Chapter 18 of Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro. I hardly dared look up. Elsie's face was composed and sweet. She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully. My father took the stool on which Elsie had been sitting.
Chapter 18 of Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 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.
of a dreadful kind
From this reading “She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.”
compassionate feelings that support a willingness to forgive
From this reading “Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.”
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading “Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.”
subdued or brought low in condition or status
From this reading “She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.”
-ing form of “rock” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading “Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.”
start suddenly, as from fright
From this reading “She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.”
a simple seat without a back or arms
From this reading “My father took the stool on which Elsie had been sitting.”
(of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear
From this reading “She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.”
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 She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading My father took the stool on which Elsie had been sitting.
serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress
From this reading Elsie's face was composed and sweet.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading I hardly dared look up.
of a dreadful kind
From this reading She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My father took the stool on which Elsie had been sitting.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Elsie's face was composed and sweet.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Elsie's face was composed and sweet.
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading My father took the stool on which Elsie had been sitting.
compassionate feelings that support a willingness to forgive
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading My father took the stool on which Elsie had been sitting.
only a very short time before
From this reading I hardly dared look up.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
subdued or brought low in condition or status
From this reading She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I hardly dared look up.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I hardly dared look up.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
-ing form of “rock” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.
start suddenly, as from fright
From this reading She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading My father took the stool on which Elsie had been sitting.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.
a simple seat without a back or arms
From this reading My father took the stool on which Elsie had been sitting.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading Elsie's face was composed and sweet.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading My father took the stool on which Elsie had been sitting.
(of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear
From this reading She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I hardly dared look up.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Elsie's face was composed and sweet.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.
at the time that
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading She gave me a shy tremulous smile, which went to my heart and humbled me dreadfully.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Forgiveness When we entered, there sat the old woman on the farther side of the hearth, rocking herself to and fro.
Chapter 18 of Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood by George MacDonald holds 140 sentences, grouped into 28 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 18 holds 140 sentences of Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 140 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 28 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 18 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 Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3967 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9301 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9301, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 330 minutes of reading across 794 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 35 chapters of Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood 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 Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
