Chapter 4 of Stories in Light and Shadow is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Stories in Light and Shadow is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Uncle Jim went back to the cards in silence. After a moment he rose again, and hung his overcoat against the door. “Wind's comin' in,” he said briefly. “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's. Makes a kind o' sundial, you know.
Chapter 4 of Stories in Light and Shadow is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 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.
for a short time
From this reading ““Wind's comin' in,” he said briefly.”
a game played with playing cards
From this reading “Uncle Jim went back to the cards in silence.”
in a cheerful manner
From this reading ““Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.”
become fractured; break or crack on the surface only
From this reading ““Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.”
a heavy coat worn over clothes in winter
From this reading “After a moment he rose again, and hung his overcoat against the door.”
timepiece that indicates the daylight hours by the shadow that the gnomon casts on a calibrated dial
From this reading “Makes a kind o' sundial, you know.”
the rays of the sun
From this reading ““Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.”
possessive form of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading ““Wind's comin' in,” he said briefly.”
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 After a moment he rose again, and hung his overcoat against the door.
later than; following
From this reading After a moment he rose again, and hung his overcoat against the door.
anew
From this reading After a moment he rose again, and hung his overcoat against the door.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading After a moment he rose again, and hung his overcoat against the door.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading After a moment he rose again, and hung his overcoat against the door.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Uncle Jim went back to the cards in silence.
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
for a short time
From this reading “Wind's comin' in,” he said briefly.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
a game played with playing cards
From this reading Uncle Jim went back to the cards in silence.
in a cheerful manner
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Wind's comin' in,” he said briefly.
become fractured; break or crack on the surface only
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading After a moment he rose again, and hung his overcoat against the door.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading After a moment he rose again, and hung his overcoat against the door.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading After a moment he rose again, and hung his overcoat against the door.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading After a moment he rose again, and hung his overcoat against the door.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Uncle Jim went back to the cards in silence.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Uncle Jim went back to the cards in silence.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading Makes a kind o' sundial, you know.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Makes a kind o' sundial, you know.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading Makes a kind o' sundial, you know.
a particular point in time
From this reading After a moment he rose again, and hung his overcoat against the door.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
a heavy coat worn over clothes in winter
From this reading After a moment he rose again, and hung his overcoat against the door.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading After a moment he rose again, and hung his overcoat against the door.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Wind's comin' in,” he said briefly.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Uncle Jim went back to the cards in silence.
timepiece that indicates the daylight hours by the shadow that the gnomon casts on a calibrated dial
From this reading Makes a kind o' sundial, you know.
the rays of the sun
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Uncle Jim went back to the cards in silence.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Uncle Jim went back to the cards in silence.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading Uncle Jim went back to the cards in silence.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Uncle Jim went back to the cards in silence.
possessive form of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading “Wind's comin' in,” he said briefly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
an affirmative
From this reading “Yes,” said Uncle Billy cheerfully, “but it wouldn't seem nat'ral if there wasn't that crack in the door to let the sunlight in o mornin's.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Makes a kind o' sundial, you know.
Chapter 4 of Stories in Light and Shadow by Bret Harte holds 175 sentences, grouped into 35 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 4 holds 175 sentences of Stories in Light and Shadow, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Stories in Light and Shadow by Bret Harte exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 175 sentences, grouped into 35 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 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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 4 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 Stories in Light and Shadow by Bret Harte on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3160 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2508 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2508, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 263 minutes of reading across 632 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Stories in Light and Shadow section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of Stories in Light and Shadow 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 Stories in Light and Shadow, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
