Chapter 2 of The Stillwater Tragedy is here in full — 431 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Stillwater Tragedy is here in full — 431 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Shackford, what are you going to do with that scapegrace of yours?" It was Mr. Leonard Tappleton who ventured the question. Few persons dared to interrogate Mr. Shackford on his private affairs. "I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment. "You couldn't do better.
Chapter 2 of The Stillwater Tragedy is here in full — 431 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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 residue that remains after animal fat has been rendered
From this reading “"I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment.”
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading “Few persons dared to interrogate Mr. Shackford on his private affairs.”
transmit (a signal) for setting off an appropriate response, as in telecommunication
From this reading “Few persons dared to interrogate Mr. Shackford on his private affairs.”
a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
From this reading “"I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment.”
United States writer of thrillers (born in 1925)
From this reading “It was Mr. Leonard Tappleton who ventured the question.”
A stiff, flat, thin material made from the prepared skin of an animal, used for writing.
From this reading “"I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment.”
not moving or operating freely
From this reading “"I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment.”
past form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
From this reading “It was Mr. Leonard Tappleton who ventured the question.”
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 "I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment.
matters of personal concern
From this reading Few persons dared to interrogate Mr. Shackford on his private affairs.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Shackford, what are you going to do with that scapegrace of yours?"
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "You couldn't do better.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You couldn't do better.
the residue that remains after animal fat has been rendered
From this reading "I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading Few persons dared to interrogate Mr. Shackford on his private affairs.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Shackford, what are you going to do with that scapegrace of yours?"
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Few persons dared to interrogate Mr. Shackford on his private affairs.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment.
the act of departing
From this reading "Shackford, what are you going to do with that scapegrace of yours?"
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Few persons dared to interrogate Mr. Shackford on his private affairs.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment.
transmit (a signal) for setting off an appropriate response, as in telecommunication
From this reading Few persons dared to interrogate Mr. Shackford on his private affairs.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was Mr. Leonard Tappleton who ventured the question.
a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
From this reading "I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment.
United States writer of thrillers (born in 1925)
From this reading It was Mr. Leonard Tappleton who ventured the question.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment.
engage in
From this reading "I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment.
a form of address for a man
From this reading It was Mr. Leonard Tappleton who ventured the question.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Shackford, what are you going to do with that scapegrace of yours?"
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Few persons dared to interrogate Mr. Shackford on his private affairs.
A stiff, flat, thin material made from the prepared skin of an animal, used for writing.
From this reading "I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment.
plural of “person” — a human being
From this reading Few persons dared to interrogate Mr. Shackford on his private affairs.
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading Few persons dared to interrogate Mr. Shackford on his private affairs.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading It was Mr. Leonard Tappleton who ventured the question.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment.
a reckless and unprincipled reprobate
From this reading "Shackford, what are you going to do with that scapegrace of yours?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Shackford, what are you going to do with that scapegrace of yours?"
not moving or operating freely
From this reading "I am going to make a lawyer of him," said Mr. Shackford, crackling his finger-joints like stiff parchment.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was Mr. Leonard Tappleton who ventured the question.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Shackford, what are you going to do with that scapegrace of yours?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was Mr. Leonard Tappleton who ventured the question.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Shackford, what are you going to do with that scapegrace of yours?"
past form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
From this reading It was Mr. Leonard Tappleton who ventured the question.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was Mr. Leonard Tappleton who ventured the question.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Shackford, what are you going to do with that scapegrace of yours?"
which person or people
From this reading It was Mr. Leonard Tappleton who ventured the question.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Shackford, what are you going to do with that scapegrace of yours?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Shackford, what are you going to do with that scapegrace of yours?"
the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to
From this reading "Shackford, what are you going to do with that scapegrace of yours?"
Chapter 2 of The Stillwater Tragedy by Thomas Bailey Aldrich holds 431 sentences, grouped into 87 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 2 holds 431 sentences of The Stillwater Tragedy, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Stillwater Tragedy by Thomas Bailey Aldrich exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 431 sentences, grouped into 87 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 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 2 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 Stillwater Tragedy by Thomas Bailey Aldrich on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3862 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5435 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5435, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 321 minutes of reading across 773 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Stillwater Tragedy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Stillwater Tragedy 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 Stillwater Tragedy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
