Chapter 8 of Auld Licht Idyls is here in full — 63 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Auld Licht Idyls is here in full — 63 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
DAVIT LUNAN'S POLITICAL REMINISCENCES. When an election-day comes round now, it takes me back to the time of 1832. I would be eight or ten year old at that time. James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement. We was to go up to the hill to see them building the bonfire.
Chapter 8 of Auld Licht Idyls is here in full — 63 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
the thing arranged or agreed to
From this reading “James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.”
a large outdoor fire that is lighted as a signal or in celebration
From this reading “We was to go up to the hill to see them building the bonfire.”
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading “We was to go up to the hill to see them building the bonfire.”
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading “James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.”
according to the clock
From this reading “James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.”
involving or characteristic of politics or parties or politicians
From this reading “DAVIT LUNAN'S POLITICAL REMINISCENCES.”
plural of “reminiscence” — a mental impression retained and recalled from the past
From this reading “DAVIT LUNAN'S POLITICAL REMINISCENCES.”
a day of rest and worship: Sunday for most Christians; Saturday for the Jews and a few Christians; Friday for Muslims
From this reading “James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When an election-day comes round now, it takes me back to the time of 1832.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading When an election-day comes round now, it takes me back to the time of 1832.
the thing arranged or agreed to
From this reading James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I would be eight or ten year old at that time.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading When an election-day comes round now, it takes me back to the time of 1832.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I would be eight or ten year old at that time.
a large outdoor fire that is lighted as a signal or in celebration
From this reading We was to go up to the hill to see them building the bonfire.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading We was to go up to the hill to see them building the bonfire.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.
clothing in general
From this reading James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading When an election-day comes round now, it takes me back to the time of 1832.
a crane-like device (usually one of a pair) for suspending or lowering equipment (as a lifeboat)
From this reading DAVIT LUNAN'S POLITICAL REMINISCENCES.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.
being one more than seven
From this reading I would be eight or ten year old at that time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When an election-day comes round now, it takes me back to the time of 1832.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading We was to go up to the hill to see them building the bonfire.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading We was to go up to the hill to see them building the bonfire.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I would be eight or ten year old at that time.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When an election-day comes round now, it takes me back to the time of 1832.
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DAVIT LUNAN'S POLITICAL REMINISCENCES.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When an election-day comes round now, it takes me back to the time of 1832.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading When an election-day comes round now, it takes me back to the time of 1832.
according to the clock
From this reading James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When an election-day comes round now, it takes me back to the time of 1832.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading I would be eight or ten year old at that time.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading I would be eight or ten year old at that time.
involving or characteristic of politics or parties or politicians
From this reading DAVIT LUNAN'S POLITICAL REMINISCENCES.
plural of “reminiscence” — a mental impression retained and recalled from the past
From this reading DAVIT LUNAN'S POLITICAL REMINISCENCES.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading When an election-day comes round now, it takes me back to the time of 1832.
a day of rest and worship: Sunday for most Christians; Saturday for the Jews and a few Christians; Friday for Muslims
From this reading James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading We was to go up to the hill to see them building the bonfire.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.
plural of “take” — the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
From this reading When an election-day comes round now, it takes me back to the time of 1832.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading I would be eight or ten year old at that time.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I would be eight or ten year old at that time.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When an election-day comes round now, it takes me back to the time of 1832.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading We was to go up to the hill to see them building the bonfire.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading When an election-day comes round now, it takes me back to the time of 1832.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When an election-day comes round now, it takes me back to the time of 1832.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading We was to go up to the hill to see them building the bonfire.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading James Strachan was at the door by five o'clock in the morning in his Sabbath clothes, by arrangement.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We was to go up to the hill to see them building the bonfire.
at the time that
From this reading When an election-day comes round now, it takes me back to the time of 1832.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I would be eight or ten year old at that time.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading I would be eight or ten year old at that time.
Chapter 8 of Auld Licht Idyls by J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie holds 63 sentences, grouped into 13 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.
Chapter 8 holds 63 sentences of Auld Licht Idyls, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Auld Licht Idyls by J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 63 sentences, grouped into 13 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.
Work through the 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 13 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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.
Common questions about reading Auld Licht Idyls by J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1941 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8590 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #8590, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 161 minutes of reading across 389 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Auld Licht Idyls section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Auld Licht Idyls to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Auld Licht Idyls, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
