Chapter 18 of Barren Ground is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of Barren Ground is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase. "Do you work this late every night?" When she looked up, she saw Minnie May blinking down on her. "No, not every night. We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
Chapter 18 of Barren Ground is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
form a curve
From this reading “"Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase.”
closing the eyes intermittently and rapidly
From this reading “When she looked up, she saw Minnie May blinking down on her.”
a farm where dairy products are produced
From this reading “We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.”
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading “"Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase.”
past form of “stumble” — walk unsteadily
From this reading “We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.”
a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
From this reading “We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.”
the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed
From this reading “We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.”
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading “"Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase.”
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.
In this reading “We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.”
seek information from
In this reading “When she looked up, she saw Minnie May blinking down on her.”
hold back to a later time
In this reading “We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.”
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 "Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase.
form a curve
From this reading "Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading "Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase.
closing the eyes intermittently and rapidly
From this reading When she looked up, she saw Minnie May blinking down on her.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
a farm where dairy products are produced
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do you work this late every night?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading When she looked up, she saw Minnie May blinking down on her.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading "Do you work this late every night?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When she looked up, she saw Minnie May blinking down on her.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading "Do you work this late every night?"
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading When she looked up, she saw Minnie May blinking down on her.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading When she looked up, she saw Minnie May blinking down on her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When she looked up, she saw Minnie May blinking down on her.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading "Do you work this late every night?"
not any; not one
From this reading "No, not every night.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "No, not every night.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When she looked up, she saw Minnie May blinking down on her.
above and across; more than
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
cut with a saw
From this reading When she looked up, she saw Minnie May blinking down on her.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When she looked up, she saw Minnie May blinking down on her.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading "Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase.
past form of “stumble” — walk unsteadily
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Do you work this late every night?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading When she looked up, she saw Minnie May blinking down on her.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
at the time that
From this reading When she looked up, she saw Minnie May blinking down on her.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading "Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading We had put off the dairy work so that Fluvanna could go to the--" Her tongue stumbled over the word "wedding," so she said "church" instead.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading "Do you work this late every night?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Is that you, Dorinda?" whispered a voice from beyond the bend in the staircase.
Chapter 18 of Barren Ground by Ellen Anderson Gholson Glasgow holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 18 holds 408 sentences of Barren Ground, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of Barren Ground by Ellen Anderson Gholson Glasgow exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 18 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 Barren Ground by Ellen Anderson Gholson Glasgow on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9424 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #66191 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #66191, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1885 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Barren Ground section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of Barren Ground 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 Barren Ground, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
