Chapter 23 of The strange house is here in full — 71 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of The strange house is here in full — 71 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AT LAST. "GERTRUDE! Where is he?" Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness. To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
Chapter 23 of The strange house is here in full — 71 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/14 · 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 special loved one
From this reading “To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?”
the muscle tone of healthy tissue
From this reading “Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.”
a woman host
From this reading “Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.”
full of or producing joy
From this reading “To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?”
information about recent and important events
From this reading “To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?”
a separate part of a whole
From this reading “To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?”
the act of having and controlling property
From this reading “To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?”
get or find back; recover the use of
From this reading “Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?”
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 To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading AT LAST.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
(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 To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
a special loved one
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
the muscle tone of healthy tissue
From this reading Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.
set up or found
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "GERTRUDE!
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Where is he?"
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.
a woman host
From this reading Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Where is he?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
full of or producing joy
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.
immediately past
From this reading AT LAST.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
information about recent and important events
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
the act of having and controlling property
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
get or find back; recover the use of
From this reading Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.
express in words
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
express in words
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading To have such a joyful piece of news in her possession as that little Lester was found, and then to have to tell that poor mother that her darling had almost better be dead; how could she say it?
in or at the place that
From this reading Where is he?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading Left with her sister by the kind thought of their hostess, Gertrude tried hard to recover her firmness.
Chapter 23 of The strange house by Catharine Shaw holds 71 sentences, grouped into 15 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 23 holds 71 sentences of The strange house, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of The strange house by Catharine Shaw exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 71 sentences, grouped into 15 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 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 15 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 23 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 strange house by Catharine Shaw on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The strange house section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The strange house 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 strange house, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
