Chapter 5 of The home-maker is here in full — 108 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of The home-maker is here in full — 108 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression. But it was not sallow. It was very white. He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements. Mrs. Prouty happened to stand there too.
Chapter 5 of The home-maker is here in full — 108 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/21 · 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.
plural of “achievement” — the action of accomplishing something
From this reading “He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.”
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading “That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.”
to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading “That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.”
possessive form of “mccarthy” — United States satirical novelist and literary critic (1912-1989)
(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance
From this reading “He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.”
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading “He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.”
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading “He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.”
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading “That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.”
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 “He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.”
In this reading “Mrs. Prouty happened to stand there too.”
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 He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
plural of “achievement” — the action of accomplishing something
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
anew
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it was not sallow.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
in a fixed manner
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading Mrs. Prouty happened to stand there too.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But it was not sallow.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
possessive form of “mccarthy” — United States satirical novelist and literary critic (1912-1989)
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Prouty happened to stand there too.
(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But it was not sallow.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Prouty happened to stand there too.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
unhealthy looking
From this reading But it was not sallow.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
be standing; be upright
From this reading Mrs. Prouty happened to stand there too.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
successive (without a break)
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Mrs. Prouty happened to stand there too.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Mrs. Prouty happened to stand there too.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Mrs. Prouty happened to stand there too.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
precisely as stated
From this reading It was very white.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading He walked straight before him for a step or two, stopped short and stared fixedly into the nearest show-window, one of Jim McCarthy’s achievements.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
at the time that
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
a Caucasian
From this reading It was very white.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading That afternoon when at half-past four he stepped out on the street again, his long lean face was quite without expression.
Chapter 5 of The home-maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher holds 108 sentences, grouped into 22 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 5 holds 108 sentences of The home-maker, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The home-maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 108 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 5 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 home-maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The home-maker section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The home-maker 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 home-maker, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
