Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Auld Licht Idyls
Auld Licht Idyls

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of Auld Licht Idyls is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Auld Licht Idyls
Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LITTLE RATHIE'S BURAL.”
Devout-under-difficulties would have been the name of Lang Tammas had he been of Covenanting times.
So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's bural.”
As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and lum hat (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.
Let it not be thought that Tammas had asked me to Little Rathie's funeral on his own responsibility.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

Auld Licht Idyls

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of Auld Licht Idyls is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LITTLE RATHIE'SBURAL.”
Line 2
Devout-under-difficulties would have been the name of Lang Tammas had he been of Covenanting times.
Line 3
So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie'sbural.”
Line 4
As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat andlum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.
Line 5
Let it not be thought that Tammas had asked me to Little Rathie's funeral on his own responsibility.

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.

Auld adjective US /ɔːld/

a Scottish word

From this reading “As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.”

decorum noun US /dɪˈkɔːrəm/

propriety in manners and conduct

From this reading “As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.”

flapped verb US /flæpt/

inflected form of “flap” — move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion

From this reading “As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.”

funerals noun US /ˈfjuːnərəlz/

plural of “funeral” — a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated

From this reading “As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.”

ignominy noun US /ˈɪɡnoʊmɪni/

a state of dishonor

From this reading “As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.”

kirk noun US /kɜːrk/

a Scottish church

From this reading “As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.”

sideways adverb US /ˈsaɪdweɪz/

with one side forward or to the front

From this reading “As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.”

wintry adjective US /ˈwɪntri/

characteristic of or occurring in winter

From this reading “So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.””

All words in this reading · 87

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 As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

anglenounUS /ˈæŋɡəl/

the space between two lines or planes that intersect; the inclination of one line to another; measured in degrees or radians

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

askverbUS /æsk/

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading Let it not be thought that Tammas had asked me to Little Rathie's funeral on his own responsibility.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

AuldadjectiveUS /ɔːld/

a Scottish word

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Devout-under-difficulties would have been the name of Lang Tammas had he been of Covenanting times.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

bottomnounUS /ˈbɑːtəm/

the lower side of anything

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

BURAL

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

From this reading LITTLE RATHIE'S “BURAL.”

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

buttonnounUS /ˈbʌtən/

a round fastener sewn to shirts and coats etc to fit through buttonholes

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

chimney-pot

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

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

coatnounUS /koʊt/

an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

companynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

Covenanting

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

From this reading Devout-under-difficulties would have been the name of Lang Tammas had he been of Covenanting times.

decorumnounUS /dɪˈkɔːrəm/

propriety in manners and conduct

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

Devout-under-difficulties

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

From this reading Devout-under-difficulties would have been the name of Lang Tammas had he been of Covenanting times.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

droppedverbUS /drɑːpt/

inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

eternaladjectiveUS /ɪˈtɜːrnəl/

continuing forever or indefinitely

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

farmernounUS /ˈfɑːrmər/

a person who operates a farm

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

flappedverbUS /flæpt/

inflected form of “flap” — move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

funeralnounUS /ˈfjuːnərəl/

a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated

From this reading Let it not be thought that Tammas had asked me to Little Rathie's funeral on his own responsibility.

funeralsnounUS /ˈfjuːnərəlz/

plural of “funeral” — a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Devout-under-difficulties would have been the name of Lang Tammas had he been of Covenanting times.

hatnounUS /hæt/

headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Devout-under-difficulties would have been the name of Lang Tammas had he been of Covenanting times.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Devout-under-difficulties would have been the name of Lang Tammas had he been of Covenanting times.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

holdverbUS /hoʊld/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

horsesnounUS /ˈhɔːrsəz/

plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

ignominynounUS /ˈɪɡnoʊmɪni/

a state of dishonor

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

kirknounUS /kɜːrk/

a Scottish church

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

Lang

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

From this reading Devout-under-difficulties would have been the name of Lang Tammas had he been of Covenanting times.

Letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Let it not be thought that Tammas had asked me to Little Rathie's funeral on his own responsibility.

Licht

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

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

LITTLEadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading LITTLE RATHIE'S “BURAL.”

lum

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

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Let it not be thought that Tammas had asked me to Little Rathie's funeral on his own responsibility.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Devout-under-difficulties would have been the name of Lang Tammas had he been of Covenanting times.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Let it not be thought that Tammas had asked me to Little Rathie's funeral on his own responsibility.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Devout-under-difficulties would have been the name of Lang Tammas had he been of Covenanting times.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Let it not be thought that Tammas had asked me to Little Rathie's funeral on his own responsibility.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Let it not be thought that Tammas had asked me to Little Rathie's funeral on his own responsibility.

pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/

a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

rashnounUS /ræʃ/

any red eruption of the skin

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

RATHIE'S

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

From this reading LITTLE RATHIE'S “BURAL.”

relaxedadjectiveUS /rɪˈlækst/

without strain or anxiety

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

reservedadjectiveUS /rɪˈzɜːrvd/

set aside for the use of a particular person or party

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

responsibilitynounUS /riˌspɑːnsəˈbɪləti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading Let it not be thought that Tammas had asked me to Little Rathie's funeral on his own responsibility.

school-house

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

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

sidewaysadverbUS /ˈsaɪdweɪz/

with one side forward or to the front

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

sometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

swallow-tail

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

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

Tammas

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

From this reading Devout-under-difficulties would have been the name of Lang Tammas had he been of Covenanting times.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Devout-under-difficulties would have been the name of Lang Tammas had he been of Covenanting times.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading Devout-under-difficulties would have been the name of Lang Tammas had he been of Covenanting times.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

villanously

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

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

walkingadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/

close enough to be walked to

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading As a good Auld Licht, Tammas reserved his swallow-tail coat and “lum hat” (chimney-pot) for the kirk and funerals; but the coat would have flapped villanously, to Tammas' eternal ignominy, had he for one rash moment relaxed his hold of the bottom button, and it was only by walking sideways, as horses sometimes try to do, that the hat could be kept at the angle of decorum.

wentverbUS /went/

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

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

wintryadjectiveUS /ˈwɪntri/

characteristic of or occurring in winter

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Devout-under-difficulties would have been the name of Lang Tammas had he been of Covenanting times.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading So I thought one wintry afternoon, years before I went to the school-house, when he dropped in to ask the pleasure of my company to the farmer of Little Rathie's “bural.”

Chapter 10 of Auld Licht Idyls by J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie holds 98 sentences, grouped into 20 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 10 of Auld Licht Idyls contain?

Chapter 10 holds 98 sentences of Auld Licht Idyls, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of Auld Licht Idyls by J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 98 sentences, grouped into 20 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 10 of Auld Licht Idyls?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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 Auld Licht Idyls

Common questions about reading Auld Licht Idyls by J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Auld Licht Idyls?

Yes. All 1941 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8590 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Auld Licht Idyls is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #8590, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Auld Licht Idyls take to read?

About 161 minutes of reading across 389 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Auld Licht Idyls section by section

How to work through Auld Licht Idyls section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of Auld Licht Idyls 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 Auld Licht Idyls

Words and structures a reader meets early in Auld Licht Idyls, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Thrums
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Auld Licht Idyls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Handful
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Auld Licht Idyls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Houses
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Auld Licht Idyls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Jumbled
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Auld Licht Idyls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.