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Watch and Wait
Watch and Wait

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Watch and Wait is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Oliver Optic • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Watch and Wait
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE DEPARTURE OF THE YOUNG FUGITIVES.
"Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."
"There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.
"The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."
"I am frightened, and I can't help it."
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Watch and Wait

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Watch and Wait is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE DEPARTURE OF THE YOUNG FUGITIVES.
/ðə dɪˈpɑːrtʃər ʌv ðə jʌŋ ˈfjuːdʒɪtɪvz/
Line 2
"Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."
/dɪr miː ɪkˈskleɪmd ˈlɪli wen ˈdændi dʒɔɪnd hɜːr ɑːn ðə lɔːn aɪ æm ˈfraɪtənd aʊt ʌv maɪ ˈsensɪz/
Line 3
"There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.
/ðer ɪz ˈnʌθɪŋ tuː fɪr jet ˈlɪli sed hɜːr kənˈdʌktər æz hiː tʊk hɜːr baɪ ðə hænd tuː rɪˈstɔːr hɜːr ˈkɑːnfədəns/
Line 4
"The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."
/ðə waɪnd ɪz kwaɪt freʃ ənd lɔːŋ bɪˈfɔːr wiː ɑːr mɪst wiː ʃæl biː aʊt ʌv ðə riːtʃ ʌv pərˈsuːt/
Line 5
"I am frightened, and I can't help it."

Learner Dictionary

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.

conductor noun US /kənˈdʌktər/

the person who leads a musical group

From this reading “"There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Dandy noun US /ˈdændi/

a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance

From this reading “"Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fugitives noun US /ˈfjuːdʒɪtɪvz/

plural of “fugitive” — someone who flees from an uncongenial situation

From this reading “THE DEPARTURE OF THE YOUNG FUGITIVES.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lawn noun US /lɔːn/

a field of cultivated and mowed grass

From this reading “"Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Lily noun US /ˈlɪli/

any liliaceous plant of the genus Lilium having showy pendulous flowers

From this reading “"Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
missed adjective US /mɪst/

not caught with the senses or the mind

From this reading “"The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pursuit noun US /pərˈsuːt/

the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture

From this reading “"The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
restore verb US /rɪˈstɔːr/

return to its original or usable and functioning condition

From this reading “"There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 52

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.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading "The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading "The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading "The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
can't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "I am frightened, and I can't help it."

Pending verification
conductornounUS /kənˈdʌktər/

the person who leads a musical group

From this reading "There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
confidencenounUS /ˈkɑːnfədəns/

freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading "There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DandynounUS /ˈdændi/

a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance

From this reading "Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading "Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DEPARTUREnounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/

the act of departing

From this reading THE DEPARTURE OF THE YOUNG FUGITIVES.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading "Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading "There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading "The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
frightenedadjectiveUS /ˈfraɪtənd/

made afraid

From this reading "Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FUGITIVESnounUS /ˈfjuːdʒɪtɪvz/

plural of “fugitive” — someone who flees from an uncongenial situation

From this reading THE DEPARTURE OF THE YOUNG FUGITIVES.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading "There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading "I am frightened, and I can't help it."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading "Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "I am frightened, and I can't help it."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
joinedadjectiveUS /dʒɔɪnd/

of or relating to two people who are married to each other

From this reading "Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lawnnounUS /lɔːn/

a field of cultivated and mowed grass

From this reading "Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LilynounUS /ˈlɪli/

any liliaceous plant of the genus Lilium having showy pendulous flowers

From this reading "Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading "The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
missedadjectiveUS /mɪst/

not caught with the senses or the mind

From this reading "The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading "There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE DEPARTURE OF THE YOUNG FUGITIVES.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pursuitnounUS /pərˈsuːt/

the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture

From this reading "The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading "The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reachverbUS /riːtʃ/

reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading "The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
restoreverbUS /rɪˈstɔːr/

return to its original or usable and functioning condition

From this reading "There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sensesnounUS /ˈsensɪz/

plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana

From this reading "Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE DEPARTURE OF THE YOUNG FUGITIVES.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading "There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading "There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "Dear me!" exclaimed Lily, when Dandy joined her on the lawn; "I am frightened out of my senses."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading "The wind is quite fresh, and long before we are missed we shall be out of the reach of pursuit."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading "There is nothing to fear yet, Lily," said her conductor, as he took her by the hand to restore her confidence.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
YOUNGadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading THE DEPARTURE OF THE YOUNG FUGITIVES.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 8 of Watch and Wait by Oliver Optic holds 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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.

What does chapter 8 of Watch and Wait contain?

Chapter 8 holds 123 sentences of Watch and Wait, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Watch and Wait by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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.

How do I study chapter 8 of Watch and Wait?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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.

Can chapter 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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.

Questions about reading Watch and Wait

Common questions about reading Watch and Wait by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Watch and Wait?

Yes. All 2908 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28038 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Watch and Wait is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #28038, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Watch and Wait take to read?

About 242 minutes of reading across 582 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Watch and Wait section by section

How to work through Watch and Wait section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of Watch and Wait to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Watch and Wait

Words and structures a reader meets early in Watch and Wait, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Plantation
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Watch and Wait; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Redlawn
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Watch and Wait; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Summer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Watch and Wait; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Evening
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Watch and Wait; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.