Chapter 13 of Spirits Do Return is here in full — 189 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of Spirits Do Return is here in full — 189 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN ATTEMPT TO BRIBE THE PRISONER. “I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered. I did not commit this crime. You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer. I do not want your money.
Chapter 13 of Spirits Do Return is here in full — 189 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/37 · 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.
payment made to a person in a position of trust to corrupt his judgment
From this reading “AN ATTEMPT TO BRIBE THE PRISONER.”
perform an act, usually with a negative connotation
From this reading “I did not commit this crime.”
inflected form of “eat” — take in solid food
From this reading ““I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.”
the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat
From this reading “You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.”
killed unlawfully
From this reading ““I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.”
a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being)
From this reading “You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.”
inflected form of “steal” — take without the owner's consent
From this reading ““I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.”
someone who leads a wandering unsettled life
From this reading ““I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.”
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 “You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.”
In this reading “You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.”
seek information from
In this reading “You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.”
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 “I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN ATTEMPT TO BRIBE THE PRISONER.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading AN ATTEMPT TO BRIBE THE PRISONER.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
payment made to a person in a position of trust to corrupt his judgment
From this reading AN ATTEMPT TO BRIBE THE PRISONER.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
perform an act, usually with a negative connotation
From this reading I did not commit this crime.
(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act
From this reading I did not commit this crime.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading I did not commit this crime.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
inflected form of “eat” — take in solid food
From this reading “I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading “I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
killed unlawfully
From this reading “I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.
a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being)
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading “I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading “I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I did not commit this crime.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading AN ATTEMPT TO BRIBE THE PRISONER.
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
inflected form of “steal” — take without the owner's consent
From this reading “I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AN ATTEMPT TO BRIBE THE PRISONER.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading I did not commit this crime.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading AN ATTEMPT TO BRIBE THE PRISONER.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
someone who leads a wandering unsettled life
From this reading “I have been a wanderer, and have eaten many a back-door hand-out, but I have never stolen nor murdered.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading I do not want your money.
in the company of; together with
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
but in spite of that
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You, my brother, are free, and have money to bribe me with, and yet you do not care enough for your own flesh and blood to look up the real murderer.
Chapter 13 of Spirits Do Return by Ida Belle White holds 189 sentences, grouped into 38 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 13 holds 189 sentences of Spirits Do Return, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of Spirits Do Return by Ida Belle White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 189 sentences, grouped into 38 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 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 38 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 13 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 Spirits Do Return by Ida Belle White on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3810 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #57302 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #57302, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 317 minutes of reading across 762 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Spirits Do Return section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of Spirits Do Return 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 Spirits Do Return, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
