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The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I)
The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I)

Chapter XI

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Context Illustration Reading 1/74 · 5 lines
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HENRY JAMES.
_To Charles Eliot Norton._ _Dictated._ Lamb House, Rye.
26th December, 1898.
My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.
The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Letters of Henry James (Vol. I)

Chapter XI

Reading 1/74 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
HENRY JAMES.
Line 2
_To Charles Eliot Norton._ _Dictated._ Lamb House, Rye.
Line 3
26th December, 1898.
Line 4
My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.
Line 5
The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.”

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.”

Has auxiliary verb US /hæz/

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

From this reading “My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.”

Help noun US /help/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.”

Let auxiliary verb US /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading “My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.”

Myself pronoun US /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading “My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.”

Once noun US /once/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.”

Part noun US /part/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.”

Secret noun US /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading “My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.”

Seemed noun US /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.”

Silence noun US /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading “The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.”

All words in this reading · 69

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

1898

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From this reading 26th December, 1898.

26th

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From this reading 26th December, 1898.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

altogether

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

banker

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

cabinet

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

Charles

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

From this reading _To Charles Eliot Norton._ _Dictated._ Lamb House, Rye.

dear

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

December

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

From this reading 26th December, 1898.

declining

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From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

Dictated

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

From this reading _To Charles Eliot Norton._ _Dictated._ Lamb House, Rye.

dictating

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

dumbness

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

effect

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

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

Eliot

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

From this reading _To Charles Eliot Norton._ _Dictated._ Lamb House, Rye.

fact

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

finding

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

give

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

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

helpnounUS /help/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

HENRY

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

From this reading HENRY JAMES.

horrid

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

House

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

From this reading _To Charles Eliot Norton._ _Dictated._ Lamb House, Rye.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

indeed

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

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

JAMES

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

From this reading HENRY JAMES.

just

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

Lamb

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

From this reading _To Charles Eliot Norton._ _Dictated._ Lamb House, Rye.

Letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

letters

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

like

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

minister

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

Norton

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

From this reading _To Charles Eliot Norton._ _Dictated._ Lamb House, Rye.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

once

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

partnounUS /part/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

prolonged

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

proportion

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

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

really

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

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

reduced

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

rendered

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

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

Rye

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

From this reading _To Charles Eliot Norton._ _Dictated._ Lamb House, Rye.

say

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

seemednounUS /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

shyness

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

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

speech

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

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

stricken

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

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading _To Charles Eliot Norton._ _Dictated._ Lamb House, Rye.

turn

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

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

ugly

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The effect of this, in turn, has been to give me a great shyness about them--which has indeed stricken me with silence just in proportion as the help so rendered has seemed to myself really to minister to speech.

years

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

From this reading My dear Charles, ...Let me say at once that a great part of the secret of my horrid prolonged dumbness has been just this ugly fact of my finding myself reduced, in my declining years, like a banker or a cabinet minister, altogether to _dictating_ my letters.