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The House Behind the Cedars
The House Behind the Cedars

Chapter XIX · Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of The House Behind the Cedars is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.
"No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.
She use' ter stop at Mis' Wain's, but she's stayin' wid Elder Johnson now.
She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.
I's be'n home wid 'er twice, ann it'll be my tu'n ag'in befo' long."
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The House Behind the Cedars

Chapter XIX · Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of The House Behind the Cedars is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.
Line 2
"No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.
Line 3
She use' ter stop at Mis' Wain's, but she's stayin' wid Elder Johnson now.
Line 4
She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.
Line 5
I's be'n home wid 'er twice, ann it'll be my tu'n ag'in befo' long."

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.

appreciative adjective US /əˈpriːʃieɪtɪv/

feeling or expressive of gratitude

From this reading “She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.”

I's noun US /aɪz/

possessive form of “i” — a nonmetallic element belonging to the halogens; used especially in medicine and photography and in dyes; occurs naturally only in combination in small quantities (as in sea water or rocks)

From this reading “I's be'n home wid 'er twice, ann it'll be my tu'n ag'in befo' long."”

Johnson noun US /ˈdʒɑːnsən/

English writer and lexicographer (1709-1784)

From this reading “"No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.”

listener noun US /ˈlɪsənər/

someone who listens attentively

From this reading “She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.”

Mars noun US /mɑːrz/

a small reddish planet that is the 4th from the sun and is periodically visible to the naked eye; minerals rich in iron cover its surface and are responsible for its characteristic color

From this reading “She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.”

Mis noun US /mɪs/

plural of “mi” — destruction of heart tissue resulting from obstruction of the blood supply to the heart muscle

From this reading “"No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.”

Plato noun US /ˈpleɪtoʊ/

ancient Athenian philosopher; pupil of Socrates; teacher of Aristotle (428-347 BC)

From this reading “"Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.”

Wain noun US /weɪn/

English writer (1925-1994)

From this reading “"Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.”

All words in this reading · 66

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.

ag'in

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

From this reading I's be'n home wid 'er twice, ann it'll be my tu'n ag'in befo' long."

alluz

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

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.

ann

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

From this reading I's be'n home wid 'er twice, ann it'll be my tu'n ag'in befo' long."

anudder

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

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

anywhereadverbUS /ˈeniwer/

at or in or to any place

From this reading "Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.

appreciativeadjectiveUS /əˈpriːʃieɪtɪv/

feeling or expressive of gratitude

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading She use' ter stop at Mis' Wain's, but she's stayin' wid Elder Johnson now.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading I's be'n home wid 'er twice, ann it'll be my tu'n ag'in befo' long."

be'n

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

From this reading I's be'n home wid 'er twice, ann it'll be my tu'n ag'in befo' long."

befo

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

From this reading I's be'n home wid 'er twice, ann it'll be my tu'n ag'in befo' long."

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading She use' ter stop at Mis' Wain's, but she's stayin' wid Elder Johnson now.

child'en

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

From this reading "No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.

churchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading "Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.

denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading "No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.

Doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.

donnounUS /dɑːn/

a Spanish gentleman or nobleman

From this reading "No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.

EldernounUS /ˈeldər/

a person who is older than you are

From this reading "No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.

else

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

From this reading "Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.

ernounUS /ər/

a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs with yttrium

From this reading "No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.

excep'n

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

From this reading "No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.

f'm

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

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

Geo'ge

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

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

I'snounUS /aɪz/

possessive form of “i” — a nonmetallic element belonging to the halogens; used especially in medicine and photography and in dyes; occurs naturally only in combination in small quantities (as in sea water or rocks)

From this reading I's be'n home wid 'er twice, ann it'll be my tu'n ag'in befo' long."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

it'll

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

From this reading I's be'n home wid 'er twice, ann it'll be my tu'n ag'in befo' long."

Jeff

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

From this reading "Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.

JohnsonnounUS /ˈdʒɑːnsən/

English writer and lexicographer (1709-1784)

From this reading "No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.

listenernounUS /ˈlɪsənər/

someone who listens attentively

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

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 I's be'n home wid 'er twice, ann it'll be my tu'n ag'in befo' long."

makesnounUS /meɪks/

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

MarsnounUS /mɑːrz/

a small reddish planet that is the 4th from the sun and is periodically visible to the naked eye; minerals rich in iron cover its surface and are responsible for its characteristic color

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

MisnounUS /mɪs/

plural of “mi” — destruction of heart tissue resulting from obstruction of the blood supply to the heart muscle

From this reading "No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I's be'n home wid 'er twice, ann it'll be my tu'n ag'in befo' long."

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.

nobodypronounUS /ˈnoʊbɑːdiː/

no person; not anyone

From this reading "No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading She use' ter stop at Mis' Wain's, but she's stayin' wid Elder Johnson now.

nowhar

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

From this reading "No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.

ole

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

From this reading "No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.

PlatonounUS /ˈpleɪtoʊ/

ancient Athenian philosopher; pupil of Socrates; teacher of Aristotle (428-347 BC)

From this reading "Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.

proudadjectiveUS /praʊd/

feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

schoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading "Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.

she's

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

From this reading She use' ter stop at Mis' Wain's, but she's stayin' wid Elder Johnson now.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

sometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading She alluz makes some er de child'en go home wid er f'm school," said Plato, proud to find in Mars Geo'ge an appreciative listener,--"sometimes one an' sometimes anudder.

stayin

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

From this reading She use' ter stop at Mis' Wain's, but she's stayin' wid Elder Johnson now.

stopverbUS /stɑːp/

come to a halt, stop moving

From this reading She use' ter stop at Mis' Wain's, but she's stayin' wid Elder Johnson now.

suh

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

From this reading "No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.

ter

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

From this reading She use' ter stop at Mis' Wain's, but she's stayin' wid Elder Johnson now.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.

Tryon

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

From this reading "Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.

tu'n

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

From this reading I's be'n home wid 'er twice, ann it'll be my tu'n ag'in befo' long."

twiceadverbUS /twaɪs/

two times

From this reading I's be'n home wid 'er twice, ann it'll be my tu'n ag'in befo' long."

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading She use' ter stop at Mis' Wain's, but she's stayin' wid Elder Johnson now.

WainnounUS /weɪn/

English writer (1925-1994)

From this reading "Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.

Wain's

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

From this reading She use' ter stop at Mis' Wain's, but she's stayin' wid Elder Johnson now.

wid

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

From this reading "No, suh, she don' go nowhar wid nobody excep'n' ole Elder Johnson er Mis' Johnson, an' de child'en.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "Does she go to church or anywhere else with Jeff Wain, Plato?" asked Tryon.

Chapter 19 of The House Behind the Cedars by Charles W. (Charles Waddell) Chesnutt holds 160 sentences, grouped into 32 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 19 of The House Behind the Cedars contain?

Chapter 19 holds 160 sentences of The House Behind the Cedars, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of The House Behind the Cedars by Charles W. (Charles Waddell) Chesnutt exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 160 sentences, grouped into 32 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 19 of The House Behind the Cedars?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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 House Behind the Cedars

Common questions about reading The House Behind the Cedars by Charles W. (Charles Waddell) Chesnutt on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The House Behind the Cedars?

Yes. All 3362 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #472 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The House Behind the Cedars is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #472, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The House Behind the Cedars take to read?

About 280 minutes of reading across 673 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The House Behind the Cedars section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of The House Behind the Cedars 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 House Behind the Cedars

Words and structures a reader meets early in The House Behind the Cedars, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Touches
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House Behind the Cedars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Things
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House Behind the Cedars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Destroying
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House Behind the Cedars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bestow
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House Behind the Cedars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.