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First Fam'lies of the Sierras
First Fam'lies of the Sierras

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of First Fam'lies of the Sierras is here in full — 73 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for First Fam'lies of the Sierras
Context Illustration Reading 1/14 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A SCENE IN THE SIERRAS.
To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.
It was the little brown lazy hand of Washee-Washee.
Of course the camp did not like this.
This Chinaman to them was a sort of eclipse, a dark body passing between the miners and their sun.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

First Fam'lies of the Sierras

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of First Fam'lies of the Sierras is here in full — 73 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/14 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A SCENE IN THE SIERRAS.
/ə siːn ɪn ðə siˈerəz/
Line 2
To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.
/tuː ðə əˈmeɪzmənt ʌv ɔːl ðə fɔːrks wʌn deɪ wen ə ˈbɪrdəd mæn ɪn ɡʌm buːts slaʊtʃ hæt ənd bluː ʃɜːrt riːtʃt ɪn æt ðə ˈwɪdoʊz fɔːr hɪz ˈwɑːʃɪŋ ðə hænd ðæt riːtʃt ɪt aʊt wɑːz nɑːt ðə ˈwɪdoʊz/
Line 3
It was the little brown lazy hand of Washee-Washee.
Line 4
Of course the camp did not like this.
/ʌv kɔːrs ðə kæmp dɪd nɑːt laɪk ðɪs/
Line 5
This Chinaman to them was a sort of eclipse, a dark body passing between the miners and their sun.

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.

bearded adjective US /ˈbɪrdəd/

having hair on the cheeks and chin

From this reading “To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.”

eclipse verb US /ɪˈklɪps/

be greater in significance than

From this reading “This Chinaman to them was a sort of eclipse, a dark body passing between the miners and their sun.”

Forks noun US /fɔːrks/

plural of “fork” — cutlery used for serving and eating food

From this reading “To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.”

gum noun US /ɡʌm/

a preparation (usually made of sweetened chicle) for chewing

From this reading “To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.”

miners noun US /ˈmaɪnərz/

plural of “miner” — laborer who works in a mine

From this reading “This Chinaman to them was a sort of eclipse, a dark body passing between the miners and their sun.”

sierras noun US /siˈerəz/

plural of “sierra” — a range of mountains (usually with jagged peaks and irregular outline)

From this reading “A SCENE IN THE SIERRAS.”

slouch noun US /slaʊtʃ/

an incompetent person; usually used in negative constructions

From this reading “To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.”

Widow's noun US /ˈwɪdoʊz/

possessive form of “widow” — a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried

From this reading “To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.”

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.

slouch hat noun + noun

a soft felt hat with a wide flexible brim

In this reading “To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.”

bearded man adjective + noun

In this reading “To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.”

blue shirt adjective + noun

In this reading “To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.”

Of course preposition + noun

as might be expected

In this reading “Of course the camp did not like this.”

little brown adjective + noun

In this reading “It was the little brown lazy hand of Washee-Washee.”

All words in this reading · 54

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 SCENE IN THE SIERRAS.

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 To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

amazementnounUS /əˈmeɪzmənt/

the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

beardedadjectiveUS /ˈbɪrdəd/

having hair on the cheeks and chin

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading This Chinaman to them was a sort of eclipse, a dark body passing between the miners and their sun.

blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading This Chinaman to them was a sort of eclipse, a dark body passing between the miners and their sun.

bootsnounUS /buːts/

plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

brownnounUS /braʊn/

an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading It was the little brown lazy hand of Washee-Washee.

campnounUS /kæmp/

temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

From this reading Of course the camp did not like this.

Chinamannoun

(ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Chinese descent

From this reading This Chinaman to them was a sort of eclipse, a dark body passing between the miners and their sun.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Of course the camp did not like this.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading This Chinaman to them was a sort of eclipse, a dark body passing between the miners and their sun.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading Of course the camp did not like this.

eclipseverbUS /ɪˈklɪps/

be greater in significance than

From this reading This Chinaman to them was a sort of eclipse, a dark body passing between the miners and their sun.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

ForksnounUS /fɔːrks/

plural of “fork” — cutlery used for serving and eating food

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

gumnounUS /ɡʌm/

a preparation (usually made of sweetened chicle) for chewing

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

hatnounUS /hæt/

headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A SCENE IN THE SIERRAS.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

lazyadjectiveUS /ˈleɪzi/

moving slowly and gently

From this reading It was the little brown lazy hand of Washee-Washee.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Of course the camp did not like this.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading It was the little brown lazy hand of Washee-Washee.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

minersnounUS /ˈmaɪnərz/

plural of “miner” — laborer who works in a mine

From this reading This Chinaman to them was a sort of eclipse, a dark body passing between the miners and their sun.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

passingnounUS /ˈpæsɪŋ/

(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate

From this reading This Chinaman to them was a sort of eclipse, a dark body passing between the miners and their sun.

reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

SCENEnounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading A SCENE IN THE SIERRAS.

shirtnounUS /ʃɜːrt/

a garment worn on the upper half of the body

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

SIERRASnounUS /siˈerəz/

plural of “sierra” — a range of mountains (usually with jagged peaks and irregular outline)

From this reading A SCENE IN THE SIERRAS.

slouchnounUS /slaʊtʃ/

an incompetent person; usually used in negative constructions

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading This Chinaman to them was a sort of eclipse, a dark body passing between the miners and their sun.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading This Chinaman to them was a sort of eclipse, a dark body passing between the miners and their sun.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A SCENE IN THE SIERRAS.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading This Chinaman to them was a sort of eclipse, a dark body passing between the miners and their sun.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading This Chinaman to them was a sort of eclipse, a dark body passing between the miners and their sun.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Of course the camp did not like this.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

Washee-Washee

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

From this reading It was the little brown lazy hand of Washee-Washee.

washingnounUS /ˈwɑːʃɪŋ/

the work of cleansing (usually with soap and water)

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

Widow'snounUS /ˈwɪdoʊz/

possessive form of “widow” — a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried

From this reading To the amazement of all the Forks, one day, when a bearded man in gum boots, slouch hat, and blue shirt, reached in at the Widow's for his washing, the hand that reached it out was not the Widow's.

Chapter 10 of First Fam'lies of the Sierras by Joaquin Miller holds 73 sentences, grouped into 15 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 10 of First Fam'lies of the Sierras contain?

Chapter 10 holds 73 sentences of First Fam'lies of the Sierras, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of First Fam'lies of the Sierras by Joaquin Miller exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 73 sentences, grouped into 15 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 10 of First Fam'lies of the Sierras?

Work through the 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 15 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 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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 First Fam'lies of the Sierras

Common questions about reading First Fam'lies of the Sierras by Joaquin Miller on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of First Fam'lies of the Sierras?

Yes. All 2838 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33220 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of First Fam'lies of the Sierras is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #33220, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does First Fam'lies of the Sierras take to read?

About 236 minutes of reading across 568 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in First Fam'lies of the Sierras

Words and structures a reader meets early in First Fam'lies of the Sierras, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of First Fam'lies of the Sierras; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fam'lies
A word that appears in the opening chapter of First Fam'lies of the Sierras; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sierras
A word that appears in the opening chapter of First Fam'lies of the Sierras; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of First Fam'lies of the Sierras; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.