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The foster-sisters
The foster-sisters

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The foster-sisters is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Chapter 2 of The foster-sisters by Lucy Ellen Guernsey holds 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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.

What does chapter 2 of The foster-sisters contain?

Chapter 2 holds 120 sentences of The foster-sisters, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The foster-sisters by Lucy Ellen Guernsey exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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.

How do I study chapter 2 of The foster-sisters?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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.

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The foster-sisters

Common questions about reading The foster-sisters by Lucy Ellen Guernsey on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The foster-sisters?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The foster-sisters is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The foster-sisters take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The foster-sisters section by section

How to work through The foster-sisters section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of The foster-sisters to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The foster-sisters

Words and structures a reader meets early in The foster-sisters, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The foster-sisters, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of The foster-sisters, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of The foster-sisters, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Cover illustration for The foster-sisters
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
EARLY RECOLLECTIONS.
I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.
My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.
My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.
Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The foster-sisters

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The foster-sisters is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
EARLY RECOLLECTIONS.
Line 2
I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.
Line 3
My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.
Line 4
My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.
Line 5
Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.

Learner Dictionary

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, audio, and collocations from this reading.

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.”

After preposition US /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.”

All words in this reading · 85

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

1728

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.

Amabel

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.

away

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.

babes

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

beautiful

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.

border

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

born

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.

bought

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.

child

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.

county

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

cousin

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

daughter

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

dearest

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

died

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

EARLY

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading EARLY RECOLLECTIONS.

easily

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

endure

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.

England

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.

estate

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

far

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

find

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.

first

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

forsook

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

friend

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

gentleman

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

give

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

hardly

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.

Julius

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.

Lady

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

Leighton

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

little

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

lived

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

love

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

loved

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.

married

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

mother

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

motherless

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

name

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

native

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

nearest

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

nearly

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.

Northumberland

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

only

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

out

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.

own

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

persuaded

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

place

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

RECOLLECTIONS

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading EARLY RECOLLECTIONS.

Scottish

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

sight

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.

Sir

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.

small

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

taken

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.

time

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

twins

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

vacant

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My mother had twins about the time that Lady Leighton died, and as only one of the babes lived, she was easily persuaded to give the vacant place to the little motherless Amabel, the daughter of her nearest and dearest friend.

WASauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading My mother was first cousin to Lady Leighton, and married a gentleman of her own name, who for love of her, forsook his native county and bought a small estate not far from the Scottish border in Northumberland.

wife

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.

year

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I WAS born in England about the year 1728 as nearly as I can find out.

young

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sir Julius loved his beautiful young wife, and after she was taken away, he could at first hardly endure the sight of her child.