Chapter 4 of Mad Shepherds, and Other Human Studies is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Mad Shepherds, and Other Human Studies is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again. I wanted to go myself and look after him a bit in the daytime. But my 'usband wouldn't let me go. 'He's no sight for you to look at, missis,' he sez. 'Except for the pain, his mind's at rest.
Chapter 4 of Mad Shepherds, and Other Human Studies is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside
From this reading “I wanted to go myself and look after him a bit in the daytime.”
temporary military shelter
From this reading “"Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.”
possessive form of “mind” — that which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason
From this reading “'Except for the pain, his mind's at rest.”
informal term of address for someone's wife
From this reading “'He's no sight for you to look at, missis,' he sez.”
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading “"Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.”
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading “'Except for the pain, his mind's at rest.”
a clergyman who watches over a group of people
From this reading “"Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.”
a person who rings church bells (as for summoning the congregation)
From this reading “"Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.”
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.
In this reading “I wanted to go myself and look after him a bit in the daytime.”
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “'He's no sight for you to look at, missis,' he sez.”
keep under careful scrutiny
In this reading “I wanted to go myself and look after him a bit in the daytime.”
In this reading “"Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.”
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 I wanted to go myself and look after him a bit in the daytime.
later than; following
From this reading I wanted to go myself and look after him a bit in the daytime.
anew
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading 'He's no sight for you to look at, missis,' he sez.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading I wanted to go myself and look after him a bit in the daytime.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But my 'usband wouldn't let me go.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside
From this reading I wanted to go myself and look after him a bit in the daytime.
apart from; not including
From this reading 'Except for the pain, his mind's at rest.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading 'He's no sight for you to look at, missis,' he sez.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I wanted to go myself and look after him a bit in the daytime.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'He's no sight for you to look at, missis,' he sez.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
temporary military shelter
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I wanted to go myself and look after him a bit in the daytime.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I wanted to go myself and look after him a bit in the daytime.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
if nothing else (“leastwise” is informal and “leastways” is colloquial)
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading But my 'usband wouldn't let me go.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I wanted to go myself and look after him a bit in the daytime.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But my 'usband wouldn't let me go.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
possessive form of “mind” — that which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason
From this reading 'Except for the pain, his mind's at rest.
informal term of address for someone's wife
From this reading 'He's no sight for you to look at, missis,' he sez.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading I wanted to go myself and look after him a bit in the daytime.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
not any; not one
From this reading 'He's no sight for you to look at, missis,' he sez.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading 'Except for the pain, his mind's at rest.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading 'Except for the pain, his mind's at rest.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'He's no sight for you to look at, missis,' he sez.
a clergyman who watches over a group of people
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading 'He's no sight for you to look at, missis,' he sez.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
a person who rings church bells (as for summoning the congregation)
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
precisely as stated
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading I wanted to go myself and look after him a bit in the daytime.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Shepherd Toller took to his bed the very day as my 'usband met him, and never left it, leastways he never went outside the hut again.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But my 'usband wouldn't let me go.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading 'He's no sight for you to look at, missis,' he sez.
Chapter 4 of Mad Shepherds, and Other Human Studies by L. P. (Lawrence Pearsall) Jacks holds 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 4 holds 430 sentences of Mad Shepherds, and Other Human Studies, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Mad Shepherds, and Other Human Studies by L. P. (Lawrence Pearsall) Jacks exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 4 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 Mad Shepherds, and Other Human Studies by L. P. (Lawrence Pearsall) Jacks on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2467 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31386 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31386, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 205 minutes of reading across 494 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mad Shepherds, and Other Human Studies section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of Mad Shepherds, and Other Human Studies 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 Mad Shepherds, and Other Human Studies, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
