Chapter 2 of The Love Affairs of an Old Maid is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Love Affairs of an Old Maid is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth. I couldn't love a man I pitied. I could love one I was proud of, or afraid of, but one I pitied? Never. It is more true to say it of men.
Chapter 2 of The Love Affairs of an Old Maid is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading “I could love one I was proud of, or afraid of, but one I pitied?”
have
From this reading “"Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.”
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading “"Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.”
an announcement containing information about an event
From this reading “"Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.”
inflected form of “pity” — share the suffering of
From this reading “I couldn't love a man I pitied.”
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading “I could love one I was proud of, or afraid of, but one I pitied?”
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading “"Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.”
a fact that has been verified
From this reading “"Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.”
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 I couldn't love a man I pitied.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading I could love one I was proud of, or afraid of, but one I pitied?
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
have
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I could love one I was proud of, or afraid of, but one I pitied?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I couldn't love a man I pitied.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is more true to say it of men.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is more true to say it of men.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading I couldn't love a man I pitied.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I couldn't love a man I pitied.
the force of workers available
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading It is more true to say it of men.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Never.
an announcement containing information about an event
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I could love one I was proud of, or afraid of, but one I pitied?
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading I could love one I was proud of, or afraid of, but one I pitied?
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
inflected form of “pity” — share the suffering of
From this reading I couldn't love a man I pitied.
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading I could love one I was proud of, or afraid of, but one I pitied?
express in words
From this reading It is more true to say it of men.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It is more true to say it of men.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading It is more true to say it of men.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I could love one I was proud of, or afraid of, but one I pitied?
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading "Men are fond of saying that, I notice, but I don't think we women bear out the truth.
Chapter 2 of The Love Affairs of an Old Maid by Lilian Bell holds 443 sentences, grouped into 89 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 443 sentences of The Love Affairs of an Old Maid, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Love Affairs of an Old Maid by Lilian Bell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 443 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 Love Affairs of an Old Maid by Lilian Bell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2223 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22047 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #22047, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 185 minutes of reading across 445 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Love Affairs of an Old Maid section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Love Affairs of an Old Maid 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 Love Affairs of an Old Maid, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
