Chapter 4 of The Middle of Things is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Middle of Things is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
LOOK FOR THAT MAN! At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand. "Hyde!" he said. "Then--that's what I remembered! Of course I know you!
Chapter 4 of The Middle of Things is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/39 · 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.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading “At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.”
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading “At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.”
an abrupt excited utterance
From this reading “At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.”
at or to or toward the front
From this reading “At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.”
the act of retaining something
From this reading “At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.”
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading “At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.”
past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading “"Then--that's what I remembered!”
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading “At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.”
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.
anew
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Of course I know you!
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
an abrupt excited utterance
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading LOOK FOR THAT MAN!
at or to or toward the front
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
the act of retaining something
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Hyde!" he said.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Then--that's what I remembered!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Of course I know you!
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading LOOK FOR THAT MAN!
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading LOOK FOR THAT MAN!
immediately following in time or order
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading "Then--that's what I remembered!
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Hyde!" he said.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading LOOK FOR THAT MAN!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Then--that's what I remembered!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Then--that's what I remembered!
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Then--that's what I remembered!
in the company of; together with
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
the words that are spoken
From this reading At these words Viner drew back with an exclamation of astonishment, but in the next instant he stepped forward again, holding out his hand.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Of course I know you!
Chapter 4 of The Middle of Things by J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher holds 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 4 holds 199 sentences of The Middle of Things, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Middle of Things by J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 4 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 Middle of Things by J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4739 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9902 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9902, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 394 minutes of reading across 948 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Middle of Things section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Middle of Things 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 Middle of Things, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
