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Caleb Field
Caleb Field

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Caleb Field is here in full — 92 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Caleb Field
Context Illustration Reading 1/18 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
CALEB FIELD.
A Tale of the Puritans.
“PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF MRS.
MARGARET MAITLAND,” “MERKLAND,” &c.
“Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Caleb Field

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Caleb Field is here in full — 92 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/18 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
CALEB FIELD.
Line 2
A Tale of the Puritans.
/ə teɪl ʌv ðə ˈpjʊrətənz/
Line 3
“PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF MRS.
/ˈpæsədʒəz ɪn ðə laɪf ʌv ˈmɪsɪz/
Line 4
MARGARET MAITLAND,” “MERKLAND,” &c.
Line 5
“Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

Learner Dictionary

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.

alike adverb US /əˈlaɪk/

equally

From this reading ““Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.”

doth auxiliary verb US /dɔːθ/

an old form of “does”

From this reading ““Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.”

maitland noun US /ˈmeɪtlənd/

English historian noted for his works on the history of English law (1850-1906)

From this reading “MARGARET MAITLAND,” “MERKLAND,” &c.”

passages noun US /ˈpæsədʒəz/

plural of “passage” — the act of passing from one state or place to the next

From this reading ““PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF MRS.”

Puritans noun US /ˈpjʊrətənz/

plural of “puritan” — a member of a group of English Protestants who in the 16th and 17th centuries thought that the Protestant Reformation under Elizabeth was incomplete and advocated the simplification and regulation of forms of worship

From this reading “A Tale of the Puritans.”

Tale noun US /teɪl/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading “A Tale of the Puritans.”

torches noun US /ˈtɔːrtʃɪz/

plural of “torch” — a light usually carried in the hand; consists of some flammable substance

From this reading ““Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.”

virtues noun US /ˈvɜːrtʃuːz/

plural of “virtue” — the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong

From this reading ““Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

go forth verb + particle

go away from a place

In this reading ““Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.”

All words in this reading · 38

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A Tale of the Puritans.

alikeadverbUS /əˈlaɪk/

equally

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

cnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading MARGARET MAITLAND,” “MERKLAND,” &c.

CALEB

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CALEB FIELD.

Didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

dothauxiliary verbUS /dɔːθ/

an old form of “does”

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

FIELDnounUS /fiːld/

a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading CALEB FIELD.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

HeavennounUS /ˈhevən/

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading “PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF MRS.

LIFEnounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading “PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF MRS.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

MAITLANDnounUS /ˈmeɪtlənd/

English historian noted for his works on the history of English law (1850-1906)

From this reading MARGARET MAITLAND,” “MERKLAND,” &c.

MARGARET

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading MARGARET MAITLAND,” “MERKLAND,” &c.

MERKLAND

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading MARGARET MAITLAND,” “MERKLAND,” &c.

MRSnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading “PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF MRS.

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A Tale of the Puritans.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

ourselvespronounUS /aʊərˈselvz/

used when we are both doing the action and receiving it

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

PASSAGESnounUS /ˈpæsədʒəz/

plural of “passage” — the act of passing from one state or place to the next

From this reading “PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF MRS.

PuritansnounUS /ˈpjʊrətənz/

plural of “puritan” — a member of a group of English Protestants who in the 16th and 17th centuries thought that the Protestant Reformation under Elizabeth was incomplete and advocated the simplification and regulation of forms of worship

From this reading A Tale of the Puritans.

TalenounUS /teɪl/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading A Tale of the Puritans.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading A Tale of the Puritans.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

torchesnounUS /ˈtɔːrtʃɪz/

plural of “torch” — a light usually carried in the hand; consists of some flammable substance

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

twere

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

virtuesnounUS /ˈvɜːrtʃuːz/

plural of “virtue” — the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do; Not light them for ourselves: for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, ’twere all alike As if we had them not.

Chapter 1 of Caleb Field by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant holds 92 sentences, grouped into 19 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.

What does chapter 1 of Caleb Field contain?

Chapter 1 holds 92 sentences of Caleb Field, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Caleb Field by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 92 sentences, grouped into 19 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.

How do I study chapter 1 of Caleb Field?

Work through the 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 19 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.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Caleb Field

Common questions about reading Caleb Field by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Caleb Field?

Yes. All 1319 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #74734 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Caleb Field is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #74734, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Caleb Field take to read?

About 109 minutes of reading across 264 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Caleb Field section by section

How to work through Caleb Field section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of Caleb Field to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Caleb Field

Words and structures a reader meets early in Caleb Field, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Caleb
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Caleb Field; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Field
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Caleb Field; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Puritans
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Caleb Field; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Passages
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Caleb Field; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.