Chapter 12 of Mary Barton is here in full — 217 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Mary Barton is here in full — 217 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
OLD ALICE'S BAIRN. "I lov'd him not; and yet, now he is gone, I feel I am alone. I check'd him while he spoke; yet, could he speak, Alas! I would not check. For reasons not to love him once I sought, And wearied all my thought."
Chapter 12 of Mary Barton is here in full — 217 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/43 · 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.
used to show sadness, pity, or regret
From this reading “I check'd him while he spoke; yet, could he speak, Alas!”
examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition
From this reading “I check'd him while he spoke; yet, could he speak, Alas!”
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading “"I lov'd him not; and yet, now he is gone, I feel I am alone.”
plural of “reason” — a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading “For reasons not to love him once I sought, And wearied all my thought."”
that is looked for
From this reading “For reasons not to love him once I sought, And wearied all my thought."”
express in speech
From this reading “I check'd him while he spoke; yet, could he speak, Alas!”
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading “I check'd him while he spoke; yet, could he speak, Alas!”
exhausted
From this reading “For reasons not to love him once I sought, And wearied all my thought."”
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 to show sadness, pity, or regret
From this reading I check'd him while he spoke; yet, could he speak, Alas!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading OLD ALICE'S BAIRN.
(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 For reasons not to love him once I sought, And wearied all my thought."
Having no one else present.
From this reading "I lov'd him not; and yet, now he is gone, I feel I am alone.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I lov'd him not; and yet, now he is gone, I feel I am alone.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "I lov'd him not; and yet, now he is gone, I feel I am alone.
a child: son or daughter
From this reading OLD ALICE'S BAIRN.
examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition
From this reading I would not check.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I check'd him while he spoke; yet, could he speak, Alas!
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I check'd him while he spoke; yet, could he speak, Alas!
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading "I lov'd him not; and yet, now he is gone, I feel I am alone.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For reasons not to love him once I sought, And wearied all my thought."
destroyed or killed
From this reading "I lov'd him not; and yet, now he is gone, I feel I am alone.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I lov'd him not; and yet, now he is gone, I feel I am alone.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I lov'd him not; and yet, now he is gone, I feel I am alone.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I lov'd him not; and yet, now he is gone, I feel I am alone.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I lov'd him not; and yet, now he is gone, I feel I am alone.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I lov'd him not; and yet, now he is gone, I feel I am alone.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading For reasons not to love him once I sought, And wearied all my thought."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading For reasons not to love him once I sought, And wearied all my thought."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I lov'd him not; and yet, now he is gone, I feel I am alone.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "I lov'd him not; and yet, now he is gone, I feel I am alone.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading OLD ALICE'S BAIRN.
on one occasion
From this reading For reasons not to love him once I sought, And wearied all my thought."
plural of “reason” — a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading For reasons not to love him once I sought, And wearied all my thought."
that is looked for
From this reading For reasons not to love him once I sought, And wearied all my thought."
express in speech
From this reading I check'd him while he spoke; yet, could he speak, Alas!
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading I check'd him while he spoke; yet, could he speak, Alas!
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading For reasons not to love him once I sought, And wearied all my thought."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For reasons not to love him once I sought, And wearied all my thought."
exhausted
From this reading For reasons not to love him once I sought, And wearied all my thought."
during the time that
From this reading I check'd him while he spoke; yet, could he speak, Alas!
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I would not check.
but in spite of that
From this reading "I lov'd him not; and yet, now he is gone, I feel I am alone.
Chapter 12 of Mary Barton by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell holds 217 sentences, grouped into 44 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 12 holds 217 sentences of Mary Barton, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Mary Barton by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 217 sentences, grouped into 44 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 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 44 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 12 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 Mary Barton by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7946 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2153 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2153, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1590 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mary Barton section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of Mary Barton 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 Mary Barton, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
