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The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of
The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of is here in full — 491 sentences across 99 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of
Context Illustration Reading 1/98 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?
Have you not kept far away from the heavenly Father?
Have you not grieved the Holy Spirit of God?
May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"
It was only what Guy of Ashridge had said before.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of is here in full — 491 sentences across 99 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/98 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?
/ənd hæv juː æskt ðə ɡreɪ ˈleɪdi ˈveri ˈdʒentli tɜːrnd noʊ koʊld iːr tuː ðə ˈlʌvɪŋ vɔɪs ʌv kraɪst/
Line 2
Have you not kept far away from the heavenly Father?
/hæv juː nɑːt kept fɑːr əˈweɪ frʌm ðə ˈhevənli ˈfɑːðər/
Line 3
Have you not grieved the Holy Spirit of God?
/hæv juː nɑːt ɡriːvd ðə ˈhoʊli ˈspɪrət ʌv ɡɑːd/
Line 4
May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"
Line 5
It was only what Guy of Ashridge had said before.

Learner Dictionary

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.

Christ noun US /kraɪst/

a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)

From this reading “"And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?”

gently adverb US /ˈdʒentli/

in a gradual manner

From this reading “"And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?”

Grey adjective US /ɡreɪ/

of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black

From this reading “"And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?”

grieved verb US /ɡriːvd/

past form of “grieve” — feel grief

From this reading “Have you not grieved the Holy Spirit of God?”

Guy noun US /ɡaɪ/

an informal term for a youth or man

From this reading “It was only what Guy of Ashridge had said before.”

heavenly adjective US /ˈhevənli/

relating to or inhabiting a divine heaven

From this reading “Have you not kept far away from the heavenly Father?”

Jews noun US /dʒuːz/

plural of “jew” — a person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties

From this reading “May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"”

loving adjective US /ˈlʌvɪŋ/

feeling or showing love and affection

From this reading “"And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?”

All words in this reading · 53

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.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

Ashridge

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was only what Guy of Ashridge had said before.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Have you not kept far away from the heavenly Father?

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading It was only what Guy of Ashridge had said before.

ChristnounUS /kraɪst/

a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

earnounUS /iːr/

the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Have you not kept far away from the heavenly Father?

FathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Have you not kept far away from the heavenly Father?

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Have you not kept far away from the heavenly Father?

gentlyadverbUS /ˈdʒentli/

in a gradual manner

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading Have you not grieved the Holy Spirit of God?

GreyadjectiveUS /ɡreɪ/

of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

grievedverbUS /ɡriːvd/

past form of “grieve” — feel grief

From this reading Have you not grieved the Holy Spirit of God?

GuynounUS /ɡaɪ/

an informal term for a youth or man

From this reading It was only what Guy of Ashridge had said before.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading It was only what Guy of Ashridge had said before.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

heavenlyadjectiveUS /ˈhevənli/

relating to or inhabiting a divine heaven

From this reading Have you not kept far away from the heavenly Father?

HolynounUS /ˈhoʊli/

a sacred place of pilgrimage

From this reading Have you not grieved the Holy Spirit of God?

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

JewsnounUS /dʒuːz/

plural of “jew” — a person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading Have you not kept far away from the heavenly Father?

LadynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

lovingadjectiveUS /ˈlʌvɪŋ/

feeling or showing love and affection

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

MepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Have you not kept far away from the heavenly Father?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading It was only what Guy of Ashridge had said before.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

SpiritnounUS /ˈspɪrət/

the vital principle or animating force within living things

From this reading Have you not grieved the Holy Spirit of God?

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It was only what Guy of Ashridge had said before.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading It was only what Guy of Ashridge had said before.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

YepronounUS /jiː/

an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person

From this reading May it not be said to you, as our Lord said to the Jews of old time,--`Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life'?"

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "And have you," asked the Grey Lady, very gently, "turned no cold ear to the loving voice of Christ?

Chapter 4 of The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of by Emily Sarah Holt holds 491 sentences, grouped into 99 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.

What does chapter 4 of The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of contain?

Chapter 4 holds 491 sentences of The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of, unabridged, divided into 99 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of by Emily Sarah Holt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 491 sentences, grouped into 99 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.

How do I study chapter 4 of The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of?

Work through the 99 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 99 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.

Can chapter 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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.

Questions about reading The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of

Common questions about reading The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of by Emily Sarah Holt on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of?

Yes. All 1988 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #23122 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #23122, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of take to read?

About 165 minutes of reading across 398 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of section by section

How to work through The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Desert
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Legend
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
House
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Arundel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.