Chapter 22 of The Brightener is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXII
Chapter 22 of The Brightener is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on. "Ah, the lovely girl has begun to talk very fast now! I can hardly understand what she says, because she's half crying. It's to you she speaks, sir; I don't know your name! But, yes--it's _Robert_...
Chapter 22 of The Brightener is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/46 · 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.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “"Ah, the lovely girl has begun to talk very fast now!”
demanding attention
From this reading “I can hardly understand what she says, because she's half crying.”
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading “THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.”
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading “THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.”
appealing to the emotions as well as the eye
From this reading “"Ah, the lovely girl has begun to talk very fast now!”
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
third-person singular of “speak” — express in speech
From this reading “It's to you she speaks, sir; I don't know your name!”
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading “THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.”
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 “THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.”
In this reading “"Ah, the lovely girl has begun to talk very fast now!”
In this reading “THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.”
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 THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ah, the lovely girl has begun to talk very fast now!
for the reason that
From this reading I can hardly understand what she says, because she's half crying.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "Ah, the lovely girl has begun to talk very fast now!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But, yes--it's _Robert_...
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading I can hardly understand what she says, because she's half crying.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.
demanding attention
From this reading I can hardly understand what she says, because she's half crying.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It's to you she speaks, sir; I don't know your name!
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading "Ah, the lovely girl has begun to talk very fast now!
a young female
From this reading "Ah, the lovely girl has begun to talk very fast now!
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading I can hardly understand what she says, because she's half crying.
only a very short time before
From this reading I can hardly understand what she says, because she's half crying.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Ah, the lovely girl has begun to talk very fast now!
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I can hardly understand what she says, because she's half crying.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It's to you she speaks, sir; I don't know your name!
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading It's to you she speaks, sir; I don't know your name!
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.
appealing to the emotions as well as the eye
From this reading "Ah, the lovely girl has begun to talk very fast now!
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading It's to you she speaks, sir; I don't know your name!
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Ah, the lovely girl has begun to talk very fast now!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading But, yes--it's _Robert_...
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading I can hardly understand what she says, because she's half crying.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I can hardly understand what she says, because she's half crying.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I can hardly understand what she says, because she's half crying.
term of address for a man
From this reading It's to you she speaks, sir; I don't know your name!
third-person singular of “speak” — express in speech
From this reading It's to you she speaks, sir; I don't know your name!
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading "Ah, the lovely girl has begun to talk very fast now!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Ah, the lovely girl has begun to talk very fast now!
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading I can hardly understand what she says, because she's half crying.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.
precisely as stated
From this reading "Ah, the lovely girl has begun to talk very fast now!
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I can hardly understand what she says, because she's half crying.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading THE SPIRIT OF JUNE Before one of us could utter a word, the little woman hurried on.
an affirmative
From this reading But, yes--it's _Robert_...
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading It's to you she speaks, sir; I don't know your name!
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading It's to you she speaks, sir; I don't know your name!
Chapter 22 of The Brightener by A. M. (Alice Muriel) Williamson holds 231 sentences, grouped into 47 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 22 holds 231 sentences of The Brightener, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 22 of The Brightener by A. M. (Alice Muriel) Williamson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 231 sentences, grouped into 47 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 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 47 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 22 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 Brightener by A. M. (Alice Muriel) Williamson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6165 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32428 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32428, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 513 minutes of reading across 1233 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Brightener section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 37 chapters of The Brightener 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 Brightener, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
