jarndyce and jarndyce

This paper analyzes^°hard word the results from a think-aloud^°hard word reading study designed to test the reading comprehension^°hard word skills^°hard word of 85 English^°hard word majors from two regional^°hard word Kansas^°hard word universities^°hard word. From January to April of 2015, subjects participated^°hard word in a recorded, twenty-minute^°hard word reading session^°hard word in which they were asked to read the first seven paragraphs^°hard word of Charles^°hard word Dickens^°hard word’ Bleak^°hard word House out loud to a facilitator^°hard word and then^°hard word translate each sentence into plain English^°hard word. Before subjects started the reading tests, they were given^°hard word access^°hard word to online resources^°hard word and dictionaries^°hard word and advised^°hard word that they could also use their own cell phones as^°hard word a resource^°hard word. The facilitators^°hard word also assured^°hard word the subjects that were free to go at their own pace^°hard word and did not^°hard word have to finish reading all seven paragraphs^°hard word by the end of the exam. As^°hard word part of the study, each subject filled out a survey^°hard word collecting personal^°hard word data (class rank^°hard word, G.P.A., etc^°hard word.) and took a national^°hard word literacy^°hard word exam (the Degrees of Reading Power Test 10A). After the 85 taped^°hard word reading tests were completed^°hard word, the results were transcribed^°hard word and coded^°hard word.

London. Michaelmas^°hard word term lately over, and the Lord Chancellor^°hard word sitting^°hard word in Lincoln^°hard word’s Inn^°hard word Hall. Implacable^°hard word November weather. As^°hard word much mud^°hard word in the streets as^°hard word if the waters had but newly retired^°hard word from the face of the earth, and it would not^°hard word be wonderful^°hard word to meet a Megalosaurus^°hard word, forty feet^°hard word long or so, waddling^°hard word like an elephantine^°hard word lizard^°hard word up Holborn^°hard word Hill. Smoke lowering^°hard word down from chimney-pots^°hard word, making^°hard word a soft black drizzle^°hard word, with flakes^°hard word of soot^°hard word in it as^°hard word big as^°hard word full-grown^°hard word snowflakes^°hard word—gone into mourning^°hard word, one might imagine, for the death of the sun. Dogs, undistinguishable^°hard word in mire^°hard word. Horses, scarcely^°hard word better; splashed^°hard word to their very blinkers^°hard word. Foot passengers^°hard word, jostling^°hard word one another’s umbrellas in a general infection of ill temper^°hard word, and losing^°hard word their foot-hold^°hard word at street-corners^°hard word, where tens of thousands^°hard word of other foot passengers^°hard word have been slipping^°hard word and sliding^°hard word since^°hard word the day broke^°hard word (if this day ever^°hard word broke^°hard word), adding new deposits^°hard word to the crust^°hard word upon^°hard word crust^°hard word of mud^°hard word, sticking at those points tenaciously^°hard word to the pavement^°hard word, and accumulating^°hard word at compound^°hard word interest.

Fog everywhere. Fog up the river, where it flows^°hard word among green aits^°hard word and meadows^°hard word; fog down the river, where it rolls defiled^°hard word among the tiers^°hard word of shipping^°hard word and the waterside^°hard word pollutions^°hard word of a great (and dirty) city. Fog on the Essex^°hard word marshes^°hard word, fog on the Kentish^°hard word heights^°hard word. Fog creeping^°hard word into the cabooses^°hard word of collier-brigs^°hard word; fog lying^°hard word out on the yards and hovering^°hard word in the rigging^°hard word of great ships; fog drooping^°hard word on the gunwales^°hard word of barges^°hard word and small boats. Fog in the eyes and throats of ancient Greenwich^°hard word pensioners^°hard word, wheezing^°hard word by the firesides^°hard word of their wards^°hard word; fog in the stem and bowl of the afternoon pipe of the wrathful^°hard word skipper^°hard word, down in his close cabin^°hard word; fog cruelly pinching^°hard word the toes and fingers of his shivering^°hard word little ’prentice^°hard word boy on deck^°hard word. Chance people on the bridges peeping^°hard word over the parapets^°hard word into a nether^°hard word sky of fog, with fog all round them, as^°hard word if they were up in a balloon^°hard word and hanging in the misty^°hard word clouds.

Gas^°hard word looming^°hard word through the fog in divers^°hard word places in the streets, much as^°hard word the sun may, from the spongey^°hard word fields, be seen^°hard word to loom^°hard word by husbandman^°hard word and ploughboy^°hard word. Most of the shops lighted two hours before their time—as^°hard word the gas^°hard word seems to know, for it has a haggard^°hard word and unwilling^°hard word look.

The raw^°hard word afternoon is rawest^°hard word, and the dense^°hard word fog is densest^°hard word, and the muddy^°hard word streets are muddiest^°hard word near that leaden-headed^°hard word old obstruction^°hard word, appropriate^°hard word ornament for the threshold of a leaden-headed^°hard word old corporation^°hard word, Temple Bar^°hard word. And hard by Temple Bar^°hard word, in Lincoln^°hard word’s Inn^°hard word Hall, at the very heart of the fog, sits the Lord High Chancellor^°hard word in his High Court of Chancery^°hard word.

Never can there come fog too thick, never can there come mud^°hard word and mire^°hard word too deep, to assort^°hard word with the groping^°hard word and floundering^°hard word condition which this High Court of Chancery^°hard word, most pestilent^°hard word of hoary^°hard word sinners^°hard word, holds this day in the sight of heaven^°hard word and earth.

On such an afternoon, if ever^°hard word, the Lord High Chancellor^°hard word ought^°hard word to be sitting^°hard word here—as^°hard word here he is—with a foggy^°hard word glory^°hard word round his head, softly fenced^°hard word in with crimson^°hard word cloth and curtains, addressed^°hard word by a large advocate^°hard word with great whiskers^°hard word, a little voice, and an interminable^°hard word brief^°hard word, and outwardly^°hard word directing^°hard word his contemplation^°hard word to the lantern^°hard word in the roof, where he can see nothing but fog. On such an afternoon some score^°hard word of members^°hard word of the High Court of Chancery^°hard word bar^°hard word ought^°hard word to be—as^°hard word here they are—mistily^°hard word engaged^°hard word in one of the ten thousand^°hard word stages of an endless^°hard word cause, tripping^°hard word one another up on slippery^°hard word precedents^°hard word, groping^°hard word knee-deep^°hard word in technicalities^°hard word, running their goat-hair^°hard word and horsehair^°hard word warded^°hard word heads against walls of words and making^°hard word a pretence^°hard word of equity^°hard word with serious faces, as^°hard word players^°hard word might. On such an afternoon the various^°hard word solicitors^°hard word in the cause, some two or three of whom have inherited^°hard word it from their fathers, who made^°hard word a fortune^°hard word by it, ought^°hard word to be—as^°hard word are they not^°hard word?—ranged^°hard word in a line, in a long matted^°hard word well (but you might look in vain^°hard word for truth at the bottom of it) between the registrar^°hard word’s red table and the silk gowns^°hard word, with bills^°hard word, cross-bills^°hard word, answers, rejoinders^°hard word, injunctions^°hard word, affidavits^°hard word, issues^°hard word, references^°hard word to masters, masters’ reports, mountains of costly^°hard word nonsense^°hard word, piled^°hard word before them. Well may the court be dim, with wasting^°hard word candles here and there; well may the fog hang heavy in it, as^°hard word if it would never get out; well may the stained-glass^°hard word windows lose their colour^°hard word and admit^°hard word no light of day into the place; well may the uninitiated^°hard word from the streets, who peep^°hard word in through the glass panes^°hard word in the door, be deterred^°hard word from entrance^°hard word by its owlish^°hard word aspect^°hard word and by the drawl^°hard word, languidly^°hard word echoing^°hard word to the roof from the padded^°hard word dais^°hard word where the Lord High Chancellor^°hard word looks into the lantern^°hard word that has no light in it and where the attendant^°hard word wigs^°hard word are all stuck^°hard word in a fog-bank^°hard word! This is the Court of Chancery^°hard word, which has its decaying^°hard word houses and its blighted^°hard word lands in every shire^°hard word, which has its worn-out^°hard word lunatic^°hard word in every madhouse^°hard word and its dead in every churchyard^°hard word, which has its ruined suitor^°hard word with his slipshod^°hard word heels and threadbare^°hard word dress borrowing and begging^°hard word through the round of every man’s acquaintance^°hard word, which gives to monied^°hard word might the means abundantly^°hard word of wearying out the right, which so exhausts^°hard word finances^°hard word, patience^°hard word, courage, hope, so overthrows^°hard word the brain and breaks the heart, that there is not^°hard word an honourable^°hard word man among its practitioners^°hard word who would not^°hard word give—who does not^°hard word often give—the warning, “Suffer any wrong that can be done^°hard word you rather than come here!”

Who happen to be in the Lord Chancellor^°hard word’s court this murky^°hard word afternoon besides the Lord Chancellor^°hard word, the counsel^°hard word in the cause, two or three counsel^°hard word who are never in any cause, and the well of solicitors^°hard word before mentioned? There is the registrar^°hard word below the judge, in wig^°hard word and gown^°hard word; and there are two or three maces^°hard word, or petty-bags^°hard word, or privy^°hard word purses, or whatever^°hard word they may be, in legal^°hard word court suits. These are all yawning^°hard word, for no crumb^°hard word of amusement ever^°hard word falls from Jarndyce^°hard word and Jarndyce^°hard word (the cause in hand), which was squeezed^°hard word dry years upon^°hard word years ago. The short-hand^°hard word writers, the reporters^°hard word of the court, and the reporters^°hard word of the newspapers^°hard word invariably^°hard word decamp^°hard word with the rest of the regulars when Jarndyce^°hard word and Jarndyce^°hard word comes on. Their places are a blank^°hard word. Standing on a seat at the side of the hall, the better to peer^°hard word into the curtained sanctuary^°hard word, is a little mad old woman in a squeezed^°hard word bonnet^°hard word who is always in court, from its sitting^°hard word to its rising^°hard word, and always expecting some incomprehensible^°hard word judgment^°hard word to be given^°hard word in her favour^°hard word. Some say she really is, or was, a party to a suit, but no one knows for certain because no one cares. She carries some small litter^°hard word in a reticule^°hard word which she calls her documents^°hard word, principally^°hard word consisting^°hard word of paper matches and dry lavender^°hard word. A sallow^°hard word prisoner has come up, in custody^°hard word, for the half-dozenth^°hard word time to make a personal^°hard word application^°hard word “to purge^°hard word himself^°hard word of his contempt^°hard word,” which, being a solitary^°hard word surviving^°hard word executor^°hard word who has fallen^°hard word into a state of conglomeration^°hard word about accounts of which it is not^°hard word pretended^°hard word that he had ever^°hard word any knowledge, he is not^°hard word at all likely ever^°hard word to do. In the meantime^°hard word his prospects^°hard word in life are ended. Another ruined suitor^°hard word, who periodically^°hard word appears from Shropshire^°hard word and breaks out into efforts to address^°hard word the Chancellor^°hard word at the close of the day’s business and who can by no means be made^°hard word to understand that the Chancellor^°hard word is legally^°hard word ignorant^°hard word of his existence after making^°hard word it desolate^°hard word for a quarter of a century, plants himself^°hard word in a good place and keeps an eye on the judge, ready to call out “My Lord!” in a voice of sonorous^°hard word complaint^°hard word on the instant^°hard word of his rising^°hard word. A few lawyers’ clerks^°hard word and others who know this suitor^°hard word by sight linger^°hard word on the chance of his furnishing^°hard word some fun^°hard word and enlivening^°hard word the dismal^°hard word weather a little.

Jarndyce^°hard word and Jarndyce^°hard word drones^°hard word on. This scarecrow^°hard word of a suit has, in course of time, become so complicated^°hard word that no man alive knows what it means. The parties to it understand it least, but it has been observed^°hard word that no two Chancery^°hard word lawyers can talk about it for five minutes without coming^°hard word to a total^°hard word disagreement^°hard word as^°hard word to all the premises^°hard word. Innumerable^°hard word children^°hard word have been born^°hard word into the cause; innumerable^°hard word young people have married into it; innumerable^°hard word old people have died^°hard word out of it. Scores^°hard word of persons have deliriously^°hard word found^°hard word themselves^°hard word made^°hard word parties in Jarndyce^°hard word and Jarndyce^°hard word without knowing how or why; whole^°hard word families have inherited^°hard word legendary^°hard word hatreds^°hard word with the suit. The little plaintiff^°hard word or defendant^°hard word who was promised^°hard word a new rocking-horse^°hard word when Jarndyce^°hard word and Jarndyce^°hard word should be settled^°hard word has grown^°hard word up, possessed^°hard word himself^°hard word of a real horse, and trotted^°hard word away into the other world^°hard word. Fair wards^°hard word of court have faded^°hard word into mothers and grandmothers; a long procession^°hard word of Chancellors^°hard word has come in and gone out; the legion^°hard word of bills^°hard word in the suit have been transformed into mere^°hard word bills^°hard word of mortality^°hard word; there are not^°hard word three Jarndyces^°hard word left upon^°hard word the earth perhaps since^°hard word old Tom^°hard word Jarndyce^°hard word in despair^°hard word blew^°hard word his brains out at a coffee-house^°hard word in Chancery^°hard word Lane^°hard word; but Jarndyce^°hard word and Jarndyce^°hard word still drags^°hard word its dreary^°hard word length before the court, perennially^°hard word hopeless^°hard word.

Jarndyce^°hard word and Jarndyce^°hard word has passed into a joke. That is the only good that has ever^°hard word come of it. It has been death to many, but it is a joke in the profession^°hard word. Every master in Chancery^°hard word has had a reference^°hard word out of it. Every Chancellor^°hard word was “in it,” for somebody^°hard word or other, when he was counsel^°hard word at the bar^°hard word. Good things have been said^°hard word about it by blue-nosed^°hard word, bulbous-shoed^°hard word old benchers^°hard word in select^°hard word port-wine^°hard word committee after dinner in hall. Articled^°hard word clerks^°hard word have been in the habit^°hard word of fleshing their legal^°hard word wit^°hard word upon^°hard word it. The last Lord Chancellor^°hard word handled^°hard word it neatly^°hard word, when, correcting Mr^°hard word. Blowers^°hard word, the eminent^°hard word silk gown^°hard word who said^°hard word that such a thing might happen when the sky rained potatoes^°hard word, he observed^°hard word, “or when we get through Jarndyce^°hard word and Jarndyce^°hard word, Mr^°hard word. Blowers^°hard word”—a pleasantry^°hard word that particularly tickled^°hard word the maces^°hard word, bags, and purses.

How many people out of the suit Jarndyce^°hard word and Jarndyce^°hard word has stretched forth its unwholesome^°hard word hand to spoil^°hard word and corrupt^°hard word would be a very wide question. From the master upon^°hard word whose impaling^°hard word files^°hard word reams^°hard word of dusty^°hard word warrants^°hard word in Jarndyce^°hard word and Jarndyce^°hard word have grimly^°hard word writhed^°hard word into many shapes, down to the copying-clerk^°hard word in the Six Clerks^°hard word’ Office who has copied his tens of thousands^°hard word of Chancery^°hard word folio-pages^°hard word under that eternal^°hard word heading, no man’s nature has been made^°hard word better by it. In trickery^°hard word, evasion^°hard word, procrastination^°hard word, spoliation^°hard word, botheration^°hard word, under false pretences^°hard word of all sorts, there are influences^°hard word that can never come to good. The very solicitors^°hard word’ boys who have kept^°hard word the wretched^°hard word suitors^°hard word at bay^°hard word, by protesting time out of mind that Mr^°hard word. Chizzle^°hard word, Mizzle^°hard word, or otherwise was particularly engaged^°hard word and had appointments^°hard word until dinner, may have got an extra^°hard word moral^°hard word twist and shuffle^°hard word into themselves^°hard word out of Jarndyce^°hard word and Jarndyce^°hard word. The receiver^°hard word in the cause has acquired^°hard word a goodly sum^°hard word of money by it but has acquired^°hard word too a distrust^°hard word of his own mother and a contempt^°hard word for his own kind. Chizzle^°hard word, Mizzle^°hard word, and otherwise have lapsed^°hard word into a habit^°hard word of vaguely^°hard word promising^°hard word themselves^°hard word that they will look into that outstanding^°hard word little matter and see what can be done^°hard word for Drizzle^°hard word—who was not^°hard word well used^°hard word—when Jarndyce^°hard word and Jarndyce^°hard word shall be got out of the office. Shirking^°hard word and sharking in all their many varieties^°hard word have been sown^°hard word broadcast^°hard word by the ill-fated^°hard word cause; and even those who have contemplated^°hard word its history from the outermost^°hard word circle of such evil have been insensibly^°hard word tempted^°hard word into a loose way of letting^°hard word bad things alone to take their own bad course, and a loose belief that if the world^°hard word go wrong it was in some off-hand^°hard word manner never meant^°hard word to go right.

Thus, in the midst^°hard word of the mud^°hard word and at the heart of the fog, sits the Lord High Chancellor^°hard word in his High Court of Chancery^°hard word.