Chapter 17 of The Call of the Town: A Tale of Literary Life is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of The Call of the Town: A Tale of Literary Life is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?" Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays. "But well in Laysford may be ill in London," he replied. "That's just it. Why not be content, and don't play the dog with the bone?"
Chapter 17 of The Call of the Town: A Tale of Literary Life is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 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.
English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)
From this reading “Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays.”
rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates
From this reading “Why not be content, and don't play the dog with the bone?"”
(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something
From this reading “Why not be content, and don't play the dog with the bone?"”
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading “"But well in Laysford may be ill in London," he replied.”
plural of “lay” — a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
From this reading “Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays.”
-ing form of “stroll” — walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
From this reading “Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays.”
first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians
From this reading “Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays.”
a person loved by another person
From this reading “Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays.”
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.
keep in mind for attention or consideration
In this reading “THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"”
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 WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Why not be content, and don't play the dog with the bone?"
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays.
English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)
From this reading Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "But well in Laysford may be ill in London," he replied.
rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates
From this reading Why not be content, and don't play the dog with the bone?"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But well in Laysford may be ill in London," he replied.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays.
(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something
From this reading Why not be content, and don't play the dog with the bone?"
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading Why not be content, and don't play the dog with the bone?"
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why not be content, and don't play the dog with the bone?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "But well in Laysford may be ill in London," he replied.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading "But well in Laysford may be ill in London," he replied.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "That's just it.
and nothing more
From this reading "That's just it.
plural of “lay” — a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
From this reading Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "But well in Laysford may be ill in London," he replied.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Why not be content, and don't play the dog with the bone?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays.
participate in games or sport
From this reading Why not be content, and don't play the dog with the bone?"
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "But well in Laysford may be ill in London," he replied.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
-ing form of “stroll” — walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
From this reading Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays.
first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians
From this reading Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays.
a person loved by another person
From this reading Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's just it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
used to ask for information about something
From this reading THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
at the time that
From this reading THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why not be content, and don't play the dog with the bone?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Flo Winton asked her sweetheart, strolling one Sunday by the banks of the Lays.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Why not be content, and don't play the dog with the bone?"
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE WAY OF A WOMAN "WHAT makes you think of London, when you're doing so well in Laysford?"
Chapter 17 of The Call of the Town: A Tale of Literary Life by J. A. (John Alexander) Hammerton holds 134 sentences, grouped into 27 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 17 holds 134 sentences of The Call of the Town: A Tale of Literary Life, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of The Call of the Town: A Tale of Literary Life by J. A. (John Alexander) Hammerton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 134 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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 17 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 Call of the Town: A Tale of Literary Life by J. A. (John Alexander) Hammerton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2638 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33763 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33763, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 219 minutes of reading across 528 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Call of the Town: A Tale of Literary Life section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Call of the Town: A Tale of Literary Life 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 Call of the Town: A Tale of Literary Life, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
