Chapter 23 of Deerbrook is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of Deerbrook is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Enderby shook his head without raising it from his knees. Mr Walcot had no idea of refusing when he was asked. He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before. "Never mind that. Let us have it," said everybody.
Chapter 23 of Deerbrook is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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 small vessel for travel on water
From this reading “He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.”
of or relating to Canada or its people
From this reading “He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.”
every person
From this reading “Let us have it," said everybody.”
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading “Enderby shook his head without raising it from his knees.”
the event of something being raised upward
From this reading “Enderby shook his head without raising it from his knees.”
-ing form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards
From this reading “Mr Walcot had no idea of refusing when he was asked.”
deliver by singing
From this reading “He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.”
a short musical composition with words
From this reading “He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.”
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.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Mr Walcot had no idea of refusing when he was asked.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.
of or relating to Canada or its people
From this reading He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Enderby shook his head without raising it from his knees.
every person
From this reading Let us have it," said everybody.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Enderby shook his head without raising it from his knees.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mr Walcot had no idea of refusing when he was asked.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mr Walcot had no idea of refusing when he was asked.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Enderby shook his head without raising it from his knees.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Enderby shook his head without raising it from his knees.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Mr Walcot had no idea of refusing when he was asked.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Enderby shook his head without raising it from his knees.
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading Enderby shook his head without raising it from his knees.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Let us have it," said everybody.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading "Never mind that.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Mr Walcot had no idea of refusing when he was asked.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "Never mind that.
not any; not one
From this reading Mr Walcot had no idea of refusing when he was asked.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mr Walcot had no idea of refusing when he was asked.
the event of something being raised upward
From this reading Enderby shook his head without raising it from his knees.
-ing form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards
From this reading Mr Walcot had no idea of refusing when he was asked.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Let us have it," said everybody.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading Enderby shook his head without raising it from his knees.
deliver by singing
From this reading He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.
a short musical composition with words
From this reading He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Never mind that.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He could sing the Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Let us have it," said everybody.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr Walcot had no idea of refusing when he was asked.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mr Walcot had no idea of refusing when he was asked.
at the time that
From this reading Mr Walcot had no idea of refusing when he was asked.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Enderby shook his head without raising it from his knees.
Chapter 23 of Deerbrook by Harriet Martineau holds 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 23 holds 403 sentences of Deerbrook, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of Deerbrook by Harriet Martineau exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 23 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 Deerbrook by Harriet Martineau on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 11674 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24210 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24210, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2335 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Deerbrook section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of Deerbrook 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 Deerbrook, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
