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Mary Barton
Mary Barton

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Mary Barton is here in full — 243 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Mary Barton
Context Illustration Reading 1/48 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A VIOLENT MEETING BETWEEN THE RIVALS.
"What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!
Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!
Where is the wisdom that shall bridge this gulf, And bind them once again in trust and love?"
"LOVE-TRUTHS."
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Mary Barton

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Mary Barton is here in full — 243 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/48 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A VIOLENT MEETING BETWEEN THE RIVALS.
/ə ˈvaɪələnt ˈmiːtɪŋ bɪˈtwiːn ðə ˈraɪvəlz/
Line 2
"What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!
Line 3
Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!
/kæn siː wɪˈθaʊt ə pæŋ ʌv ˈkiːnəst ɡriːf ðem ˈfɪrsli ˈbætəlɪŋ laɪk sʌm ˈnætʃərəl foʊz huːm ɡɑːd hæd meɪd wɪð help ənd ˈsɪmpəθi tuː stænd æz ˈbrʌðərz saɪd baɪ saɪd juːˈnaɪtɪd/
Line 4
Where is the wisdom that shall bridge this gulf, And bind them once again in trust and love?"
/wer ɪz ðə ˈwɪzdəm ðæt ʃæl brɪdʒ ðɪs ɡʌlf ənd baɪnd ðem wʌns əˈɡen ɪn trʌst ənd lʌv/
Line 5
"LOVE-TRUTHS."

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.

battling verb US /ˈbætəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “battle” — battle or contend against in or as if in a battle

From this reading “Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!”

darkly adverb US /ˈdɑːrkli/

without light

From this reading “"What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!”

keenest adjective US /ˈkiːnəst/

superlative of “keen” — having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

From this reading “Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!”

meditation noun US /ˌmedəˈteɪʃən/

continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature

From this reading “"What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!”

pang noun US /pæŋ/

a sudden sharp feeling

From this reading “Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!”

rivals noun US /ˈraɪvəlz/

plural of “rival” — the contestant you hope to defeat

From this reading “A VIOLENT MEETING BETWEEN THE RIVALS.”

saddest adjective US /ˈsædəst/

superlative of “sad” — experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading “"What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!”

yawns noun US /jɔːnz/

plural of “yawn” — an involuntary intake of breath through a wide open mouth; usually triggered by fatigue or boredom

From this reading “"What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!”

All words in this reading · 66

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 VIOLENT MEETING BETWEEN THE RIVALS.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Where is the wisdom that shall bridge this gulf, And bind them once again in trust and love?"

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

battlingverbUS /ˈbætəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “battle” — battle or contend against in or as if in a battle

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

BETWEENprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading A VIOLENT MEETING BETWEEN THE RIVALS.

bindverbUS /baɪnd/

stick to firmly

From this reading Where is the wisdom that shall bridge this gulf, And bind them once again in trust and love?"

bridgenounUS /brɪdʒ/

a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.

From this reading Where is the wisdom that shall bridge this gulf, And bind them once again in trust and love?"

brothersnounUS /ˈbrʌðərz/

plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

darklyadverbUS /ˈdɑːrkli/

without light

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

fiercelyadverbUS /ˈfɪrsli/

in a physically fierce manner

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

foesnounUS /foʊz/

plural of “foe” — an armed adversary (especially a member of an opposing military force)

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

foodnounUS /fuːd/

any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

griefnounUS /ɡriːf/

intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

gulfnounUS /ɡʌlf/

an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land; larger than a bay

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Where is the wisdom that shall bridge this gulf, And bind them once again in trust and love?"

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Where is the wisdom that shall bridge this gulf, And bind them once again in trust and love?"

keenestadjectiveUS /ˈkiːnəst/

superlative of “keen” — having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Where is the wisdom that shall bridge this gulf, And bind them once again in trust and love?"

LOVE-TRUTHS

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

From this reading "LOVE-TRUTHS."

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

meditationnounUS /ˌmedəˈteɪʃən/

continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

MEETINGnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/

a formally arranged gathering

From this reading A VIOLENT MEETING BETWEEN THE RIVALS.

naturaladjectiveUS /ˈnætʃərəl/

in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading Where is the wisdom that shall bridge this gulf, And bind them once again in trust and love?"

pangnounUS /pæŋ/

a sudden sharp feeling

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

richadjectiveUS /rɪtʃ/

possessing material wealth

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

RIVALSnounUS /ˈraɪvəlz/

plural of “rival” — the contestant you hope to defeat

From this reading A VIOLENT MEETING BETWEEN THE RIVALS.

saddestadjectiveUS /ˈsædəst/

superlative of “sad” — experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading Where is the wisdom that shall bridge this gulf, And bind them once again in trust and love?"

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

standverbUS /stænd/

be standing; be upright

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

sympathynounUS /ˈsɪmpəθi/

an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A VIOLENT MEETING BETWEEN THE RIVALS.

ThempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

thoughtfuladjectiveUS /ˈθɔːtfəl/

having intellectual depth

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

trustnounUS /trʌst/

something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)

From this reading Where is the wisdom that shall bridge this gulf, And bind them once again in trust and love?"

twixt

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

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

unitedadjectiveUS /juːˈnaɪtɪd/

characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

VIOLENTadjectiveUS /ˈvaɪələnt/

acting with or marked by or resulting from great force or energy or emotional intensity

From this reading A VIOLENT MEETING BETWEEN THE RIVALS.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Where is the wisdom that shall bridge this gulf, And bind them once again in trust and love?"

WhompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

wisdomnounUS /ˈwɪzdəm/

accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment

From this reading Where is the wisdom that shall bridge this gulf, And bind them once again in trust and love?"

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Can see, without a pang of keenest grief, Them fiercely battling (like some natural foes) Whom God had made, with help and sympathy, To stand as brothers, side by side, united!

yawnsnounUS /jɔːnz/

plural of “yawn” — an involuntary intake of breath through a wide open mouth; usually triggered by fatigue or boredom

From this reading "What thoughtful heart can look into this gulf That darkly yawns 'twixt rich and poor, And not find food for saddest meditation!

Chapter 15 of Mary Barton by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell holds 243 sentences, grouped into 49 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.

What does chapter 15 of Mary Barton contain?

Chapter 15 holds 243 sentences of Mary Barton, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Mary Barton by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 243 sentences, grouped into 49 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 15 of Mary Barton?

Work through the 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 49 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Mary Barton

Common questions about reading Mary Barton by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mary Barton?

Yes. All 7946 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2153 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mary Barton is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2153, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Mary Barton take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1590 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Mary Barton section by section

How to work through Mary Barton section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 38 chapters of Mary Barton to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Mary Barton

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mary Barton, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Mysterious
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mary Barton; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Disappearance
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mary Barton; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Working
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mary Barton; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Whole
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mary Barton; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.