Chapter 4 of Bonaventure is here in full — 135 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Bonaventure is here in full — 135 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE CONSCRIPT OFFICER. By and by 'Thanase was sixteen. Eighteen was the lowest age for conscription, yet he was in the Confederate uniform. But then so was his uncle Sosthene; so was his father. It signified merely that he had been received into the home guard.
Chapter 4 of Bonaventure is here in full — 135 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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.
a supporter of the Confederate States of America
From this reading “Eighteen was the lowest age for conscription, yet he was in the Confederate uniform.”
enroll into service compulsorily
From this reading “THE CONSCRIPT OFFICER.”
compulsory military service
From this reading “Eighteen was the lowest age for conscription, yet he was in the Confederate uniform.”
being one more than seventeen
From this reading “Eighteen was the lowest age for conscription, yet he was in the Confederate uniform.”
lowest in rank or importance
From this reading “Eighteen was the lowest age for conscription, yet he was in the Confederate uniform.”
the meaning of a word or expression; the way in which a word or expression or situation can be interpreted
From this reading “It signified merely that he had been received into the home guard.”
being one more than fifteen
From this reading “By and by 'Thanase was sixteen.”
always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences
From this reading “Eighteen was the lowest age for conscription, yet he was in the Confederate uniform.”
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.
how long something has existed
From this reading Eighteen was the lowest age for conscription, yet he was in the Confederate uniform.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading By and by 'Thanase was sixteen.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It signified merely that he had been received into the home guard.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But then so was his uncle Sosthene; so was his father.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By and by 'Thanase was sixteen.
a supporter of the Confederate States of America
From this reading Eighteen was the lowest age for conscription, yet he was in the Confederate uniform.
enroll into service compulsorily
From this reading THE CONSCRIPT OFFICER.
compulsory military service
From this reading Eighteen was the lowest age for conscription, yet he was in the Confederate uniform.
being one more than seventeen
From this reading Eighteen was the lowest age for conscription, yet he was in the Confederate uniform.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading But then so was his uncle Sosthene; so was his father.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Eighteen was the lowest age for conscription, yet he was in the Confederate uniform.
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading It signified merely that he had been received into the home guard.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It signified merely that he had been received into the home guard.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Eighteen was the lowest age for conscription, yet he was in the Confederate uniform.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But then so was his uncle Sosthene; so was his father.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading It signified merely that he had been received into the home guard.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Eighteen was the lowest age for conscription, yet he was in the Confederate uniform.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It signified merely that he had been received into the home guard.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It signified merely that he had been received into the home guard.
lowest in rank or importance
From this reading Eighteen was the lowest age for conscription, yet he was in the Confederate uniform.
and nothing more
From this reading It signified merely that he had been received into the home guard.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading THE CONSCRIPT OFFICER.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading It signified merely that he had been received into the home guard.
the meaning of a word or expression; the way in which a word or expression or situation can be interpreted
From this reading It signified merely that he had been received into the home guard.
being one more than fifteen
From this reading By and by 'Thanase was sixteen.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But then so was his uncle Sosthene; so was his father.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But then so was his uncle Sosthene; so was his father.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By and by 'Thanase was sixteen.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It signified merely that he had been received into the home guard.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE CONSCRIPT OFFICER.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading But then so was his uncle Sosthene; so was his father.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading But then so was his uncle Sosthene; so was his father.
always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences
From this reading Eighteen was the lowest age for conscription, yet he was in the Confederate uniform.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading By and by 'Thanase was sixteen.
but in spite of that
From this reading Eighteen was the lowest age for conscription, yet he was in the Confederate uniform.
Chapter 4 of Bonaventure by George Washington Cable holds 135 sentences, grouped into 27 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 4 holds 135 sentences of Bonaventure, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Bonaventure by George Washington Cable exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 135 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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 4 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 Bonaventure by George Washington Cable on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4770 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24078 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24078, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 397 minutes of reading across 954 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Bonaventure section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Bonaventure 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 Bonaventure, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
