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The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on
The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on is here in full — 279 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mary Cholmondeley • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on
Context Illustration Reading 1/55 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."
MARGARET L. WOODS.
When first I knew Aunt Emmy I suppose she was about twenty-eight.
I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.
She was not my real aunt, but her father was my great-uncle, and I always called her Aunt Emmy.
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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 Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on is here in full — 279 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/55 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."
Line 2
MARGARET L. WOODS.
Line 3
When first I knew Aunt Emmy I suppose she was about twenty-eight.
Line 4
I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.
Line 5
She was not my real aunt, but her father was my great-uncle, and I always called her Aunt Emmy.

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.

agreeable adjective US /əˈɡriːəbəl/

conforming to your own liking or feelings or nature

From this reading “I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
awake adjective US /əˈweɪk/

not in a state of sleep; completely conscious

From this reading “When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Deeply adverb US /ˈdiːpli/

to a great depth psychologically or emotionally

From this reading “When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Emmy noun US /ˈemi/

an annual award by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for outstanding achievements in television

From this reading “When first I knew Aunt Emmy I suppose she was about twenty-eight.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
infinitely adverb US /ˈɪnfənətli/

without bounds

From this reading “I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sighing verb US /ˈsaɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “sigh” — heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily

From this reading “When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
weep verb US /wiːp/

shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain

From this reading “When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
world's noun US /wɜːrldz/

possessive form of “world” — everything that exists anywhere

From this reading “When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 56

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading When first I knew Aunt Emmy I suppose she was about twenty-eight.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
agreeableadjectiveUS /əˈɡriːəbəl/

conforming to your own liking or feelings or nature

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading She was not my real aunt, but her father was my great-uncle, and I always called her Aunt Emmy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asleepadjectiveUS /əˈsliːp/

in a state of sleep

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
AuntnounUS /ænt/

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading When first I knew Aunt Emmy I suppose she was about twenty-eight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/

not in a state of sleep; completely conscious

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beloved's

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

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

Pending verification
breakverbUS /breɪk/

terminate

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading She was not my real aunt, but her father was my great-uncle, and I always called her Aunt Emmy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ComeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DeeplyadverbUS /ˈdiːpli/

to a great depth psychologically or emotionally

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EmmynounUS /ˈemi/

an annual award by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for outstanding achievements in television

From this reading When first I knew Aunt Emmy I suppose she was about twenty-eight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading When first I knew Aunt Emmy I suppose she was about twenty-eight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
great-unclenoun

an uncle of your father or mother

From this reading She was not my real aunt, but her father was my great-uncle, and I always called her Aunt Emmy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
infinitelyadverbUS /ˈɪnfənətli/

without bounds

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading When first I knew Aunt Emmy I suppose she was about twenty-eight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LnounUS /el/

a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)

From this reading MARGARET L. WOODS.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LeadverbUS /led/

take somebody somewhere

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
livedverbUS /lɪvd/

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

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MARGARET

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

From this reading MARGARET L. WOODS.

Pending verification
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading She was not my real aunt, but her father was my great-uncle, and I always called her Aunt Emmy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OnounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

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

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pleasanter

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

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

Pending verification
realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading She was not my real aunt, but her father was my great-uncle, and I always called her Aunt Emmy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading When first I knew Aunt Emmy I suppose she was about twenty-eight.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
sighingverbUS /ˈsaɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “sigh” — heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
supposeverbUS /səˈpoʊz/

express a supposition

From this reading When first I knew Aunt Emmy I suppose she was about twenty-eight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
twenty-eightnoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of twenty-seven and one

From this reading When first I knew Aunt Emmy I suppose she was about twenty-eight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading When first I knew Aunt Emmy I suppose she was about twenty-eight.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
weepverbUS /wiːp/

shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I was ten, and I thought her old, but still an agreeable companion, infinitely pleasanter than her father and her brother, with whom she lived.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WOODSnounUS /wʊdz/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading MARGARET L. WOODS.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
world'snounUS /wɜːrldz/

possessive form of “world” — everything that exists anywhere

From this reading When the world's asleep, I awake and weep, Deeply sighing, say, "Come, O break of day, Lead my feet in my beloved's way."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 2 of The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on by Mary Cholmondeley holds 279 sentences, grouped into 56 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 2 of The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on contain?

Chapter 2 holds 279 sentences of The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on, unabridged, divided into 56 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on by Mary Cholmondeley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 279 sentences, grouped into 56 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 2 of The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on?

Work through the 56 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 56 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 2 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on

Common questions about reading The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on by Mary Cholmondeley on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on?

Yes. All 2332 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24587 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #24587, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on take to read?

About 194 minutes of reading across 467 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on section by section

How to work through The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Together
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Latch
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Luke's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Summer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lowest Rung Together with The Hand on; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.