Chapter 1 of Barlasch of the Guard is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Barlasch of the Guard is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work. “Now, where shall I sleep?” he asked. “One is not particular, you understand. A few minutes and one is at home--perhaps peeling the potatoes. It is only a civilian who is ashamed of using his knife on a potato.
Chapter 1 of Barlasch of the Guard is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 11/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 51–55
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.
quick and energetic
From this reading “He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.”
a nonmilitary citizen
From this reading “It is only a civilian who is ashamed of using his knife on a potato.”
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading “It is only a civilian who is ashamed of using his knife on a potato.”
loss of bits of outer skin by peeling or shedding or coming off in scales
From this reading “A few minutes and one is at home--perhaps peeling the potatoes.”
an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland
From this reading “It is only a civilian who is ashamed of using his knife on a potato.”
plural of “potato” — an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland
From this reading “A few minutes and one is at home--perhaps peeling the potatoes.”
inflected form of “rub” — move over something with pressure
From this reading “He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.”
an act that exploits or victimizes someone (treats them unfairly)
From this reading “It is only a civilian who is ashamed of using his knife on a potato.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A few minutes and one is at home--perhaps peeling the potatoes.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
feeling shame or guilt or embarrassment or remorse
From this reading It is only a civilian who is ashamed of using his knife on a potato.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Now, where shall I sleep?” he asked.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A few minutes and one is at home--perhaps peeling the potatoes.
quick and energetic
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
a nonmilitary citizen
From this reading It is only a civilian who is ashamed of using his knife on a potato.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A few minutes and one is at home--perhaps peeling the potatoes.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading A few minutes and one is at home--perhaps peeling the potatoes.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Now, where shall I sleep?” he asked.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “One is not particular, you understand.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is only a civilian who is ashamed of using his knife on a potato.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading It is only a civilian who is ashamed of using his knife on a potato.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading A few minutes and one is at home--perhaps peeling the potatoes.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “One is not particular, you understand.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “Now, where shall I sleep?” he asked.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It is only a civilian who is ashamed of using his knife on a potato.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “One is not particular, you understand.
and nothing more
From this reading It is only a civilian who is ashamed of using his knife on a potato.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading “One is not particular, you understand.
loss of bits of outer skin by peeling or shedding or coming off in scales
From this reading A few minutes and one is at home--perhaps peeling the potatoes.
by chance
From this reading A few minutes and one is at home--perhaps peeling the potatoes.
an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland
From this reading It is only a civilian who is ashamed of using his knife on a potato.
plural of “potato” — an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland
From this reading A few minutes and one is at home--perhaps peeling the potatoes.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
inflected form of “rub” — move over something with pressure
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading “Now, where shall I sleep?” he asked.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading “Now, where shall I sleep?” he asked.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading “One is not particular, you understand.
an act that exploits or victimizes someone (treats them unfairly)
From this reading It is only a civilian who is ashamed of using his knife on a potato.
in or at the place that
From this reading “Now, where shall I sleep?” he asked.
which person or people
From this reading It is only a civilian who is ashamed of using his knife on a potato.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading He rubbed his hands together with the air of a brisk man ready for any sort of work.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “One is not particular, you understand.
Chapter 1 of Barlasch of the Guard by Henry Seton Merriman holds 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 1 holds 153 sentences of Barlasch of the Guard, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Barlasch of the Guard by Henry Seton Merriman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 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.
Common questions about reading Barlasch of the Guard by Henry Seton Merriman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4849 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8158 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #8158, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 404 minutes of reading across 970 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Barlasch of the Guard section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of Barlasch of the Guard 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 Barlasch of the Guard, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
