Chapter 6 of The Second Violin is here in full — 240 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of The Second Violin is here in full — 240 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Three times Jefferson Birch knocked on his sister Charlotte's door. Then he turned the knob. The door would not open. "Fiddle!" he called, softly, but got no reply. "You're not asleep, I know," he said, firmly, at the keyhole.
Chapter 6 of The Second Violin is here in full — 240 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/48 · 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.
hard close-grained wood of any of various birch trees; used especially in furniture and interior finishes and plywood
From this reading “Three times Jefferson Birch knocked on his sister Charlotte's door.”
possessive form of “charlotte” — the largest city in North Carolina; located in south central North Carolina
From this reading “Three times Jefferson Birch knocked on his sister Charlotte's door.”
bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow
From this reading “"Fiddle!" he called, softly, but got no reply.”
with resolute determination
From this reading “"You're not asleep, I know," he said, firmly, at the keyhole.”
3rd President of the United States; chief drafter of the Declaration of Independence; made the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and sent out the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore it (1743-1826)
From this reading “Three times Jefferson Birch knocked on his sister Charlotte's door.”
the hole where a key is inserted
From this reading “"You're not asleep, I know," he said, firmly, at the keyhole.”
a circular rounded projection or protuberance
From this reading “Then he turned the knob.”
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading “Three times Jefferson Birch knocked on his sister Charlotte's door.”
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.
in a state of sleep
From this reading "You're not asleep, I know," he said, firmly, at the keyhole.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "You're not asleep, I know," he said, firmly, at the keyhole.
hard close-grained wood of any of various birch trees; used especially in furniture and interior finishes and plywood
From this reading Three times Jefferson Birch knocked on his sister Charlotte's door.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Fiddle!" he called, softly, but got no reply.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "Fiddle!" he called, softly, but got no reply.
possessive form of “charlotte” — the largest city in North Carolina; located in south central North Carolina
From this reading Three times Jefferson Birch knocked on his sister Charlotte's door.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Three times Jefferson Birch knocked on his sister Charlotte's door.
bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow
From this reading "Fiddle!" he called, softly, but got no reply.
with resolute determination
From this reading "You're not asleep, I know," he said, firmly, at the keyhole.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Fiddle!" he called, softly, but got no reply.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then he turned the knob.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Three times Jefferson Birch knocked on his sister Charlotte's door.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "You're not asleep, I know," he said, firmly, at the keyhole.
3rd President of the United States; chief drafter of the Declaration of Independence; made the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and sent out the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore it (1743-1826)
From this reading Three times Jefferson Birch knocked on his sister Charlotte's door.
the hole where a key is inserted
From this reading "You're not asleep, I know," he said, firmly, at the keyhole.
a circular rounded projection or protuberance
From this reading Then he turned the knob.
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading Three times Jefferson Birch knocked on his sister Charlotte's door.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "You're not asleep, I know," he said, firmly, at the keyhole.
not any; not one
From this reading "Fiddle!" he called, softly, but got no reply.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The door would not open.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Three times Jefferson Birch knocked on his sister Charlotte's door.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The door would not open.
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading "Fiddle!" he called, softly, but got no reply.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "You're not asleep, I know," he said, firmly, at the keyhole.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading Three times Jefferson Birch knocked on his sister Charlotte's door.
with low volume
From this reading "Fiddle!" he called, softly, but got no reply.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then he turned the knob.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he turned the knob.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Three times Jefferson Birch knocked on his sister Charlotte's door.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Three times Jefferson Birch knocked on his sister Charlotte's door.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Then he turned the knob.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The door would not open.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You're not asleep, I know," he said, firmly, at the keyhole.
Chapter 6 of The Second Violin by Grace S. (Grace Smith) Richmond holds 240 sentences, grouped into 48 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 6 holds 240 sentences of The Second Violin, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of The Second Violin by Grace S. (Grace Smith) Richmond exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 240 sentences, grouped into 48 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 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 48 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 6 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 Violin by Grace S. (Grace Smith) Richmond on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4582 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13209 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13209, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 381 minutes of reading across 917 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Second Violin section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of The Second Violin 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 Violin, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
