Chapter 29 of There & Back is here in full — 293 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIX
Chapter 29 of There & Back is here in full — 293 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
That night Richard could not rest. His brain wrought unceasingly. He had caught cold and was feverish. After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low. When at length he slept, he kept starting awake from troublous dreams, and this went on through the night.
Chapter 29 of There & Back is here in full — 293 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/58 · 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.
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading “When at length he slept, he kept starting awake from troublous dreams, and this went on through the night.”
marked by intense agitation or emotion
From this reading “He had caught cold and was feverish.”
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
From this reading “After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.”
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading “After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.”
support consisting of a place to rest the foot while ascending or descending a stairway
From this reading “After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.”
(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear
From this reading “When at length he slept, he kept starting awake from troublous dreams, and this went on through the night.”
the degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment (corresponding to its molecular activity)
From this reading “After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.”
shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)
From this reading “His brain wrought unceasingly.”
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.
later than; following
From this reading After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had caught cold and was feverish.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When at length he slept, he kept starting awake from troublous dreams, and this went on through the night.
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading When at length he slept, he kept starting awake from troublous dreams, and this went on through the night.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading His brain wrought unceasingly.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading He had caught cold and was feverish.
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 He had caught cold and was feverish.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading That night Richard could not rest.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading When at length he slept, he kept starting awake from troublous dreams, and this went on through the night.
marked by intense agitation or emotion
From this reading He had caught cold and was feverish.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading When at length he slept, he kept starting awake from troublous dreams, and this went on through the night.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had caught cold and was feverish.
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
From this reading After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had caught cold and was feverish.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His brain wrought unceasingly.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading When at length he slept, he kept starting awake from troublous dreams, and this went on through the night.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading When at length he slept, he kept starting awake from troublous dreams, and this went on through the night.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading That night Richard could not rest.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading That night Richard could not rest.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading That night Richard could not rest.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That night Richard could not rest.
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading When at length he slept, he kept starting awake from troublous dreams, and this went on through the night.
support consisting of a place to rest the foot while ascending or descending a stairway
From this reading After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.
(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear
From this reading When at length he slept, he kept starting awake from troublous dreams, and this went on through the night.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.
the degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment (corresponding to its molecular activity)
From this reading After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That night Richard could not rest.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading When at length he slept, he kept starting awake from troublous dreams, and this went on through the night.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading When at length he slept, he kept starting awake from troublous dreams, and this went on through the night.
up to a particular time
From this reading After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading After his hot haste to reach his brother and sister, he had stood on the stair till his temperature sank low.
full of trouble
From this reading When at length he slept, he kept starting awake from troublous dreams, and this went on through the night.
with unflagging resolve
From this reading His brain wrought unceasingly.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He had caught cold and was feverish.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading When at length he slept, he kept starting awake from troublous dreams, and this went on through the night.
at the time that
From this reading When at length he slept, he kept starting awake from troublous dreams, and this went on through the night.
shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)
From this reading His brain wrought unceasingly.
Chapter 29 of There & Back by George MacDonald holds 293 sentences, grouped into 59 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 29 holds 293 sentences of There & Back, unabridged, divided into 59 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 29 of There & Back by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 293 sentences, grouped into 59 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 59 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 59 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 29 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 There & Back by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9593 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8879 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #8879, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1919 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through There & Back section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of There & Back 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 There & Back, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
