Chapter 19 of The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIX
Chapter 19 of The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The turnkey would not be guided by us. He opened the cell door amidst the execrations of the whole house. She talked to her child for about five minutes, at the end of which time it died. “Ah, he is dead!” shrieked the distressed parent. “Lucky beggar!” was the unsympathetic rejoinder of the house.
Chapter 19 of The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow is here in full — 198 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.
a pauper who lives by begging
From this reading ““Lucky beggar!” was the unsympathetic rejoinder of the house.”
facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty
From this reading ““Ah, he is dead!” shrieked the distressed parent.”
subject to guidance or control especially after launching
From this reading “The turnkey would not be guided by us.”
a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading ““Ah, he is dead!” shrieked the distressed parent.”
a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)
From this reading ““Lucky beggar!” was the unsympathetic rejoinder of the house.”
uttered in a shrill scream as of pain or terror
From this reading ““Ah, he is dead!” shrieked the distressed parent.”
someone who guards prisoners
From this reading “The turnkey would not be guided by us.”
not sympathetic or disposed toward
From this reading ““Lucky beggar!” was the unsympathetic rejoinder of the house.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading She talked to her child for about five minutes, at the end of which time it died.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ah, he is dead!” shrieked the distressed parent.
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading He opened the cell door amidst the execrations of the whole house.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She talked to her child for about five minutes, at the end of which time it died.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The turnkey would not be guided by us.
a pauper who lives by begging
From this reading “Lucky beggar!” was the unsympathetic rejoinder of the house.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The turnkey would not be guided by us.
A small stone room in a prison where an inmate is locked behind iron bars.
From this reading He opened the cell door amidst the execrations of the whole house.
a young person of either sex
From this reading She talked to her child for about five minutes, at the end of which time it died.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading “Ah, he is dead!” shrieked the distressed parent.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading She talked to her child for about five minutes, at the end of which time it died.
facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty
From this reading “Ah, he is dead!” shrieked the distressed parent.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading He opened the cell door amidst the execrations of the whole house.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading She talked to her child for about five minutes, at the end of which time it died.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He opened the cell door amidst the execrations of the whole house.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading She talked to her child for about five minutes, at the end of which time it died.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She talked to her child for about five minutes, at the end of which time it died.
subject to guidance or control especially after launching
From this reading The turnkey would not be guided by us.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He opened the cell door amidst the execrations of the whole house.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She talked to her child for about five minutes, at the end of which time it died.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading He opened the cell door amidst the execrations of the whole house.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Ah, he is dead!” shrieked the distressed parent.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She talked to her child for about five minutes, at the end of which time it died.
occurring by chance
From this reading “Lucky beggar!” was the unsympathetic rejoinder of the house.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading She talked to her child for about five minutes, at the end of which time it died.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The turnkey would not be guided by us.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He opened the cell door amidst the execrations of the whole house.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading He opened the cell door amidst the execrations of the whole house.
a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading “Ah, he is dead!” shrieked the distressed parent.
a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)
From this reading “Lucky beggar!” was the unsympathetic rejoinder of the house.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She talked to her child for about five minutes, at the end of which time it died.
uttered in a shrill scream as of pain or terror
From this reading “Ah, he is dead!” shrieked the distressed parent.
past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading She talked to her child for about five minutes, at the end of which time it died.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The turnkey would not be guided by us.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading She talked to her child for about five minutes, at the end of which time it died.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She talked to her child for about five minutes, at the end of which time it died.
someone who guards prisoners
From this reading The turnkey would not be guided by us.
not sympathetic or disposed toward
From this reading “Lucky beggar!” was the unsympathetic rejoinder of the house.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The turnkey would not be guided by us.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Lucky beggar!” was the unsympathetic rejoinder of the house.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading She talked to her child for about five minutes, at the end of which time it died.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading He opened the cell door amidst the execrations of the whole house.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The turnkey would not be guided by us.
Chapter 19 of The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow by Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome holds 198 sentences, grouped into 40 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 19 holds 198 sentences of The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 19 of The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow by Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 198 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 19 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 Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow by Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4043 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1915 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1915, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 336 minutes of reading across 809 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow 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 Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
