62
Prayer-Meeting in Prison 244 INTRODUCTION.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Spirits Do Return

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Spirits Do Return is here in full — 13 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/2 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.
Line 2
Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.
Line 3
Kansas City, Mo.: Franklin Hudson Publishing Co.
/ˈkænzəs ˈsɪti moʊ ˈfræŋklɪn ˈhʌdsən ˈpʌblɪʃɪŋ koʊ/
Line 4
I DEDICATE THIS BOOK. Discharged from the Hospital 62
Line 5
Prayer-Meeting in Prison 244 INTRODUCTION.

Learner Dictionary

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.

Clemens noun US /ˈklemənz/

United States writer and humorist best known for his novels about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn (1835-1910)

From this reading “Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.”

dedicate verb US /ˈdedəkeɪt/

give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause

From this reading “I DEDICATE THIS BOOK. Discharged from the Hospital 62”

html noun US /ˌeɪtʃtiːeˈmel/

a set of tags and rules (conforming to SGML) for using them in developing hypertext documents

From this reading “See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.”

Hudson noun US /ˈhʌdsən/

a New York river; flows southward into New York Bay; explored by Henry Hudson early in the 17th century

From this reading “Kansas City, Mo.: Franklin Hudson Publishing Co.”

Kansas noun US /ˈkænzəs/

a state in midwestern United States

From this reading “Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.”

Missouri noun US /məˈzʊri/

a midwestern state in central United States; a border state during the American Civil War, Missouri was admitted to the Confederacy without actually seceding from the Union

From this reading “Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.”

Publishing noun US /ˈpʌblɪʃɪŋ/

the business of issuing printed matter for sale or distribution

From this reading “Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.”

Twain noun US /tweɪn/

two items of the same kind

From this reading “Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

original page adjective + noun

In this reading “See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.”

in Prison preposition + noun

In this reading “Prayer-Meeting in Prison 244 INTRODUCTION.”

All words in this reading · 49

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.

244

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Prayer-Meeting in Prison 244 INTRODUCTION.

27th

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

3411

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

62

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I DEDICATE THIS BOOK. Discharged from the Hospital 62

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.

BOOKnounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading I DEDICATE THIS BOOK. Discharged from the Hospital 62

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

CitynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

ClemensnounUS /ˈklemənz/

United States writer and humorist best known for his novels about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn (1835-1910)

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

ConounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

consultverbUS /kənˈsʌlt/

get or ask advice from

From this reading See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.

DEDICATEverbUS /ˈdedəkeɪt/

give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause

From this reading I DEDICATE THIS BOOK. Discharged from the Hospital 62

DischargedadjectiveUS /dɪsˈtʃɑːrdʒd/

having lost your job

From this reading I DEDICATE THIS BOOK. Discharged from the Hospital 62

EastnounUS /iːst/

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

FranklinnounUS /ˈfræŋklɪn/

United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)

From this reading Kansas City, Mo.: Franklin Hudson Publishing Co.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I DEDICATE THIS BOOK. Discharged from the Hospital 62

HospitalnounUS /ˈhɑːspɪtəl/

a health facility where patients receive treatment

From this reading I DEDICATE THIS BOOK. Discharged from the Hospital 62

htmlnounUS /ˌeɪtʃtiːeˈmel/

a set of tags and rules (conforming to SGML) for using them in developing hypertext documents

From this reading See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.

https

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.

HudsonnounUS /ˈhʌdsən/

a New York river; flows southward into New York Bay; explored by Henry Hudson early in the 17th century

From this reading Kansas City, Mo.: Franklin Hudson Publishing Co.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I DEDICATE THIS BOOK. Discharged from the Hospital 62

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.

imagesnounUS /ˈɪmədʒəz/

plural of “image” — an iconic mental representation

From this reading See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Prayer-Meeting in Prison 244 INTRODUCTION.

InspiredadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈspaɪərd/

being of such surpassing excellence as to suggest inspiration by the gods

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

INTRODUCTIONnounUS /ˌɪntrəˈdʌkʃən/

the act of beginning something new

From this reading Prayer-Meeting in Prison 244 INTRODUCTION.

KansasnounUS /ˈkænzəs/

a state in midwestern United States

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

LnounUS /el/

a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

MarkverbUS /mɑːrk/

attach a tag or label to

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

MissourinounUS /məˈzʊri/

a midwestern state in central United States; a border state during the American Civil War, Missouri was admitted to the Confederacy without actually seceding from the Union

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

MonounUS /moʊ/

an indefinitely short time

From this reading Kansas City, Mo.: Franklin Hudson Publishing Co.

notedadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəd/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.

originaladjectiveUS /ərˈɪdʒənəl/

preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed

From this reading See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.

pagenounUS /peɪdʒ/

one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.

Prayer-Meeting

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Prayer-Meeting in Prison 244 INTRODUCTION.

PrisonnounUS /ˈprɪzən/

a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment

From this reading Prayer-Meeting in Prison 244 INTRODUCTION.

PublishingnounUS /ˈpʌblɪʃɪŋ/

the business of issuing printed matter for sale or distribution

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

readernounUS /ˈriːdər/

a person who enjoys reading

From this reading See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.

SamuelnounUS /ˈsæmjuːl/

(Old Testament) Hebrew prophet and judge who anointed Saul as king

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

SeeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.

StreetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.

THISdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading I DEDICATE THIS BOOK. Discharged from the Hospital 62

TwainnounUS /tweɪn/

two items of the same kind

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

versionnounUS /ˈvɜːrʒən/

an interpretation of a matter from a particular viewpoint

From this reading See https:// If so, the reader should consult the html version or the original page images noted above.

WhitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading Inspired by Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) The White Publishing Co., 3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

Chapter 1 of Spirits Do Return by Ida Belle White holds 13 sentences, grouped into 3 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.

What does chapter 1 of Spirits Do Return contain?

Chapter 1 holds 13 sentences of Spirits Do Return, unabridged, divided into 3 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Spirits Do Return by Ida Belle White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 13 sentences, grouped into 3 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.

How do I study chapter 1 of Spirits Do Return?

Work through the 3 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 3 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.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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.

Questions about reading Spirits Do Return

Common questions about reading Spirits Do Return by Ida Belle White on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Spirits Do Return?

Yes. All 3810 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #57302 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Spirits Do Return is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #57302, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Spirits Do Return take to read?

About 317 minutes of reading across 762 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Spirits Do Return section by section

How to work through Spirits Do Return section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of Spirits Do Return to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Spirits Do Return

Words and structures a reader meets early in Spirits Do Return, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Https
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Spirits Do Return; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Reader
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Spirits Do Return; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Consult
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Spirits Do Return; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Version
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Spirits Do Return; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.