Chapter 2 of The Alchemist's Secret is here in full — 479 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Alchemist's Secret is here in full — 479 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Poor mother! Still up and still at work. I wish she would not work so hard; there is no need for it now." Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within. By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.
Chapter 2 of The Alchemist's Secret is here in full — 479 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/95 · 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 relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading “By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.”
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading “By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.”
moving swiftly
From this reading “By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.”
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading “Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within.”
the leaf of a conifer
From this reading “By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.”
inflected form of “ply” — give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance
From this reading “By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.”
the act of physically reaching or thrusting out
From this reading “Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within.”
joining or attaching by stitches
From this reading “By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.”
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 Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Still up and still at work.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Still up and still at work.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.
moving swiftly
From this reading By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I wish she would not work so hard; there is no need for it now."
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading I wish she would not work so hard; there is no need for it now."
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I wish she would not work so hard; there is no need for it now."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I wish she would not work so hard; there is no need for it now."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I wish she would not work so hard; there is no need for it now."
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within.
a particular point in time
From this reading Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading "Poor mother!
a condition requiring relief
From this reading I wish she would not work so hard; there is no need for it now."
the leaf of a conifer
From this reading By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.
not any; not one
From this reading I wish she would not work so hard; there is no need for it now."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I wish she would not work so hard; there is no need for it now."
a brief written record
From this reading Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading I wish she would not work so hard; there is no need for it now."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.
above and across; more than
From this reading By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.
inflected form of “ply” — give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance
From this reading By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading "Poor mother!
the act of physically reaching or thrusting out
From this reading Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within.
joining or attaching by stitches
From this reading By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I wish she would not work so hard; there is no need for it now."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I wish she would not work so hard; there is no need for it now."
not in physical motion
From this reading Still up and still at work.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading By the table her mother sat sewing, her head bent over her work and fingers flying as she plied the needle in and out.
carry out
From this reading Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within.
in or at that place or location
From this reading I wish she would not work so hard; there is no need for it now."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Still up and still at work.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading I wish she would not work so hard; there is no need for it now."
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading Reaching the kitchen window, she stood for a moment to take note of the little scene within.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Still up and still at work.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I wish she would not work so hard; there is no need for it now."
Chapter 2 of The Alchemist's Secret by Isabel Cecilia Williams holds 479 sentences, grouped into 96 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 479 sentences of The Alchemist's Secret, unabridged, divided into 96 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Alchemist's Secret by Isabel Cecilia Williams exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 479 sentences, grouped into 96 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 96 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 96 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 The Alchemist's Secret by Isabel Cecilia Williams on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1906 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19224 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #19224, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 158 minutes of reading across 382 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Alchemist's Secret section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of The Alchemist's Secret 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 The Alchemist's Secret, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
