Chapter 34 of The Helpmate is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXIV
Chapter 34 of The Helpmate is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Anne was not expected home before the middle of November. She wrote to her husband, fixing Saturday for the day of her return. Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening. Nanna had evidently been waiting for the sound of his latchkey. She hurried to intercept him.
Chapter 34 of The Helpmate is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
the act of putting something in working order again
From this reading “She wrote to her husband, fixing Saturday for the day of her return.”
the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day
From this reading “Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.”
seize on its way
From this reading “She hurried to intercept him.”
key for raising or drawing back a latch or opening an outside door
From this reading “Nanna had evidently been waiting for the sound of his latchkey.”
cases used to carry belongings when traveling
From this reading “Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.”
the mother of your father or mother
From this reading “Nanna had evidently been waiting for the sound of his latchkey.”
the month following October and preceding December
From this reading “Anne was not expected home before the middle of November.”
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading “She wrote to her husband, fixing Saturday for the day of her return.”
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.
Queen of England and Scotland and Ireland; daughter if James II and the last of the Stuart monarchs; in 1707 she was the last English ruler to exercise the royal veto over parliament (1665-1714)
From this reading Anne was not expected home before the middle of November.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Nanna had evidently been waiting for the sound of his latchkey.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Anne was not expected home before the middle of November.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading She wrote to her husband, fixing Saturday for the day of her return.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading Nanna had evidently been waiting for the sound of his latchkey.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading Anne was not expected home before the middle of November.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
the act of putting something in working order again
From this reading She wrote to her husband, fixing Saturday for the day of her return.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She wrote to her husband, fixing Saturday for the day of her return.
the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Nanna had evidently been waiting for the sound of his latchkey.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She wrote to her husband, fixing Saturday for the day of her return.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She hurried to intercept him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Nanna had evidently been waiting for the sound of his latchkey.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Anne was not expected home before the middle of November.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading She hurried to intercept him.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading She wrote to her husband, fixing Saturday for the day of her return.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
seize on its way
From this reading She hurried to intercept him.
key for raising or drawing back a latch or opening an outside door
From this reading Nanna had evidently been waiting for the sound of his latchkey.
cases used to carry belongings when traveling
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading Anne was not expected home before the middle of November.
the mother of your father or mother
From this reading Nanna had evidently been waiting for the sound of his latchkey.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Anne was not expected home before the middle of November.
the month following October and preceding December
From this reading Anne was not expected home before the middle of November.
according to the clock
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Anne was not expected home before the middle of November.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading She wrote to her husband, fixing Saturday for the day of her return.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading She wrote to her husband, fixing Saturday for the day of her return.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She wrote to her husband, fixing Saturday for the day of her return.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Nanna had evidently been waiting for the sound of his latchkey.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Anne was not expected home before the middle of November.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She wrote to her husband, fixing Saturday for the day of her return.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading Nanna had evidently been waiting for the sound of his latchkey.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Anne was not expected home before the middle of November.
at the time that
From this reading Majendie, therefore, was surprised to find her luggage in the hall when he entered the house at six o'clock on Friday evening.
inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work
From this reading She wrote to her husband, fixing Saturday for the day of her return.
Chapter 34 of The Helpmate by May Sinclair holds 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 34 holds 406 sentences of The Helpmate, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 34 of The Helpmate by May Sinclair exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 34 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 Helpmate by May Sinclair on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9581 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17867 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #17867, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1917 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Helpmate section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of The Helpmate 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 Helpmate, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
