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The Old Homestead
The Old Homestead

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Old Homestead is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Old Homestead
Context Illustration Reading 1/41 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE FATHER'S RETURN.
She kneels beside the pauper bed, As seraphs bow while they adore!
Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!
"I wonder, oh, I wonder if he will come?"
The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.
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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 Old Homestead

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Old Homestead is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE FATHER'S RETURN.
/ðə ˈfɑːðərz rɪˈtɜːrn/
Line 2
She kneels beside the pauper bed, As seraphs bow while they adore!
Line 3
Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!
/ədˈvæns wɪð stɪl ənd ˈrevərənt tred fɔːr ˈeɪndʒəlz hæv ɡɔːn ɪn bɪˈfɔːr/
Line 4
"I wonder, oh, I wonder if he will come?"
/aɪ ˈwʌndər oʊ aɪ ˈwʌndər ɪf hiː wɪl kʌm/
Line 5
The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.
/ðə vɔɪs wɪtʃ ˈʌtərd ðiːz wɜːrdz wɑːz soʊ ˈæŋkʃəs soʊ pəˈθetɪk wɪð diːp ˈfiːlɪŋ ðæt juː wʊd hæv lʌvd ðə puːr tʃaɪld huːz hɑːrt ɡeɪv ðem fɔːrθ pleɪn ənd ˈmɪzərəbəl æz ʃiː wɑːz/

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.

adore verb US /əˈdɔːr/

love intensely

From this reading “She kneels beside the pauper bed, As seraphs bow while they adore!”

Advance verb US /ədˈvæns/

move forward, also in the metaphorical sense

From this reading “Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!”

angels noun US /ˈeɪndʒəlz/

plural of “angel” — spiritual being attendant upon God

From this reading “Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!”

bow noun US /baʊ/

a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces

From this reading “She kneels beside the pauper bed, As seraphs bow while they adore!”

pathetic adjective US /pəˈθetɪk/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading “The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.”

pauper noun US /ˈpɔːpər/

a person who is very poor

From this reading “She kneels beside the pauper bed, As seraphs bow while they adore!”

reverent adjective US /ˈrevərənt/

feeling or showing profound respect or veneration

From this reading “Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!”

tread verb US /tred/

put down or press the foot, place the foot

From this reading “Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!”

All words in this reading · 57

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.

adoreverbUS /əˈdɔːr/

love intensely

From this reading She kneels beside the pauper bed, As seraphs bow while they adore!

AdvanceverbUS /ədˈvæns/

move forward, also in the metaphorical sense

From this reading Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!

angelsnounUS /ˈeɪndʒəlz/

plural of “angel” — spiritual being attendant upon God

From this reading Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!

anxiousadjectiveUS /ˈæŋkʃəs/

eagerly desirous

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading She kneels beside the pauper bed, As seraphs bow while they adore!

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading She kneels beside the pauper bed, As seraphs bow while they adore!

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading She kneels beside the pauper bed, As seraphs bow while they adore!

bownounUS /baʊ/

a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces

From this reading She kneels beside the pauper bed, As seraphs bow while they adore!

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading "I wonder, oh, I wonder if he will come?"

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

FATHER'SnounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading THE FATHER'S RETURN.

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!

forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "I wonder, oh, I wonder if he will come?"

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I wonder, oh, I wonder if he will come?"

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "I wonder, oh, I wonder if he will come?"

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!

kneels

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

From this reading She kneels beside the pauper bed, As seraphs bow while they adore!

lovedadjectiveUS /lʌvd/

held dear

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

miserableadjectiveUS /ˈmɪzərəbəl/

very unhappy; full of misery

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

ohnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading "I wonder, oh, I wonder if he will come?"

patheticadjectiveUS /pəˈθetɪk/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

paupernounUS /ˈpɔːpər/

a person who is very poor

From this reading She kneels beside the pauper bed, As seraphs bow while they adore!

plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

RETURNverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading THE FATHER'S RETURN.

reverentadjectiveUS /ˈrevərənt/

feeling or showing profound respect or veneration

From this reading Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!

seraphs

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

From this reading She kneels beside the pauper bed, As seraphs bow while they adore!

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She kneels beside the pauper bed, As seraphs bow while they adore!

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE FATHER'S RETURN.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She kneels beside the pauper bed, As seraphs bow while they adore!

treadverbUS /tred/

put down or press the foot, place the foot

From this reading Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!

utteredadjectiveUS /ˈʌtərd/

communicated in words

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading She kneels beside the pauper bed, As seraphs bow while they adore!

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "I wonder, oh, I wonder if he will come?"

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Advance with still and reverent tread, For angels have gone in before!

wondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading "I wonder, oh, I wonder if he will come?"

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading The voice which uttered these words was so anxious, so pathetic with deep feeling, that you would have loved the poor child, whose heart gave them forth, plain and miserable as she was.

Chapter 1 of The Old Homestead by Ann S. (Ann Sophia) Stephens holds 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 Old Homestead contain?

Chapter 1 holds 209 sentences of The Old Homestead, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Old Homestead by Ann S. (Ann Sophia) Stephens exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 Old Homestead?

Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 42 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 Old Homestead

Common questions about reading The Old Homestead by Ann S. (Ann Sophia) Stephens on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Old Homestead?

Yes. All 6756 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8078 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Old Homestead is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #8078, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Old Homestead take to read?

About 563 minutes of reading across 1352 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Old Homestead section by section

How to work through The Old Homestead section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Old Homestead 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 Old Homestead

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Old Homestead, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Father's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Old Homestead; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Return
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Old Homestead; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kneels
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Old Homestead; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beside
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Old Homestead; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.