Chapter 39 of The Spenders: A Tale of the Third Generation is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXIX
Chapter 39 of The Spenders: A Tale of the Third Generation is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back. At the doorway she gave him her hand, which he took in silence. "Why--Mr. Bines!--you wouldn't have surprised me last night. To-night I pictured you on your way West." Her gown was of dull blue dimity.
Chapter 39 of The Spenders: A Tale of the Third Generation is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/77 · 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 action or reaction of something (as a machine or substance) under specified circumstances
From this reading “Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.”
plural of “bine” — European twining plant whose flowers are used chiefly to flavor malt liquors; cultivated in America
From this reading “"Why--Mr. Bines!--you wouldn't have surprised me last night.”
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading “At the doorway she gave him her hand, which he took in silence.”
a woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions
From this reading “Her gown was of dull blue dimity.”
responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act
From this reading “Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.”
seen in the mind as a mental image
From this reading “To-night I pictured you on your way West."”
socially incorrect in behavior
From this reading “Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.”
relating to or characteristic of the western parts of the world or the West as opposed to the eastern or oriental parts
From this reading “Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the doorway she gave him her hand, which he took in silence.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.
the action or reaction of something (as a machine or substance) under specified circumstances
From this reading Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.
plural of “bine” — European twining plant whose flowers are used chiefly to flavor malt liquors; cultivated in America
From this reading "Why--Mr. Bines!--you wouldn't have surprised me last night.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Her gown was of dull blue dimity.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.
a strong cotton fabric with a raised pattern; used for bedcovers and curtains
From this reading Her gown was of dull blue dimity.
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading At the doorway she gave him her hand, which he took in silence.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading Her gown was of dull blue dimity.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading At the doorway she gave him her hand, which he took in silence.
a woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions
From this reading Her gown was of dull blue dimity.
responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act
From this reading Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading At the doorway she gave him her hand, which he took in silence.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Why--Mr. Bines!--you wouldn't have surprised me last night.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading At the doorway she gave him her hand, which he took in silence.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading At the doorway she gave him her hand, which he took in silence.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading To-night I pictured you on your way West."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At the doorway she gave him her hand, which he took in silence.
immediately past
From this reading "Why--Mr. Bines!--you wouldn't have surprised me last night.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Why--Mr. Bines!--you wouldn't have surprised me last night.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Why--Mr. Bines!--you wouldn't have surprised me last night.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading "Why--Mr. Bines!--you wouldn't have surprised me last night.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading To-night I pictured you on your way West."
and nothing more
From this reading Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.
seen in the mind as a mental image
From this reading To-night I pictured you on your way West."
with speed
From this reading Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.
socially incorrect in behavior
From this reading Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At the doorway she gave him her hand, which he took in silence.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading At the doorway she gave him her hand, which he took in silence.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading "Why--Mr. Bines!--you wouldn't have surprised me last night.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At the doorway she gave him her hand, which he took in silence.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To-night I pictured you on your way West."
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading At the doorway she gave him her hand, which he took in silence.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Her gown was of dull blue dimity.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading To-night I pictured you on your way West."
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading To-night I pictured you on your way West."
relating to or characteristic of the western parts of the world or the West as opposed to the eastern or oriental parts
From this reading Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Some Rude Behaviour, of Which Only a Western Man Could Be Guilty He walked quickly back.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why--Mr. Bines!--you wouldn't have surprised me last night.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why--Mr. Bines!--you wouldn't have surprised me last night.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Why--Mr. Bines!--you wouldn't have surprised me last night.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading To-night I pictured you on your way West."
Chapter 39 of The Spenders: A Tale of the Third Generation by Harry Leon Wilson holds 389 sentences, grouped into 78 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 39 holds 389 sentences of The Spenders: A Tale of the Third Generation, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 39 of The Spenders: A Tale of the Third Generation by Harry Leon Wilson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 389 sentences, grouped into 78 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 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 78 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 39 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 Spenders: A Tale of the Third Generation by Harry Leon Wilson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6879 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9981 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9981, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 573 minutes of reading across 1376 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Spenders: A Tale of the Third Generation section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Spenders: A Tale of the Third Generation 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 Spenders: A Tale of the Third Generation, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
