Chapter 24 of Shoe-Bar Stratton is here in full — 118 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIV
Chapter 24 of Shoe-Bar Stratton is here in full — 118 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE SECRET OF NORTH PASTURE Jessup swallowed hard. "But--but--" he faltered, "there ain't never been any found around here. The nearest fields are hundreds of miles away, ain't they?" Stratton dropped the lump of sand. A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
Chapter 24 of Shoe-Bar Stratton is here in full — 118 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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.
past form of “falter” — be unsure or weak
From this reading “"But--but--" he faltered, "there ain't never been any found around here.”
a form of entertainment that enacts a story by sound and a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement
From this reading “A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.”
varying in color when seen in different lights or from different angles
From this reading “A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.”
a compact mass
From this reading “Stratton dropped the lump of sand.”
containing an unusual amount of grease or oil
From this reading “A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.”
the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers
From this reading “A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.”
plural of “particle” — (nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything
From this reading “A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.”
a field covered with grass or herbage and suitable for grazing by livestock
From this reading “THE SECRET OF NORTH PASTURE Jessup swallowed hard.”
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 A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But--but--" he faltered, "there ain't never been any found around here.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "But--but--" he faltered, "there ain't never been any found around here.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The nearest fields are hundreds of miles away, ain't they?"
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading "But--but--" he faltered, "there ain't never been any found around here.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The nearest fields are hundreds of miles away, ain't they?"
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "But--but--" he faltered, "there ain't never been any found around here.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But--but--" he faltered, "there ain't never been any found around here.
inflected form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Stratton dropped the lump of sand.
past form of “falter” — be unsure or weak
From this reading "But--but--" he faltered, "there ain't never been any found around here.
United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)
From this reading The nearest fields are hundreds of miles away, ain't they?"
a form of entertainment that enacts a story by sound and a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement
From this reading A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
set up or found
From this reading "But--but--" he faltered, "there ain't never been any found around here.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading THE SECRET OF NORTH PASTURE Jessup swallowed hard.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "But--but--" he faltered, "there ain't never been any found around here.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "But--but--" he faltered, "there ain't never been any found around here.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
plural of “hundred” — ten 10s
From this reading The nearest fields are hundreds of miles away, ain't they?"
varying in color when seen in different lights or from different angles
From this reading A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SECRET OF NORTH PASTURE Jessup swallowed hard.
a compact mass
From this reading Stratton dropped the lump of sand.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading The nearest fields are hundreds of miles away, ain't they?"
(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance
From this reading The nearest fields are hundreds of miles away, ain't they?"
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "But--but--" he faltered, "there ain't never been any found around here.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading THE SECRET OF NORTH PASTURE Jessup swallowed hard.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE SECRET OF NORTH PASTURE Jessup swallowed hard.
containing an unusual amount of grease or oil
From this reading A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
above and across; more than
From this reading A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers
From this reading A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
plural of “particle” — (nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything
From this reading A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
a field covered with grass or herbage and suitable for grazing by livestock
From this reading THE SECRET OF NORTH PASTURE Jessup swallowed hard.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading Stratton dropped the lump of sand.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading THE SECRET OF NORTH PASTURE Jessup swallowed hard.
a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch
From this reading A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
not in physical motion
From this reading A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Stratton dropped the lump of sand.
past form of “swallow” — pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking
From this reading THE SECRET OF NORTH PASTURE Jessup swallowed hard.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SECRET OF NORTH PASTURE Jessup swallowed hard.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "But--but--" he faltered, "there ain't never been any found around here.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The nearest fields are hundreds of miles away, ain't they?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A number of particles still clung to his palm, and over the skin there spread an oily, slightly iridescent film.
Chapter 24 of Shoe-Bar Stratton by Joseph Bushnell Ames holds 118 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 holds 118 sentences of Shoe-Bar Stratton, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 24 of Shoe-Bar Stratton by Joseph Bushnell Ames exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 118 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 24 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 Shoe-Bar Stratton by Joseph Bushnell Ames on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4602 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27355 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #27355, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 383 minutes of reading across 921 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Shoe-Bar Stratton section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 35 chapters of Shoe-Bar Stratton 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 Shoe-Bar Stratton, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
