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A Soldier's Son
A Soldier's Son

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A Soldier's Son is here in full — 6 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/1 · 6 lines
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BOSTON : MASS.
To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.
NOTE.
The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.
"We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down.
* * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Soldier's Son

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A Soldier's Son is here in full — 6 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/1 · 6 reading units · Lines 1–6

Line 1
BOSTON : MASS.
/ˈbɑːstən mæs/
Line 2
To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.
Line 3
NOTE.
/noʊt/
Line 4
The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.
/ðə ˈɔːθər ˈwɪʃɪz tuː steɪt ðæt noʊ keɪs ʌv ˈkrɪstʃən ˈsaɪəns ˈhiːlɪŋ hæz bɪn ˈsaɪtəd ɪn ðɪs ˈstɔːri bʌt sʌtʃ æz ʃiː hæz noʊn ʌv ə ˈperəlel keɪs ɪn riːl laɪf/
Line 5
"We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down.
Line 6
* * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._
/ðə ˈhiːlɪŋ ʌv ðə ˈsiːmləs dres ɪz baɪ ˈaʊər bedz ʌv peɪn wiː tʌtʃ hɪm ɪn laɪfs θrɔːŋ ənd pres ənd wiː ɑːr hoʊl əˈɡen dʒeɪ dʒiː ˈwɪtiər/

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.

cited verb US /ˈsaɪtəd/

past form of “cite” — make reference to

From this reading “The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.”

healing noun US /ˈhiːlɪŋ/

the natural process by which the body repairs itself

From this reading “The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.”

inscribed adjective US /ˌɪnˈskraɪbd/

written (by handwriting, printing, engraving, or carving) on or in a surface

From this reading “To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.”

life's noun US /laɪfs/

possessive form of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

lovingly adverb US /ˈlʌvɪŋli/

with fondness; with love

From this reading “To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.”

parallel noun US /ˈperəlel/

something having the property of being analogous to something else

From this reading “The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.”

seamless adjective US /ˈsiːmləs/

not having or joined by a seam or seams

From this reading “* * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._”

Whittier noun US /ˈwɪtiər/

United States poet best known for his nostalgic poems about New England (1807-1892)

From this reading “* * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

real life adjective + noun

the practical world as opposed to the academic world

In this reading “The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.”

little book adjective + noun

In this reading “To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.”

by the author preposition + article + noun counted as “by … author”

In this reading “To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.”

All words in this reading · 66

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 The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading * * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading * * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

authornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.

bedsnounUS /bedz/

plural of “bed” — a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading * * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.

BOSTONnounUS /ˈbɑːstən/

state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services

From this reading BOSTON : MASS.

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading "We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.

casenounUS /keɪs/

an occurrence of something

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.

ChristnounUS /kraɪst/

a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)

From this reading "We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down.

ChristianadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪstʃən/

relating to or characteristic of Christianity

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

citedverbUS /ˈsaɪtəd/

past form of “cite” — make reference to

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

climbverbUS /klaɪm/

go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading "We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading "We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down.

dressverbUS /dres/

put on clothes

From this reading * * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._

GnounUS /dʒiː/

a metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram

From this reading * * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

healingnounUS /ˈhiːlɪŋ/

the natural process by which the body repairs itself

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

heavenlyadjectiveUS /ˈhevənli/

relating to or inhabiting a divine heaven

From this reading "We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down.

HimpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading * * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.

inscribedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈskraɪbd/

written (by handwriting, printing, engraving, or carving) on or in a surface

From this reading To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.

JnounUS /dʒeɪ/

a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second

From this reading * * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

life'snounUS /laɪfs/

possessive form of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading * * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading "We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down.

lovinglyadverbUS /ˈlʌvɪŋli/

with fondness; with love

From this reading To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.

MASSnounUS /mæs/

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

From this reading BOSTON : MASS.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down.

NOTEnounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading NOTE.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading * * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._

painnounUS /peɪn/

a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder

From this reading * * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._

parallelnounUS /ˈperəlel/

something having the property of being analogous to something else

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

pressverbUS /pres/

exert pressure or force to or upon

From this reading * * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._

realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

SciencenounUS /ˈsaɪəns/

a particular branch of scientific knowledge

From this reading To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.

seamlessadjectiveUS /ˈsiːmləs/

not having or joined by a seam or seams

From this reading * * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

steeps

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

From this reading "We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down.

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 The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.

throngnounUS /θrɔːŋ/

a large gathering of people

From this reading * * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.

touchverbUS /tʌtʃ/

make physical contact with, come in contact with

From this reading * * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._

trustinglyadverb

with trust; in a trusting manner

From this reading To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down.

WhittiernounUS /ˈwɪtiər/

United States poet best known for his nostalgic poems about New England (1807-1892)

From this reading * * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading * * * * * The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life’s throng and press, And we are whole again." --_J. G. Whittier._

wishesnounUS /ˈwɪʃɪz/

plural of “wish” — a specific feeling of desire

From this reading The Author wishes to state that no case of Christian Science healing has been cited in this story but such as she has known of a parallel case in real life.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading To the children in years, and the children in Science, this little book is trustingly and lovingly inscribed by the author.

Chapter 1 of A Soldier's Son by Maude Mary Butler holds 6 sentences, grouped into 2 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 1 of A Soldier's Son contain?

Chapter 1 holds 6 sentences of A Soldier's Son, unabridged, divided into 2 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of A Soldier's Son by Maude Mary Butler exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 6 sentences, grouped into 2 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 1 of A Soldier's Son?

Work through the 2 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 2 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Soldier's Son

Common questions about reading A Soldier's Son by Maude Mary Butler on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Soldier's Son?

Yes. All 2665 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39538 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Soldier's Son is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #39538, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Soldier's Son take to read?

About 222 minutes of reading across 533 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Soldier's Son section by section

How to work through A Soldier's Son section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 27 chapters of A Soldier's Son to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in A Soldier's Son

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Soldier's Son, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Boston
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Soldier's Son; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Children
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Soldier's Son; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Years
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Soldier's Son; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Science
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Soldier's Son; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.