Chapter 2 of Through the Eye of the Needle: A Romance is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Through the Eye of the Needle: A Romance is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“And you don't feel that there's any harm in it?” I ventured to ask. “Harm in it?” she repeated. “Why, aren't the poor things glad to get the work? What would they do without it?”
Chapter 2 of Through the Eye of the Needle: A Romance is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “I ventured to ask.”
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading ““And you don't feel that there's any harm in it?””
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading ““Why, aren't the poor things glad to get the work?”
any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
From this reading ““And you don't feel that there's any harm in it?””
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading ““Why, aren't the poor things glad to get the work?”
recurring again and again
From this reading ““Harm in it?” she repeated.”
past form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
From this reading “I ventured to ask.”
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading ““Why, aren't the poor things glad to get the work?”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “And you don't feel that there's any harm in it?”
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading “And you don't feel that there's any harm in it?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why, aren't the poor things glad to get the work?
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I ventured to ask.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading What would they do without it?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “And you don't feel that there's any harm in it?”
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading “And you don't feel that there's any harm in it?”
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “Why, aren't the poor things glad to get the work?
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading “Why, aren't the poor things glad to get the work?
any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
From this reading “And you don't feel that there's any harm in it?”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I ventured to ask.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “And you don't feel that there's any harm in it?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “And you don't feel that there's any harm in it?”
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading “Why, aren't the poor things glad to get the work?
recurring again and again
From this reading “Harm in it?” she repeated.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Harm in it?” she repeated.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “And you don't feel that there's any harm in it?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Why, aren't the poor things glad to get the work?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “And you don't feel that there's any harm in it?”
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading What would they do without it?”
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading “Why, aren't the poor things glad to get the work?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I ventured to ask.
past form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
From this reading I ventured to ask.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What would they do without it?”
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Why, aren't the poor things glad to get the work?
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading What would they do without it?”
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading “Why, aren't the poor things glad to get the work?
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading What would they do without it?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “And you don't feel that there's any harm in it?”
Chapter 2 of Through the Eye of the Needle: A Romance by William Dean Howells holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 418 sentences of Through the Eye of the Needle: A Romance, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Through the Eye of the Needle: A Romance by William Dean Howells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 Through the Eye of the Needle: A Romance by William Dean Howells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2532 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8295 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #8295, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 211 minutes of reading across 507 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Through the Eye of the Needle: A Romance section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of Through the Eye of the Needle: A Romance 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 Through the Eye of the Needle: A Romance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
