Chapter 1 of Left to Ourselves is here in full — 67 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Left to Ourselves is here in full — 67 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_John Headley's Promise_. AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC. "Mother, I'm sure you may trust me!" "My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which no one but a mother can know." "Of course there are.
Chapter 1 of Left to Ourselves is here in full — 67 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/13 · 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.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.”
the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.”
be a farmer; work as a farmer
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.”
(of a roof) constructed with a single slope on each side of the ridge supported at the end by a gable or vertical triangular portion of an end wall
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.”
a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.”
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
make a promise or commitment
something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)
From this reading “"Mother, I'm sure you may trust me!"”
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.
as might be expected
In this reading “"Of course there are.”
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 AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.
(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 "My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which no one but a mother can know."
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which no one but a mother can know."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which no one but a mother can know."
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which no one but a mother can know."
a young person of either sex
From this reading "My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which no one but a mother can know."
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading "Of course there are.
the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.
be a farmer; work as a farmer
From this reading AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which no one but a mother can know."
(of a roof) constructed with a single slope on each side of the ridge supported at the end by a gable or vertical triangular portion of an end wall
From this reading AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _John Headley's Promise_.
a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength
From this reading AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which no one but a mother can know."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Mother, I'm sure you may trust me!"
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading _John Headley's Promise_.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which no one but a mother can know."
immediately past
From this reading AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "Mother, I'm sure you may trust me!"
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Mother, I'm sure you may trust me!"
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading "Mother, I'm sure you may trust me!"
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which no one but a mother can know."
not any; not one
From this reading "My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which no one but a mother can know."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which no one but a mother can know."
and nothing more
From this reading AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.
make a promise or commitment
From this reading _John Headley's Promise_.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "Mother, I'm sure you may trust me!"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which no one but a mother can know."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;" ETC.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which no one but a mother can know."
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading "My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which no one but a mother can know."
something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)
From this reading "Mother, I'm sure you may trust me!"
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which no one but a mother can know."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Mother, I'm sure you may trust me!"
Chapter 1 of Left to Ourselves by Catharine Shaw holds 67 sentences, grouped into 14 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 1 holds 67 sentences of Left to Ourselves, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Left to Ourselves by Catharine Shaw exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 67 sentences, grouped into 14 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 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 14 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 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.
Common questions about reading Left to Ourselves by Catharine Shaw on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2444 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37606 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #37606, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 203 minutes of reading across 489 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Left to Ourselves section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of Left to Ourselves 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 Left to Ourselves, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
