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The Homesteaders
The Homesteaders

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Homesteaders is here in full — 301 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Homesteaders
Context Illustration Reading 1/60 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.
"Your mother knows," she said.
"They are both in the room with Allan."
Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.
For distraction she plunged into the task of preparing breakfast.
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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 Homesteaders

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Homesteaders is here in full — 301 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/60 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.
Line 2
"Your mother knows," she said.
/jɔːr ˈmʌðər noʊz ʃiː sed/
Line 3
"They are both in the room with Allan."
Line 4
Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.
/hɜːr fɜːrst ˈɪmpəls wɑːz tuː rʌʃ ɪn ənd kəmˈpliːt ðə ˈfæməli ˈsɜːrkəl bʌt sʌm faɪn sens riˈstreɪnd hɜːr/
Line 5
For distraction she plunged into the task of preparing breakfast.
/fɔːr dɪˈstrækʃən ʃiː plʌndʒd ˈɪntuː ðə tæsk ʌv priˈperɪŋ ˈbrekfəst/

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, and audio.

Arthurs noun US /ˈɑːrθərz/

plural of “arthur” — elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

From this reading “PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.”

distraction noun US /dɪˈstrækʃən/

mental turmoil

From this reading “For distraction she plunged into the task of preparing breakfast.”

impulse noun US /ˈɪmpəls/

an instinctive motive

From this reading “Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.”

plunged verb US /plʌndʒd/

past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into

From this reading “For distraction she plunged into the task of preparing breakfast.”

preparing verb US /priˈperɪŋ/

-ing form of “prepare” — make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc

From this reading “For distraction she plunged into the task of preparing breakfast.”

prisoners noun US /ˈprɪzənərz/

plural of “prisoner” — a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading “PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.”

restrained adjective US /riˈstreɪnd/

cool and formal in manner

From this reading “Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.”

rush verb US /rʌʃ/

move hurridly

From this reading “Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.”

All words in this reading · 48

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.

Allan

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

From this reading "They are both in the room with Allan."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading "They are both in the room with Allan."

ArthursnounUS /ˈɑːrθərz/

plural of “arthur” — elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

Beulah

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

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading "They are both in the room with Allan."

breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading For distraction she plunged into the task of preparing breakfast.

brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

circlenounUS /ˈsɜːrkəl/

ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point

From this reading Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.

completeverbUS /kəmˈpliːt/

come or bring to a finish or an end

From this reading Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.

distractionnounUS /dɪˈstrækʃən/

mental turmoil

From this reading For distraction she plunged into the task of preparing breakfast.

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.

FATEnounUS /feɪt/

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For distraction she plunged into the task of preparing breakfast.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

impulsenounUS /ˈɪmpəls/

an instinctive motive

From this reading Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "They are both in the room with Allan."

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading For distraction she plunged into the task of preparing breakfast.

knowsnounUS /noʊz/

plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people

From this reading "Your mother knows," she said.

ministernounUS /ˈmɪnəstər/

a person authorized to conduct religious worship

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading "Your mother knows," she said.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

plungedverbUS /plʌndʒd/

past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into

From this reading For distraction she plunged into the task of preparing breakfast.

preparingverbUS /priˈperɪŋ/

-ing form of “prepare” — make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc

From this reading For distraction she plunged into the task of preparing breakfast.

PRISONERSnounUS /ˈprɪzənərz/

plural of “prisoner” — a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

restrainedadjectiveUS /riˈstreɪnd/

cool and formal in manner

From this reading Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading "They are both in the room with Allan."

rushverbUS /rʌʃ/

move hurridly

From this reading Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Your mother knows," she said.

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

From this reading Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading "Your mother knows," she said.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.

stairsnounUS /sterz/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

stoppedadjectiveUS /stɑːpt/

(of a nose) blocked

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

tasknounUS /tæsk/

any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

From this reading For distraction she plunged into the task of preparing breakfast.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "They are both in the room with Allan."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading PRISONERS OF FATE Beulah returned to the house to minister to her brother, but Mrs. Arthurs stopped her on the stairs.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Her first impulse was to rush in and complete the family circle, but some fine sense restrained her.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "They are both in the room with Allan."

YourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Your mother knows," she said.

Chapter 20 of The Homesteaders by Robert J. C. Stead holds 301 sentences, grouped into 61 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 20 of The Homesteaders contain?

Chapter 20 holds 301 sentences of The Homesteaders, unabridged, divided into 61 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Homesteaders by Robert J. C. Stead exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 301 sentences, grouped into 61 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 20 of The Homesteaders?

Work through the 61 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 61 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 Homesteaders

Common questions about reading The Homesteaders by Robert J. C. Stead on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Homesteaders?

Yes. All 4431 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28579 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Homesteaders is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #28579, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Homesteaders take to read?

About 369 minutes of reading across 887 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Homesteaders section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of The Homesteaders 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 Homesteaders

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

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Homesteaders; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kitchener
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Homesteaders; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Other
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Homesteaders; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Poems
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Homesteaders; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.