Chapter 2 of Wastralls: A Novel is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Wastralls: A Novel is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I do hope an’ pray as you aren’t, my dear soul." "What else is ah doin’?" "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’. He’d like to try and see what the land’d grow best. He said—terbacca."
Chapter 2 of Wastralls: A Novel is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “"Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.”
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading “He’d like to try and see what the land’d grow best.”
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading “"Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.”
informal term of address for someone's wife
From this reading “"Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.”
address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer
From this reading “"I do hope an’ pray as you aren’t, my dear soul."”
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading “"I do hope an’ pray as you aren’t, my dear soul."”
male cat
From this reading “"Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.”
make an effort or attempt
From this reading “He’d like to try and see what the land’d grow best.”
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 “"Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.”
move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
In this reading “"Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What else is ah doin’?"
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "I do hope an’ pray as you aren’t, my dear soul."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I do hope an’ pray as you aren’t, my dear soul."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "I do hope an’ pray as you aren’t, my dear soul."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading He’d like to try and see what the land’d grow best.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
dearly loved
From this reading "I do hope an’ pray as you aren’t, my dear soul."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "I do hope an’ pray as you aren’t, my dear soul."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What else is ah doin’?"
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
the branch of engineering science that studies the uses of electricity and the equipment for power generation and distribution and the control of machines and communication
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What else is ah doin’?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading He’d like to try and see what the land’d grow best.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He’d like to try and see what the land’d grow best.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading "I do hope an’ pray as you aren’t, my dear soul."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I do hope an’ pray as you aren’t, my dear soul."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What else is ah doin’?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He’d like to try and see what the land’d grow best.
immediately past
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading He’d like to try and see what the land’d grow best.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
informal term of address for someone's wife
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I do hope an’ pray as you aren’t, my dear soul."
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
a river in northeastern England that flows generally southeastward to join the Trent River and form the Humber
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer
From this reading "I do hope an’ pray as you aren’t, my dear soul."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading He said—terbacca."
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He’d like to try and see what the land’d grow best.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading "I do hope an’ pray as you aren’t, my dear soul."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He said—terbacca."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
male cat
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading He’d like to try and see what the land’d grow best.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Tom went down to see’n last night, thought as ’ee might be lonely in that big ’ouse all by ’imself; and Leadville was tellin’ ’im he didn’t believe in the way missis was farmin’.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What else is ah doin’?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I do hope an’ pray as you aren’t, my dear soul."
Chapter 2 of Wastralls: A Novel by C. A. (Catharine Amy) Dawson Scott holds 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 402 sentences of Wastralls: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Wastralls: A Novel by C. A. (Catharine Amy) Dawson Scott exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 Wastralls: A Novel by C. A. (Catharine Amy) Dawson Scott on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5956 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53370 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #53370, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 496 minutes of reading across 1192 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Wastralls: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Wastralls: A Novel 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 Wastralls: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
