Chapter 2 of The Long Journey is here in full — 469 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Long Journey is here in full — 469 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I have not been away. Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners. Here we have been since May, ever encouraged, ever deluded. Here idleness and evil customs are corrupting our youth. Here we are dying."
Chapter 2 of The Long Journey is here in full — 469 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/93 · 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.
seducing into corrupt practices
From this reading “Here idleness and evil customs are corrupting our youth.”
money collected under a tariff
From this reading “Here idleness and evil customs are corrupting our youth.”
past form of “delude” — be false to; be dishonest with
From this reading “Here we have been since May, ever encouraged, ever deluded.”
inspired with confidence
From this reading “Here we have been since May, ever encouraged, ever deluded.”
not in action or at work
From this reading “Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.”
having no employment
From this reading “Here idleness and evil customs are corrupting our youth.”
plural of “pensioner” — the beneficiary of a pension fund
From this reading “Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.”
past form of “wave” — signal with the hands or nod
From this reading “Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.”
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.
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 Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Here idleness and evil customs are corrupting our youth.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Here idleness and evil customs are corrupting our youth.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "I have not been away.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "I have not been away.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.
seducing into corrupt practices
From this reading Here idleness and evil customs are corrupting our youth.
money collected under a tariff
From this reading Here idleness and evil customs are corrupting our youth.
past form of “delude” — be false to; be dishonest with
From this reading Here we have been since May, ever encouraged, ever deluded.
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading Here we are dying."
inspired with confidence
From this reading Here we have been since May, ever encouraged, ever deluded.
at any time
From this reading Here we have been since May, ever encouraged, ever deluded.
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading Here idleness and evil customs are corrupting our youth.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I have not been away.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I have not been away.
not in action or at work
From this reading Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.
having no employment
From this reading Here idleness and evil customs are corrupting our youth.
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading Here we have been since May, ever encouraged, ever deluded.
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I have not been away.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Here idleness and evil customs are corrupting our youth.
above and across; more than
From this reading Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.
plural of “pensioner” — the beneficiary of a pension fund
From this reading Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Here we have been since May, ever encouraged, ever deluded.
past form of “wave” — signal with the hands or nod
From this reading Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Here"--he waved his hand with a wide motion over Blackheath--"here we lie, idle pensioners.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading Here idleness and evil customs are corrupting our youth.
Chapter 2 of The Long Journey by Elsie Singmaster holds 469 sentences, grouped into 94 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 2 holds 469 sentences of The Long Journey, unabridged, divided into 94 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Long Journey by Elsie Singmaster exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 469 sentences, grouped into 94 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 94 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 94 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 2 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 Long Journey by Elsie Singmaster on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2302 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50470 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #50470, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 191 minutes of reading across 461 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Long Journey section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Long Journey 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 Long Journey, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
