Chapter 28 of The Later Life is here in full — 261 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter 28 of The Later Life is here in full — 261 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning. "Am I late for dinner?" asked Van der Welcke. He was tired and hot; his clothes were sticking to him. "Mamma has a head-ache," said Addie. "Go and change your things first: dinner can wait."
Chapter 28 of The Later Life is here in full — 261 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/52 · 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.
a wheeled vehicle that has two wheels and is moved by foot pedals
From this reading “Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.”
on a floor below
From this reading “Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.”
past form of “help” — give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading “Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.”
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading “Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.”
informal terms for a mother
From this reading “"Mamma has a head-ache," said Addie.”
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading “Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.”
extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary
From this reading “He was tired and hot; his clothes were sticking to him.”
any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
From this reading “"Am I late for dinner?" asked Van der Welcke.”
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 “Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.”
In this reading “"Am I late for dinner?" asked Van der Welcke.”
In this reading “Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.”
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 "Mamma has a head-ache," said Addie.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "Am I late for dinner?" asked Van der Welcke.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was tired and hot; his clothes were sticking to him.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Am I late for dinner?" asked Van der Welcke.
a wheeled vehicle that has two wheels and is moved by foot pedals
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Go and change your things first: dinner can wait."
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading "Go and change your things first: dinner can wait."
clothing in general
From this reading He was tired and hot; his clothes were sticking to him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Am I late for dinner?" asked Van der Welcke.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading "Am I late for dinner?" asked Van der Welcke.
on a floor below
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading "Go and change your things first: dinner can wait."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Go and change your things first: dinner can wait."
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Mamma has a head-ache," said Addie.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was tired and hot; his clothes were sticking to him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Mamma has a head-ache," said Addie.
past form of “help” — give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading He was tired and hot; his clothes were sticking to him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Am I late for dinner?" asked Van der Welcke.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading "Am I late for dinner?" asked Van der Welcke.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
informal terms for a mother
From this reading "Mamma has a head-ache," said Addie.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Mamma has a head-ache," said Addie.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary
From this reading He was tired and hot; his clothes were sticking to him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading "Go and change your things first: dinner can wait."
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading He was tired and hot; his clothes were sticking to him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
From this reading "Am I late for dinner?" asked Van der Welcke.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading "Go and change your things first: dinner can wait."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was tired and hot; his clothes were sticking to him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Am I late for dinner?" asked Van der Welcke.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He was tired and hot; his clothes were sticking to him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Addie, downstairs, helped his father with the bicycle, took it for him to the little room by the kitchen, promised Papa to see to it for him in the morning.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Go and change your things first: dinner can wait."
Chapter 28 of The Later Life by Louis Couperus holds 261 sentences, grouped into 53 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 28 holds 261 sentences of The Later Life, unabridged, divided into 53 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 28 of The Later Life by Louis Couperus exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 261 sentences, grouped into 53 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 53 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 53 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 28 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 Later Life by Louis Couperus on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5253 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37578 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #37578, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 437 minutes of reading across 1051 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Later Life section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 31 chapters of The Later Life 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 Later Life, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
