Chapter 9 of Blackthorn Farm is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Blackthorn Farm is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A PROPOSAL. The news of his son’s arrest did not reach John Dale at once. Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so. The longer his father and sister remained in ignorance of the crime of which he was accused, the better! Bad news spreads quickly enough, and he wanted Ruby to remain in ignorance, too.
Chapter 9 of Blackthorn Farm is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 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.
an open river valley (in a hilly area)
From this reading “The news of his son’s arrest did not reach John Dale at once.”
something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)
From this reading “A PROPOSAL.”
past form of “refrain” — resist doing something
From this reading “Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.”
a transparent piece of ruby that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading “Bad news spreads quickly enough, and he wanted Ruby to remain in ignorance, too.”
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading “Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.”
possessive form of “son” — a male human offspring
plural of “spread” — process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space
From this reading “Bad news spreads quickly enough, and he wanted Ruby to remain in ignorance, too.”
equipped with wire or wires especially for electric or telephone service
From this reading “Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.”
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 “Bad news spreads quickly enough, and he wanted Ruby to remain in ignorance, too.”
In this reading “Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.”
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
In this reading “The news of his son’s arrest did not reach John Dale at once.”
In this reading “The longer his father and sister remained in ignorance of the crime of which he was accused, the better!”
In this reading “The longer his father and sister remained in ignorance of the crime of which he was accused, the better!”
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 A PROPOSAL.
a defendant in a criminal proceeding
From this reading The longer his father and sister remained in ignorance of the crime of which he was accused, the better!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The longer his father and sister remained in ignorance of the crime of which he was accused, the better!
take into custody
From this reading The news of his son’s arrest did not reach John Dale at once.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The news of his son’s arrest did not reach John Dale at once.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading Bad news spreads quickly enough, and he wanted Ruby to remain in ignorance, too.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading The longer his father and sister remained in ignorance of the crime of which he was accused, the better!
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.
(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act
From this reading The longer his father and sister remained in ignorance of the crime of which he was accused, the better!
an open river valley (in a hilly area)
From this reading The news of his son’s arrest did not reach John Dale at once.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The news of his son’s arrest did not reach John Dale at once.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading Bad news spreads quickly enough, and he wanted Ruby to remain in ignorance, too.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading The longer his father and sister remained in ignorance of the crime of which he was accused, the better!
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The news of his son’s arrest did not reach John Dale at once.
the lack of knowledge or education
From this reading The longer his father and sister remained in ignorance of the crime of which he was accused, the better!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The longer his father and sister remained in ignorance of the crime of which he was accused, the better!
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading The news of his son’s arrest did not reach John Dale at once.
for more time
From this reading The longer his father and sister remained in ignorance of the crime of which he was accused, the better!
as might be expected
From this reading Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.
information about recent and important events
From this reading The news of his son’s arrest did not reach John Dale at once.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The news of his son’s arrest did not reach John Dale at once.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The news of his son’s arrest did not reach John Dale at once.
on one occasion
From this reading The news of his son’s arrest did not reach John Dale at once.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.
something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)
From this reading A PROPOSAL.
with speed
From this reading Bad news spreads quickly enough, and he wanted Ruby to remain in ignorance, too.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading The news of his son’s arrest did not reach John Dale at once.
past form of “refrain” — resist doing something
From this reading Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Bad news spreads quickly enough, and he wanted Ruby to remain in ignorance, too.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading The longer his father and sister remained in ignorance of the crime of which he was accused, the better!
a transparent piece of ruby that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading Bad news spreads quickly enough, and he wanted Ruby to remain in ignorance, too.
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading The longer his father and sister remained in ignorance of the crime of which he was accused, the better!
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.
possessive form of “son” — a male human offspring
From this reading The news of his son’s arrest did not reach John Dale at once.
plural of “spread” — process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space
From this reading Bad news spreads quickly enough, and he wanted Ruby to remain in ignorance, too.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The news of his son’s arrest did not reach John Dale at once.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Bad news spreads quickly enough, and he wanted Ruby to remain in ignorance, too.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading Bad news spreads quickly enough, and he wanted Ruby to remain in ignorance, too.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The longer his father and sister remained in ignorance of the crime of which he was accused, the better!
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The longer his father and sister remained in ignorance of the crime of which he was accused, the better!
equipped with wire or wires especially for electric or telephone service
From this reading Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading Though Rupert could have written or wired to him he naturally refrained from doing so.
Chapter 9 of Blackthorn Farm by Arthur Applin holds 207 sentences, grouped into 42 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 9 holds 207 sentences of Blackthorn Farm, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Blackthorn Farm by Arthur Applin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 207 sentences, grouped into 42 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 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 42 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 9 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 Blackthorn Farm by Arthur Applin on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5795 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42519 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #42519, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 482 minutes of reading across 1159 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Blackthorn Farm section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of Blackthorn Farm 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 Blackthorn Farm, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
