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The Love Story of Abner Stone
The Love Story of Abner Stone

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Love Story of Abner Stone is here in full — 462 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Love Story of Abner Stone
Context Illustration Reading 1/92 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
UNIVERSITY PRESS .
JOHN WILSON AND SON .
CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A.
It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.
A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.
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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 Love Story of Abner Stone

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Love Story of Abner Stone is here in full — 462 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/92 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
UNIVERSITY PRESS .
/ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəti pres/
Line 2
JOHN WILSON AND SON .
/dʒɑːn ˈwɪlsən ənd sʌn/
Line 3
CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A.
/ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ juː es ə/
Line 4
It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.
Line 5
A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

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.

avowed adjective US /əˈvaʊd/

openly declared as such

From this reading “It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.”

brightened verb US /ˈbraɪtənd/

past form of “brighten” — make more cheerful through the use of color

From this reading “A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.”

cambridge noun US /ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ/

a university in England

From this reading “CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A.”

ink noun US /ɪŋk/

a liquid used for printing or writing or drawing

From this reading “It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.”

oils noun US /ɔɪlz/

plural of “oil” — a slippery or viscous liquid or liquefiable substance not miscible with water

From this reading “A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.”

seventieth noun US /ˈsevəntiɪθ/

position 70 in a countable series of things

From this reading “It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.”

shadowed adjective US /ˈʃædoʊd/

filled with shade

From this reading “A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.”

verging verb US /ˈvɜːrdʒɪŋ/

-ing form of “verge” — border on; come close to

From this reading “It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.”

All words in this reading · 82

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A.

Abner

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

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

abodenounUS /əˈboʊd/

any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading JOHN WILSON AND SON .

apartadverbUS /əˈpɑːrt/

separated or at a distance in place or position or time

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

avowedadjectiveUS /əˈvaʊd/

openly declared as such

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

blessedadjectiveUS /blest/

highly favored or fortunate (as e.g. by divine grace)

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

breastnounUS /brest/

the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

brightenedverbUS /ˈbraɪtənd/

past form of “brighten” — make more cheerful through the use of color

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

CAMBRIDGEnounUS /ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ/

a university in England

From this reading CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A.

distinctnessnoun

the quality of being sharp and clear

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

fastadverbUS /fæst/

quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

foreveradverbUS /fərˈevər/

for a limitless time

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

inknounUS /ɪŋk/

a liquid used for printing or writing or drawing

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

JOHNnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading JOHN WILSON AND SON .

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

lockedverbUS /lɑːkt/

past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

memorynounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

oilsnounUS /ɔɪlz/

plural of “oil” — a slippery or viscous liquid or liquefiable substance not miscible with water

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

pennounUS /pen/

a writing implement with a point from which ink flows

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

picturenounUS /ˈpɪktʃər/

a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

PRESSverbUS /pres/

exert pressure or force to or upon

From this reading UNIVERSITY PRESS .

purposenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəs/

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

SnounUS /es/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A.

sacredadjectiveUS /ˈseɪkrəd/

concerned with religion or religious purposes

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

seemsverbUS /siːmz/

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

settingnounUS /ˈsetɪŋ/

the context and environment in which something is set

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

seventiethnounUS /ˈsevəntiɪθ/

position 70 in a countable series of things

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

shadowedadjectiveUS /ˈʃædoʊd/

filled with shade

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

slopenounUS /sloʊp/

an elevated geological formation

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

SONnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading JOHN WILSON AND SON .

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

StonenounUS /stoʊn/

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

thusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

UnounUS /juː/

a base containing nitrogen that is found in RNA (but not in DNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A.

unfadingadjective

of an imaginary flower that never fades

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

UNIVERSITYnounUS /ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəti/

the body of faculty and students at a university

From this reading UNIVERSITY PRESS .

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

vergingverbUS /ˈvɜːrdʒɪŋ/

-ing form of “verge” — border on; come close to

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

WILSONnounUS /ˈwɪlsən/

author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)

From this reading JOHN WILSON AND SON .

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading It seems a little strange that I, Abner Stone, now verging upon my seventieth year, should bring pen, ink, and paper before me, with the avowed purpose of setting down the love story of my life, which I had thought locked fast in my heart forever.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading A thing very sacred to me; of the world, it is true, yet still apart from it, the blessed memory of it all has abode in my breast with the unfading distinctness of an old picture done in oils, and has brightened the years I have thus far lived on the shadowed slope of life.

Chapter 1 of The Love Story of Abner Stone by Edwin Carlile Litsey holds 462 sentences, grouped into 93 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 1 of The Love Story of Abner Stone contain?

Chapter 1 holds 462 sentences of The Love Story of Abner Stone, unabridged, divided into 93 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Love Story of Abner Stone by Edwin Carlile Litsey exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 462 sentences, grouped into 93 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 1 of The Love Story of Abner Stone?

Work through the 93 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 93 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Love Story of Abner Stone

Common questions about reading The Love Story of Abner Stone by Edwin Carlile Litsey on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Love Story of Abner Stone?

Yes. All 1382 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28383 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Love Story of Abner Stone is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #28383, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Love Story of Abner Stone take to read?

About 115 minutes of reading across 277 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Love Story of Abner Stone section by section

How to work through The Love Story of Abner Stone section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Love Story of Abner Stone 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 Love Story of Abner Stone

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Love Story of Abner Stone, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

University
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Love Story of Abner Stone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Press
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Love Story of Abner Stone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wilson
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Love Story of Abner Stone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cambridge
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Love Story of Abner Stone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.