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.
I shall not hear the patron touching on his violin. It is that which occupies his leisure, is it not?” “Yes,” answered Desiree, still considering the question. “I too am a musician,” said Papa Barlasch, turning towards the kitchen again. “I played a drum at Marengo.”
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 22/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 106–110
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.
-ing form of “consider” — deem to be
From this reading ““Yes,” answered Desiree, still considering the question.”
a musical percussion instrument; usually consists of a hollow cylinder with a membrane stretched across each end
From this reading ““I played a drum at Marengo.””
time available for ease and relaxation
From this reading “It is that which occupies his leisure, is it not?””
someone who plays a musical instrument (as a profession)
From this reading ““I too am a musician,” said Papa Barlasch, turning towards the kitchen again.”
third-person singular of “occupy” — keep busy with
From this reading “It is that which occupies his leisure, is it not?””
a regular customer
From this reading “I shall not hear the patron touching on his violin.”
arousing affect
From this reading “I shall not hear the patron touching on his violin.”
bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow
From this reading “I shall not hear the patron touching on his violin.”
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 “I too am a musician,” said Papa Barlasch, turning towards the kitchen again.
anew
From this reading “I too am a musician,” said Papa Barlasch, turning towards the kitchen again.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “I too am a musician,” said Papa Barlasch, turning towards the kitchen again.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “Yes,” answered Desiree, still considering the question.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “I played a drum at Marengo.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I too am a musician,” said Papa Barlasch, turning towards the kitchen again.
-ing form of “consider” — deem to be
From this reading “Yes,” answered Desiree, still considering the question.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Yes,” answered Desiree, still considering the question.
a musical percussion instrument; usually consists of a hollow cylinder with a membrane stretched across each end
From this reading “I played a drum at Marengo.”
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading I shall not hear the patron touching on his violin.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I shall not hear the patron touching on his violin.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I shall not hear the patron touching on his violin.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is that which occupies his leisure, is it not?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is that which occupies his leisure, is it not?”
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading “I too am a musician,” said Papa Barlasch, turning towards the kitchen again.
time available for ease and relaxation
From this reading It is that which occupies his leisure, is it not?”
a battle in 1800 in which the French under Napoleon Bonaparte won a great victory over the Austrians
From this reading “I played a drum at Marengo.”
someone who plays a musical instrument (as a profession)
From this reading “I too am a musician,” said Papa Barlasch, turning towards the kitchen again.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I shall not hear the patron touching on his violin.
third-person singular of “occupy” — keep busy with
From this reading It is that which occupies his leisure, is it not?”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I shall not hear the patron touching on his violin.
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading “I too am a musician,” said Papa Barlasch, turning towards the kitchen again.
a regular customer
From this reading I shall not hear the patron touching on his violin.
(of games) engaged in
From this reading “I played a drum at Marengo.”
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading “Yes,” answered Desiree, still considering the question.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I too am a musician,” said Papa Barlasch, turning towards the kitchen again.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading I shall not hear the patron touching on his violin.
not in physical motion
From this reading “Yes,” answered Desiree, still considering the question.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It is that which occupies his leisure, is it not?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I shall not hear the patron touching on his violin.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading “I too am a musician,” said Papa Barlasch, turning towards the kitchen again.
arousing affect
From this reading I shall not hear the patron touching on his violin.
in the direction of
From this reading “I too am a musician,” said Papa Barlasch, turning towards the kitchen again.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading “I too am a musician,” said Papa Barlasch, turning towards the kitchen again.
bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow
From this reading I shall not hear the patron touching on his violin.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It is that which occupies his leisure, is it not?”
an affirmative
From this reading “Yes,” answered Desiree, still considering the question.
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.
