Chapter 12 of Where the Pavement Ends is here in full — 420 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Where the Pavement Ends is here in full — 420 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Ho! Did I?" "Even then. Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit. You were always a poor listener, Mr.--ah--Wetherbee.
Chapter 12 of Where the Pavement Ends is here in full — 420 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading “Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.”
financial assistance in time of need
From this reading “Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.”
serving to promote your interest
From this reading “Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.”
death of a person
From this reading “Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.”
someone who listens attentively
From this reading “You were always a poor listener, Mr.--ah--Wetherbee.”
a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it
From this reading “Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.”
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading “Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.”
by or with respect to society
From this reading “Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.”
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 “Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.”
In this reading “Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.”
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 Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You were always a poor listener, Mr.--ah--Wetherbee.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading You were always a poor listener, Mr.--ah--Wetherbee.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
financial assistance in time of need
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Did I?"
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
divisible by two
From this reading "Even then.
serving to promote your interest
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
set up or found
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
death of a person
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs together with yttrium; forms highly magnetic compounds
From this reading "Ho!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Did I?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
someone who listens attentively
From this reading You were always a poor listener, Mr.--ah--Wetherbee.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
a form of address for a man
From this reading You were always a poor listener, Mr.--ah--Wetherbee.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading You were always a poor listener, Mr.--ah--Wetherbee.
a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
by or with respect to society
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Even then.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading You were always a poor listener, Mr.--ah--Wetherbee.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You were always a poor listener, Mr.--ah--Wetherbee.
at the time that
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Even then, when we sat under the same pulpit--such time as you found it socially expedient to attend--it was a matter of grave doubt to me whether you took any real benefit.
Chapter 12 of Where the Pavement Ends by John Russell holds 420 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 12 holds 420 sentences of Where the Pavement Ends, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Where the Pavement Ends by John Russell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 420 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 12 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 Where the Pavement Ends by John Russell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7064 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32946 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32946, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 588 minutes of reading across 1413 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Where the Pavement Ends section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of Where the Pavement Ends 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 Where the Pavement Ends, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
