text_original: The cheerful cordiality and homely courtesies of his maturer age were a marked contrast to the cold, ungenial reserve of earlier days ; and those who find his real character hard to read may see perhaps a fitting symbol of it in the figure of the Sphinx which he wore upon his signet ring.
text_transcription: THE CHEERFUL CORDIALITY AND HOMELY COURTESIES OF HIS MATURER AGE WERE A MARKED CONTRAST TO THE COLD UNGENIAL RESERVE OF EARLIER DAYS AND THOSE WHO FIND HIS REAL CHARACTER HARD TO READ MAY SEE PERHAPS A FITTING SYMBOL FOR IT IN THE FIGURE OF THE SPHINX WHICH HE WORE UPON HIS SIGNET RING
phonemes: ðə tʃˈɪɹfəl kˌɔːɹdɪˈælᵻɾi ænd hˈoʊmli kˈɜːɾəsiz ʌv hɪz mətʃˈʊɹɹɚɹ ˈeɪdʒ wɜːɹ ɐ mˈɑːɹkt kˈɑːntɹæst tə ðə kˈoʊld, ʌndʒˈiːnɪəl ɹɪzˈɜːv ʌv ˈɜːlɪɚ dˈeɪz ; ænd ðoʊz hˌuː fˈaɪnd hɪz ɹˈiːəl kˈæɹɪktɚ hˈɑːɹd tə ɹˈiːd mˈeɪ sˈiː pɚhˈæps ɐ fˈɪɾɪŋ sˈɪmbəl ʌv ɪɾ ɪnðə fˈɪɡjɚɹ ʌvðə sfˈɪŋks wˌɪtʃ hiː wˈɔːɹ əpˌɑːn hɪz sˈɪɡnɪt ɹˈɪŋ.