Chapter 8 of Over the Sliprails is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Over the Sliprails is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.” He looked at her blankly. “Why--why to-night? What's the matter with you to-night, Mary? What's to-night more than any other night to you?
Chapter 8 of Over the Sliprails is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/39 · 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.
in a blank and uncomprehending manner
From this reading “He looked at her blankly.”
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading ““I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.””
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading ““I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.””
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading “What's the matter with you to-night, Mary?”
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading “What's the matter with you to-night, Mary?”
utter obscenities or profanities
From this reading ““I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.””
in a weary manner
From this reading ““I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.””
hope for; have a wish
From this reading ““I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.””
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.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading What's to-night more than any other night to you?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.”
in a blank and uncomprehending manner
From this reading He looked at her blankly.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He looked at her blankly.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He looked at her blankly.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.”
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading “I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.”
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading “I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.”
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He looked at her blankly.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading What's the matter with you to-night, Mary?
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading What's the matter with you to-night, Mary?
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading What's to-night more than any other night to you?
to a great degree or extent
From this reading “I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.”
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading What's to-night more than any other night to you?
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.”
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading What's to-night more than any other night to you?
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.”
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.”
utter obscenities or profanities
From this reading “I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.”
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading What's to-night more than any other night to you?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading What's the matter with you to-night, Mary?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading What's to-night more than any other night to you?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.”
in a weary manner
From this reading “I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What's the matter with you to-night, Mary?
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Why--why to-night?
hope for; have a wish
From this reading “I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading What's the matter with you to-night, Mary?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I wish you wouldn't swear so much, Johnny,” she said wearily--“at least not to-night.”
Chapter 8 of Over the Sliprails by Henry Lawson holds 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 8 holds 199 sentences of Over the Sliprails, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Over the Sliprails by Henry Lawson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 Over the Sliprails by Henry Lawson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2582 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1313 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1313, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 215 minutes of reading across 517 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Over the Sliprails section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of Over the Sliprails 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 Over the Sliprails, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
