A Maid and a Million Men

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of A Maid and a Million Men is here in full — 563 sentences across 113 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By James G. (James Gerald) Dunton • Curated US English Learning Edition

Chapter 18 of A Maid and a Million Men by James G. (James Gerald) Dunton holds 563 sentences, grouped into 113 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.

What does chapter 18 of A Maid and a Million Men contain?

Chapter 18 holds 563 sentences of A Maid and a Million Men, unabridged, divided into 113 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of A Maid and a Million Men by James G. (James Gerald) Dunton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 563 sentences, grouped into 113 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.

How do I study chapter 18 of A Maid and a Million Men?

Work through the 113 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 113 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.

Can chapter 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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.

Questions about reading A Maid and a Million Men

Common questions about reading A Maid and a Million Men by James G. (James Gerald) Dunton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Maid and a Million Men?

Yes. All 5901 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45351 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Maid and a Million Men is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #45351, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Maid and a Million Men take to read?

About 491 minutes of reading across 1181 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Maid and a Million Men section by section

How to work through A Maid and a Million Men section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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Vocabulary met early in A Maid and a Million Men

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Maid and a Million Men, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Maiden: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Maid and a Million Men; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Prayer: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Maid and a Million Men; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Party: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Maid and a Million Men; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Heaven: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Maid and a Million Men; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Cover illustration for A Maid and a Million Men

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE BEST MAN WINS —1— Well, we got to Paris again and now I was Sergeant Major Canwick and the promotion came about as a result of Captain Winstead’s trying to get me a transfer.

He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

“Isn’t an old soldier entitled to any consideration in this army?” he asked the Captain.

“If I didn’t have Canwick, I wouldn’t have any staff at all.”

And the upshot of it was that I received a boost, in appreciation of my services.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XVIII Reading 1/113

A Maid and a Million Men James G. (James Gerald) Dunton

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of A Maid and a Million Men is here in full — 563 sentences across 113 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE BEST MAN WINS —1— Well, we got to Paris again and now I was Sergeant Major Canwick and the promotion came about as a result of Captain Winstead’s trying to get me a transfer. He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me. “Isn’t an old soldier entitled to any consideration in this army?” he asked the Captain. “If I didn’t have Canwick, I wouldn’t have any staff at all.” And the upshot of it was that I received a boost, in appreciation of my services.

A Maid and a Million Men

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of A Maid and a Million Men is here in full — 563 sentences across 113 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/113 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE BEST MAN WINS —1— Well, we got to Paris again and now I was Sergeant Major Canwick and the promotion came about as a result of Captain Winstead’s trying to get me a transfer.

Line 2

He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

Line 3

“Isn’t an old soldier entitled to any consideration in this army?” he asked the Captain.

Line 4

“If I didn’t have Canwick, I wouldn’t have any staff at all.”

Line 5

And the upshot of it was that I received a boost, in appreciation of my services.

Learner Dictionary

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, audio, and collocations from this reading.

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “THE BEST MAN WINS —1— Well, we got to Paris again and now I was Sergeant Major Canwick and the promotion came about as a result of Captain Winstead’s trying to get me a transfer.”

Along preposition US /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading “He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.”

Without preposition US /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading “He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.”

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.

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

From this reading THE BEST MAN WINS —1— Well, we got to Paris again and now I was Sergeant Major Canwick and the promotion came about as a result of Captain Winstead’s trying to get me a transfer.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

again

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

all

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

From this reading “If I didn’t have Canwick, I wouldn’t have any staff at all.”

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading “Isn’t an old soldier entitled to any consideration in this army?” he asked the Captain.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

any

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

From this reading “Isn’t an old soldier entitled to any consideration in this army?” he asked the Captain.

appreciation

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

From this reading And the upshot of it was that I received a boost, in appreciation of my services.

army

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

From this reading “Isn’t an old soldier entitled to any consideration in this army?” he asked the Captain.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

asked

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

From this reading “Isn’t an old soldier entitled to any consideration in this army?” he asked the Captain.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “If I didn’t have Canwick, I wouldn’t have any staff at all.”

Backett

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

From this reading He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

BEST

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

boost

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

From this reading And the upshot of it was that I received a boost, in appreciation of my services.

came

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

Canwick

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

Captain

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

consideration

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

From this reading “Isn’t an old soldier entitled to any consideration in this army?” he asked the Captain.

couldn't

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

From this reading He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

declared

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

From this reading He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

didn't

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

From this reading “If I didn’t have Canwick, I wouldn’t have any staff at all.”

discovered

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

From this reading He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

entitled

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

From this reading “Isn’t an old soldier entitled to any consideration in this army?” he asked the Captain.

General

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

From this reading He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

get

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

got

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

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “If I didn’t have Canwick, I wouldn’t have any staff at all.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “Isn’t an old soldier entitled to any consideration in this army?” he asked the Captain.

irrevocably

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

From this reading He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

Isn't

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

From this reading “Isn’t an old soldier entitled to any consideration in this army?” he asked the Captain.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

Major

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

MAN

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

mepronounUS /miː/

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

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading And the upshot of it was that I received a boost, in appreciation of my services.

now

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

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

old

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

From this reading “Isn’t an old soldier entitled to any consideration in this army?” he asked the Captain.

Paris

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

promotion

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

promptly

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

From this reading He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

received

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

From this reading And the upshot of it was that I received a boost, in appreciation of my services.

result

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

Sergeant

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

services

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

From this reading And the upshot of it was that I received a boost, in appreciation of my services.

soldier

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

From this reading “Isn’t an old soldier entitled to any consideration in this army?” he asked the Captain.

staff

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

From this reading “If I didn’t have Canwick, I wouldn’t have any staff at all.”

talk

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

From this reading He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading “Isn’t an old soldier entitled to any consideration in this army?” he asked the Captain.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

transfer

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

trying

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

upshot

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

From this reading And the upshot of it was that I received a boost, in appreciation of my services.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

Well

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

WINS

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

Winstead's

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

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading He discovered that he would have to talk to General Backett about it and the General promptly and irrevocably declared that he couldn’t get along without me.

wouldn't

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

From this reading “If I didn’t have Canwick, I wouldn’t have any staff at all.”

Chapter XVIII

What does chapter 18 of A Maid and a Million Men contain?

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Vocabulary met early in A Maid and a Million Men