Chapter 17 of Wives and Widows is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Wives and Widows is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MRS. LEE DREAMS OF PASSION-FLOWERS. I rose at once and went to the chamber of our dear invalid. She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table. "I am glad to see you, Miss Hyde," she said.
Chapter 17 of Wives and Widows is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/33 · 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.
an arrangement of flowers that is usually given as a present
From this reading “She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.”
a natural or artificial enclosed space
From this reading “I rose at once and went to the chamber of our dear invalid.”
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading “LEE DREAMS OF PASSION-FLOWERS.”
someone who is incapacitated by a chronic illness or injury
From this reading “I rose at once and went to the chamber of our dear invalid.”
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading “LEE DREAMS OF PASSION-FLOWERS.”
plural of “pillow” — a cushion to support the head of a sleeping person
From this reading “She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.”
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading “She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.”
sustained or maintained by aid (as distinct from physical support)
From this reading “She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.”
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.
wild or uncultivated flowering plant
In this reading “She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.”
In this reading “She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.”
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
In this reading “I rose at once and went to the chamber of our dear invalid.”
In this reading “She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.”
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 She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I am glad to see you, Miss Hyde," she said.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I rose at once and went to the chamber of our dear invalid.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I rose at once and went to the chamber of our dear invalid.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
an arrangement of flowers that is usually given as a present
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
a natural or artificial enclosed space
From this reading I rose at once and went to the chamber of our dear invalid.
dearly loved
From this reading I rose at once and went to the chamber of our dear invalid.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading LEE DREAMS OF PASSION-FLOWERS.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading "I am glad to see you, Miss Hyde," she said.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I am glad to see you, Miss Hyde," she said.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I rose at once and went to the chamber of our dear invalid.
someone who is incapacitated by a chronic illness or injury
From this reading I rose at once and went to the chamber of our dear invalid.
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading LEE DREAMS OF PASSION-FLOWERS.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "I am glad to see you, Miss Hyde," she said.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading MRS.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading LEE DREAMS OF PASSION-FLOWERS.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
on one occasion
From this reading I rose at once and went to the chamber of our dear invalid.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading I rose at once and went to the chamber of our dear invalid.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LEE DREAMS OF PASSION-FLOWERS.
plural of “pillow” — a cushion to support the head of a sleeping person
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading I rose at once and went to the chamber of our dear invalid.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I am glad to see you, Miss Hyde," she said.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I am glad to see you, Miss Hyde," she said.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
sustained or maintained by aid (as distinct from physical support)
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I rose at once and went to the chamber of our dear invalid.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I rose at once and went to the chamber of our dear invalid.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I rose at once and went to the chamber of our dear invalid.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She was lying on a sofa, supported by pillows, and looking with pleasure at the bouquet of wild flowers that had been placed on her table.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I am glad to see you, Miss Hyde," she said.
Chapter 17 of Wives and Widows by Ann S. (Ann Sophia) Stephens holds 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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 17 holds 168 sentences of Wives and Widows, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Wives and Widows by Ann S. (Ann Sophia) Stephens exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 34 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 17 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 Wives and Widows by Ann S. (Ann Sophia) Stephens on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7751 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36374 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #36374, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1551 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Wives and Widows section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Wives and Widows 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 Wives and Widows, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
