Chapter 4 of Special Messenger is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Special Messenger is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Reckon I'm alone when I live heah," sullenly. "What is your name?" He had a trick of coloring easily. "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be. Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
Chapter 4 of Special Messenger is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
a digestible substance used to give color to food
From this reading “He had a trick of coloring easily.”
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading “"What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.”
not fake or counterfeit
From this reading “Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.”
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading “"Reckon I'm alone when I live heah," sullenly.”
past form of “retort” — answer back
From this reading “"What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.”
in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading “"What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.”
a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading “He had a trick of coloring easily.”
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading “Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.”
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 He had a trick of coloring easily.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
Having no one else present.
From this reading "Reckon I'm alone when I live heah," sullenly.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
a digestible substance used to give color to food
From this reading He had a trick of coloring easily.
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading He had a trick of coloring easily.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
divisible by two
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
not fake or counterfeit
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had a trick of coloring easily.
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had a trick of coloring easily.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Reckon I'm alone when I live heah," sullenly.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Reckon I'm alone when I live heah," sullenly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Reckon I'm alone when I live heah," sullenly.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What is your name?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading "Reckon I'm alone when I live heah," sullenly.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "What is your name?"
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had a trick of coloring easily.
allayed
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading "Reckon I'm alone when I live heah," sullenly.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
past form of “retort” — answer back
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
in a sullen manner
From this reading "Reckon I'm alone when I live heah," sullenly.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading He had a trick of coloring easily.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What is your name?"
at the time that
From this reading "Reckon I'm alone when I live heah," sullenly.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading Genuine surprise brought the red back into his face and made it, worn as it was, seem almost handsome.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What may be _yoh_ name, suh?" she retorted with a little flash of Southern spirit, never entirely quenched even in such as she seemed to be.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What is your name?"
Chapter 4 of Special Messenger by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers holds 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 4 holds 426 sentences of Special Messenger, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Special Messenger by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 4 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 Special Messenger by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2938 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24071 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24071, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 244 minutes of reading across 588 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Special Messenger section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of Special Messenger 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 Special Messenger, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
