Chapter 2 of Too close fisted, and other stories is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Too close fisted, and other stories is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MISTAKEN KINDNESS. CHRISTMAS was drawing near. Only a fortnight off. Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice. Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
Chapter 2 of Too close fisted, and other stories is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/24 · 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 long narrow depression in a surface
From this reading “Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.”
people in general (often used in the plural)
From this reading “Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.”
a period of fourteen consecutive days
From this reading “Only a fortnight off.”
ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)
From this reading “Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.”
plural of “hearth” — an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading “Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.”
to, toward, or in the northeast
From this reading “Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.”
only a very short time before
From this reading “Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.”
inflected form of “shrink” — wither, as with a loss of moisture
From this reading “Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.”
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 “Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.”
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 Only a fortnight off.
used to show sadness, pity, or regret
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading CHRISTMAS was drawing near.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
a long narrow depression in a surface
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper
From this reading CHRISTMAS was drawing near.
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
people in general (often used in the plural)
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
a period of fourteen consecutive days
From this reading Only a fortnight off.
ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
plural of “hearth” — an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic
From this reading MISTAKEN KINDNESS.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
wrong in e.g. opinion or judgment
From this reading MISTAKEN KINDNESS.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading CHRISTMAS was drawing near.
to, toward, or in the northeast
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Only a fortnight off.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
and nothing more
From this reading Only a fortnight off.
only a very short time before
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
inflected form of “shrink” — wither, as with a loss of moisture
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading CHRISTMAS was drawing near.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
in or at the place that
From this reading Old folk and little children shrank before it and cowered by the hearths, where, alas! in many a home both fire and food were scarce.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Winter had begun early, the ground was hard with frost, and a bitter north-east wind was making itself felt through every crevice.
Chapter 2 of Too close fisted, and other stories by Ruth Lamb holds 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 120 sentences of Too close fisted, and other stories, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Too close fisted, and other stories by Ruth Lamb exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 Too close fisted, and other stories by Ruth Lamb 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 Too close fisted, and other stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Too close fisted, and other stories 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 Too close fisted, and other stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
