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

Chapter XXII · Chapter 22

Chapter 22 of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Man of Samples. Something about the men he
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.
We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.
It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.
Some buyers meet one pleasantly, and are perhaps all the more disappointing.
Their manner seems to promise success, but the result is failure.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Man of Samples. Something about the men he

Chapter XXII · Chapter 22

Chapter 22 of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.
/ɪn ə ˈtrævəlɪŋ mænz ɪkˈspɪriəns noʊ tuː deɪz ɑːr ɪɡˈzæktli əˈlaɪk ənd jet ðer ɪz ə məˈnɑːtəni ɪn ðə ˈstɔːri ʌv ə trɪp bɪˈkɔːz ðə ˈhɪstəri ʌv wʌn deɪ ɪz soʊ mʌtʃ laɪk ðə ˈhɪstəri ʌv ˈevriˈdeɪ/
Line 2
We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.
/wiː sel tuː ˈdɪfərənt men ɪn ˈdɪfərənt taʊnz bʌt ðə ˈɑːrɡjəmənts ɑːn boʊθ saɪdz ɑːr ˈveri mʌtʃ ðə seɪm wɪð ɔːl men/
Line 3
It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.
/ɪt ɪz bʌt ˈrerli ðæt ə ˈmɜːr.tʃənt ədˈmɪts ðæt hiː niːdz ˈeniθɪŋ ɪn ˈaʊər laɪn ənˈtɪl ˈæftər ə ˈsɜːrtən əˈmaʊnt ʌv prɪˈlɪməneri ˈkoʊksɪŋ ənd hiː ˈnevər ədˈmɪts ðæt ˈpraɪsəz ɑːr loʊ ɪˈnʌf/
Line 4
Some buyers meet one pleasantly, and are perhaps all the more disappointing.
/sʌm ˈbaɪərz miːt wʌn ˈplezəntli ənd ɑːr pərˈhæps ɔːl ðə mɔːr ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪŋ/
Line 5
Their manner seems to promise success, but the result is failure.
/ðer ˈmænər siːmz tuː ˈprɑːməs səkˈses bʌt ðə rɪˈzʌlt ɪz ˈfeɪljər/

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.

admits verb US /ədˈmɪts/

third-person singular of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading “It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.”

buyers noun US /ˈbaɪərz/

plural of “buyer” — a person who buys

From this reading “Some buyers meet one pleasantly, and are perhaps all the more disappointing.”

coaxing adjective US /ˈkoʊksɪŋ/

pleasingly persuasive or intended to persuade

From this reading “It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.”

disappointing adjective US /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪŋ/

not up to expectations

From this reading “Some buyers meet one pleasantly, and are perhaps all the more disappointing.”

everyday adjective US /ˈevriˈdeɪ/

found in the ordinary course of events

From this reading “In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.”

monotony noun US /məˈnɑːtəni/

the quality of wearisome constancy, routine, and lack of variety

From this reading “In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.”

preliminary adjective US /prɪˈlɪməneri/

denoting an action or event preceding or in preparation for something more important

From this reading “It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.”

prices noun US /ˈpraɪsəz/

plural of “price” — the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)

From this reading “It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.”

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 In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

admitsverbUS /ədˈmɪts/

third-person singular of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

alikeadverbUS /əˈlaɪk/

equally

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.

amountnounUS /əˈmaʊnt/

a quantity of money

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

argumentsnounUS /ˈɑːrɡjəmənts/

plural of “argument” — a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true

From this reading We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.

buyersnounUS /ˈbaɪərz/

plural of “buyer” — a person who buys

From this reading Some buyers meet one pleasantly, and are perhaps all the more disappointing.

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

coaxingadjectiveUS /ˈkoʊksɪŋ/

pleasingly persuasive or intended to persuade

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

differentadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfərənt/

unlike in nature or quality or form or degree

From this reading We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.

disappointingadjectiveUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪŋ/

not up to expectations

From this reading Some buyers meet one pleasantly, and are perhaps all the more disappointing.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

everydayadjectiveUS /ˈevriˈdeɪ/

found in the ordinary course of events

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

exactlyadverbUS /ɪɡˈzæktli/

indicating exactness or preciseness

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

experienceverbUS /ɪkˈspɪriəns/

undergo or live through a difficult experience

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

failurenounUS /ˈfeɪljər/

an act that fails

From this reading Their manner seems to promise success, but the result is failure.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

historynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/

the aggregate of past events

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

man'snounUS /mænz/

possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Their manner seems to promise success, but the result is failure.

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading Some buyers meet one pleasantly, and are perhaps all the more disappointing.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.

merchantnounUS /ˈmɜːr.tʃənt/

A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

monotonynounUS /məˈnɑːtəni/

the quality of wearisome constancy, routine, and lack of variety

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Some buyers meet one pleasantly, and are perhaps all the more disappointing.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

needsadverbUS /niːdz/

in such a manner as could not be otherwise

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading Some buyers meet one pleasantly, and are perhaps all the more disappointing.

pleasantlyadverbUS /ˈplezəntli/

in a cheerful manner

From this reading Some buyers meet one pleasantly, and are perhaps all the more disappointing.

preliminaryadjectiveUS /prɪˈlɪməneri/

denoting an action or event preceding or in preparation for something more important

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

pricesnounUS /ˈpraɪsəz/

plural of “price” — the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

promiseverbUS /ˈprɑːməs/

make a promise or commitment

From this reading Their manner seems to promise success, but the result is failure.

rarelyadverbUS /ˈrerli/

not often

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

resultnounUS /rɪˈzʌlt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading Their manner seems to promise success, but the result is failure.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.

seemsverbUS /siːmz/

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Their manner seems to promise success, but the result is failure.

sellverbUS /sel/

exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent

From this reading We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.

sidesnounUS /saɪdz/

plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

SomeadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Some buyers meet one pleasantly, and are perhaps all the more disappointing.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

successnounUS /səkˈses/

an event that accomplishes its intended purpose

From this reading Their manner seems to promise success, but the result is failure.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

TheirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Their manner seems to promise success, but the result is failure.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.

townsnounUS /taʊnz/

plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.

travelingnounUS /ˈtrævəlɪŋ/

the act of going from one place to another

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

tripnounUS /trɪp/

a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading It is but rarely that a merchant admits that he needs anything in our line until after a certain amount of preliminary coaxing, and he never admits that prices are low enough.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading We sell to different men in different towns but the arguments on both sides are very much the same with all men.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading In a traveling man's experience no two days are exactly alike, and yet there is a monotony in the story of a trip because the history of one day is so much like the history of everyday.

Chapter 22 of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he by William H. Maher holds 115 sentences, grouped into 23 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 22 of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he contain?

Chapter 22 holds 115 sentences of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 22 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 115 sentences, grouped into 23 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 22 of A Man of Samples. Something about the men he?

Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 23 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 22 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 22 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.

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

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

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

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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.

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  3. 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.