Chapter 26 of Trials and Confessions of a Housekeeper is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of Trials and Confessions of a Housekeeper is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MY WASHERWOMAN. WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself. In the midst of a pleasant conversation, Bridget looked into the dining-room. "What is wanted?" said I. "Mary Green is down stairs."
Chapter 26 of Trials and Confessions of a Housekeeper is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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.
Irish abbess; a patron saint of Ireland (453-523)
From this reading “In the midst of a pleasant conversation, Bridget looked into the dining-room.”
United States labor leader (born in Ireland) who helped to found the Industrial Workers of the World (1830-1930)
From this reading “WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.”
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading “"Mary Green is down stairs."”
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading “In the midst of a pleasant conversation, Bridget looked into the dining-room.”
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading “In the midst of a pleasant conversation, Bridget looked into the dining-room.”
Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)
From this reading “WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.”
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading “"Mary Green is down stairs."”
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading “WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.”
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 In the midst of a pleasant conversation, Bridget looked into the dining-room.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.
Irish abbess; a patron saint of Ireland (453-523)
From this reading In the midst of a pleasant conversation, Bridget looked into the dining-room.
the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.
From this reading In the midst of a pleasant conversation, Bridget looked into the dining-room.
a room used for dining
From this reading In the midst of a pleasant conversation, Bridget looked into the dining-room.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "Mary Green is down stairs."
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading "Mary Green is down stairs."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "What is wanted?" said I.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the midst of a pleasant conversation, Bridget looked into the dining-room.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading In the midst of a pleasant conversation, Bridget looked into the dining-room.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What is wanted?" said I.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.
United States labor leader (born in Ireland) who helped to found the Industrial Workers of the World (1830-1930)
From this reading WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading In the midst of a pleasant conversation, Bridget looked into the dining-room.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading "Mary Green is down stairs."
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading In the midst of a pleasant conversation, Bridget looked into the dining-room.
a form of address for a man
From this reading WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading MY WASHERWOMAN.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In the midst of a pleasant conversation, Bridget looked into the dining-room.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading In the midst of a pleasant conversation, Bridget looked into the dining-room.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "What is wanted?" said I.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.
Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)
From this reading WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading "Mary Green is down stairs."
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In the midst of a pleasant conversation, Bridget looked into the dining-room.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading "What is wanted?" said I.
a working woman who takes in washing
From this reading MY WASHERWOMAN.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading WE were sitting at tea one evening--Mr. Smith, my sister and her husband, Mr. John Jones, and myself.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What is wanted?" said I.
Chapter 26 of Trials and Confessions of a Housekeeper by T. S. (Timothy Shay) Arthur holds 110 sentences, grouped into 22 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 26 holds 110 sentences of Trials and Confessions of a Housekeeper, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of Trials and Confessions of a Housekeeper by T. S. (Timothy Shay) Arthur exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 110 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 26 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 Trials and Confessions of a Housekeeper by T. S. (Timothy Shay) Arthur on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4080 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4622 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4622, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 340 minutes of reading across 816 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Trials and Confessions of a Housekeeper section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of Trials and Confessions of a Housekeeper 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 Trials and Confessions of a Housekeeper, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
