A Man of Samples. Something about the men he

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By William H. Maher • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for A Man of Samples. Something about the men he

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

Where should I go next?

A sign farther down the street said “Hardware,” so I started down that way.

A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

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 II Reading 1/13

A Man of Samples. Something about the men he William H. Maher

Chapter II

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

When Mr. Jordan gave me the order for six “bull-dog” revolvers, I felt that I had made a conquest; I went carefully through my list, adding something here and there, until I had made a very pretty bill with him. So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms. Where should I go next? A sign farther down the street said “Hardware,” so I started down that way. A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

A Man of Samples. Something about the men he

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

/soʊ ˌɔːlˈðoʊ hiː met miː æz ɪf hiː ˈwɔːntɪd tuː pʌntʃ miː ɪn ðə hed wiː ˈpɑːrtɪd ɑːn ðə best ʌv tɜːrmz/

Line 3

Where should I go next?

/wer ʃʊd aɪ ɡoʊ nekst/

Line 4

A sign farther down the street said “Hardware,” so I started down that way.

/ə saɪn ˈfɑːrðər daʊn ðə striːt sed ˈhɑːrdwer soʊ aɪ ˈstɑːrtɪd daʊn ðæt weɪ/

Line 5

A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

/ə mæn huː ˈkæriz ə mɪkst stɑːk ɪz ˈiːziər tuː sel ɡʊdz tuː ðæn ɪz ðə mæn huː meɪks ə ˈspeʃəlti ʌv wʌn laɪn/

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, and audio.

adding verb US /ˈædɪŋ/

-ing form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading “When Mr. Jordan gave me the order for six “bull-dog” revolvers, I felt that I had made a conquest; I went carefully through my list, adding something here and there, until I had made a very pretty bill with him.”

carries noun US /ˈkæriz/

plural of “carry” — the act of carrying something

From this reading “A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.”

conquest noun US /ˈkɑːŋkwest/

the act of conquering

Hardware noun US /ˈhɑːrdwer/

major items of military weaponry (as tanks or missile)

From this reading “A sign farther down the street said “Hardware,” so I started down that way.”

Jordan noun US /ˈdʒɔːrdən/

a river in Palestine that empties into the Dead Sea; John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan

punch verb US /pʌntʃ/

deliver a quick blow to

From this reading “So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.”

revolvers noun US /rɪˈvɑːlvərz/

plural of “revolver” — a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets)

specialty noun US /ˈspeʃəlti/

an asset of special worth or utility

From this reading “A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.”

All words in this reading · 77

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading When Mr. Jordan gave me the order for six “bull-dog” revolvers, I felt that I had made a conquest; I went carefully through my list, adding something here and there, until I had made a very pretty bill with him.

addingverbUS /ˈædɪŋ/

-ing form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

billnounUS /bɪl/

a statute in draft before it becomes law

bull-dog

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

carefullyadverbUS /ˈkerfəli/

taking care or paying attention

carriesnounUS /ˈkæriz/

plural of “carry” — the act of carrying something

From this reading A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

conquestnounUS /ˈkɑːŋkwest/

the act of conquering

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading A sign farther down the street said “Hardware,” so I started down that way.

easieradjectiveUS /ˈiːziər/

comparative of “easy” — posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

fartheradjectiveUS /ˈfɑːrðər/

more distant in especially space or time

From this reading A sign farther down the street said “Hardware,” so I started down that way.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Where should I go next?

goodsnounUS /ɡʊdz/

plural of “good” — benefit

From this reading A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

HardwarenounUS /ˈhɑːrdwer/

major items of military weaponry (as tanks or missile)

From this reading A sign farther down the street said “Hardware,” so I started down that way.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

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 So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

JordannounUS /ˈdʒɔːrdən/

a river in Palestine that empties into the Dead Sea; John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

listverbUS /lɪst/

give or make a list of; name individually; give the names of

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

makesnounUS /meɪks/

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

metverbUS /met/

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

mixedadjectiveUS /mɪkst/

consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds

From this reading A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading Where should I go next?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

partedadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːrtɪd/

having a margin incised almost to the base so as to create distinct divisions or lobes

From this reading So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

punchverbUS /pʌntʃ/

deliver a quick blow to

From this reading So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

revolversnounUS /rɪˈvɑːlvərz/

plural of “revolver” — a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets)

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading A sign farther down the street said “Hardware,” so I started down that way.

sellverbUS /sel/

exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent

From this reading A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading Where should I go next?

signnounUS /saɪn/

a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading A sign farther down the street said “Hardware,” so I started down that way.

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

specialtynounUS /ˈspeʃəlti/

an asset of special worth or utility

From this reading A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading A sign farther down the street said “Hardware,” so I started down that way.

stocknounUS /stɑːk/

the capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares entitling holders to an ownership interest

From this reading A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading A sign farther down the street said “Hardware,” so I started down that way.

termsnounUS /tɜːrmz/

status with respect to the relations between people or groups

From this reading So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading A sign farther down the street said “Hardware,” so I started down that way.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading So, although he met me as if he wanted to punch me in the head, we parted on the best of terms.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Where should I go next?

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading A man who carries a mixed stock is easier to sell goods to than is the man who makes a specialty of one line.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

Chapter 2 of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he by William H. Maher holds 68 sentences, grouped into 14 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 2 of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he contain?

Chapter 2 holds 68 sentences of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he by William H. Maher exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 68 sentences, grouped into 14 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 2 of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Man of Samples. Something about the men he

Common questions about reading A Man of Samples. Something about the men he by William H. Maher on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he?

Yes. All 2932 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6132 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6132, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Man of Samples. Something about the men he take to read?

About 244 minutes of reading across 587 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Man of Samples. Something about the men he section by section

How to work through A Man of Samples. Something about the men he section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 25 chapters of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A Man of Samples. Something about the men he

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Man of Samples. Something about the men he, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Start: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Midnight: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Good-by: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Orders: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter II · Chapter 2

What does chapter 2 of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he contain?

How do I study chapter 2 of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he?

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading A Man of Samples. Something about the men he

How to read A Man of Samples. Something about the men he section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in A Man of Samples. Something about the men he