Chapter 8 of In the Guardianship of God is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of In the Guardianship of God is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"A doubtful message of peace," put in the Colonel, drily. "But hadn't we better start? or we shan't have time for the _dhatura_." "You haven't time," said Boy's mother, sharply. "You must be back by eight, Muriel, for we have to be at the camp by nine. Ayah will bring Boy down ready dressed when we want him--so please don't be late."
Chapter 8 of In the Guardianship of God is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading “"You haven't time," said Boy's mother, sharply.”
open to doubt or suspicion
From this reading “"A doubtful message of peace," put in the Colonel, drily.”
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading “Ayah will bring Boy down ready dressed when we want him--so please don't be late."”
being one more than seven
From this reading “"You must be back by eight, Muriel, for we have to be at the camp by nine.”
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading “"A doubtful message of peace," put in the Colonel, drily.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading “"You must be back by eight, Muriel, for we have to be at the camp by nine.”
in an aggressive manner
From this reading “"You haven't time," said Boy's mother, sharply.”
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “"But hadn't we better start? or we shan't have time for the _dhatura_."”
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.
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 doubtful message of peace," put in the Colonel, drily.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "You must be back by eight, Muriel, for we have to be at the camp by nine.
(in India) a native nursemaid who looks after children
From this reading Ayah will bring Boy down ready dressed when we want him--so please don't be late."
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "You must be back by eight, Muriel, for we have to be at the camp by nine.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "You must be back by eight, Muriel, for we have to be at the camp by nine.
(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 "But hadn't we better start? or we shan't have time for the _dhatura_."
a youthful male person
From this reading Ayah will bring Boy down ready dressed when we want him--so please don't be late."
possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading "You haven't time," said Boy's mother, sharply.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Ayah will bring Boy down ready dressed when we want him--so please don't be late."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But hadn't we better start? or we shan't have time for the _dhatura_."
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "You must be back by eight, Muriel, for we have to be at the camp by nine.
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading "You must be back by eight, Muriel, for we have to be at the camp by nine.
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading "A doubtful message of peace," put in the Colonel, drily.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But hadn't we better start? or we shan't have time for the _dhatura_."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ayah will bring Boy down ready dressed when we want him--so please don't be late."
open to doubt or suspicion
From this reading "A doubtful message of peace," put in the Colonel, drily.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Ayah will bring Boy down ready dressed when we want him--so please don't be late."
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading Ayah will bring Boy down ready dressed when we want him--so please don't be late."
in a dry laconic manner
From this reading "A doubtful message of peace," put in the Colonel, drily.
being one more than seven
From this reading "You must be back by eight, Muriel, for we have to be at the camp by nine.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "But hadn't we better start? or we shan't have time for the _dhatura_."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But hadn't we better start? or we shan't have time for the _dhatura_."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "But hadn't we better start? or we shan't have time for the _dhatura_."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You haven't time," said Boy's mother, sharply.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Ayah will bring Boy down ready dressed when we want him--so please don't be late."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "A doubtful message of peace," put in the Colonel, drily.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading Ayah will bring Boy down ready dressed when we want him--so please don't be late."
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading "A doubtful message of peace," put in the Colonel, drily.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading "You haven't time," said Boy's mother, sharply.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You must be back by eight, Muriel, for we have to be at the camp by nine.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "You must be back by eight, Muriel, for we have to be at the camp by nine.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading "You must be back by eight, Muriel, for we have to be at the camp by nine.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "A doubtful message of peace," put in the Colonel, drily.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "But hadn't we better start? or we shan't have time for the _dhatura_."
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading "A doubtful message of peace," put in the Colonel, drily.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading Ayah will bring Boy down ready dressed when we want him--so please don't be late."
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "A doubtful message of peace," put in the Colonel, drily.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading Ayah will bring Boy down ready dressed when we want him--so please don't be late."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "You haven't time," said Boy's mother, sharply.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But hadn't we better start? or we shan't have time for the _dhatura_."
in an aggressive manner
From this reading "You haven't time," said Boy's mother, sharply.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Ayah will bring Boy down ready dressed when we want him--so please don't be late."
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "But hadn't we better start? or we shan't have time for the _dhatura_."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "A doubtful message of peace," put in the Colonel, drily.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "But hadn't we better start? or we shan't have time for the _dhatura_."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "You must be back by eight, Muriel, for we have to be at the camp by nine.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading Ayah will bring Boy down ready dressed when we want him--so please don't be late."
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "But hadn't we better start? or we shan't have time for the _dhatura_."
at the time that
From this reading Ayah will bring Boy down ready dressed when we want him--so please don't be late."
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Ayah will bring Boy down ready dressed when we want him--so please don't be late."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You haven't time," said Boy's mother, sharply.
Chapter 8 of In the Guardianship of God by Flora Annie Webster Steel holds 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 8 holds 406 sentences of In the Guardianship of God, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of In the Guardianship of God by Flora Annie Webster Steel exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 8 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 In the Guardianship of God by Flora Annie Webster Steel on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3714 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39795 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #39795, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 309 minutes of reading across 743 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through In the Guardianship of God section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of In the Guardianship of God 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 In the Guardianship of God, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
