Chapter 10 of The Bars of Iron is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of The Bars of Iron is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie. "No," said Piers. "Aunt Avery may kiss me if she likes." He looked at Avery with his sudden, boyish laugh. "But I know she doesn't like, so that's an end of the matter."
Chapter 10 of The Bars of Iron is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/89 · 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.
befitting or characteristic of a young boy
From this reading “He looked at Avery with his sudden, boyish laugh.”
freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading “A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.”
United States comedienne remembered as the confused but imperturbable partner of her husband, George Burns (1906-1964)
From this reading “A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.”
the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)
From this reading “A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.”
plural of “like” — a similar kind
From this reading “"Aunt Avery may kiss me if she likes."”
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.”
American plants closely resembling Old World mistletoe
From this reading “A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.”
plural of “pier” — a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats
From this reading “"No," said Piers.”
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 MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "But I know she doesn't like, so that's an end of the matter."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He looked at Avery with his sudden, boyish laugh.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.
befitting or characteristic of a young boy
From this reading He looked at Avery with his sudden, boyish laugh.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But I know she doesn't like, so that's an end of the matter."
freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But I know she doesn't like, so that's an end of the matter."
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading "But I know she doesn't like, so that's an end of the matter."
the act of departing
From this reading A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.
United States comedienne remembered as the confused but imperturbable partner of her husband, George Burns (1906-1964)
From this reading A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He looked at Avery with his sudden, boyish laugh.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He looked at Avery with his sudden, boyish laugh.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "But I know she doesn't like, so that's an end of the matter."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "Aunt Avery may kiss me if she likes."
the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)
From this reading A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "But I know she doesn't like, so that's an end of the matter."
the sound of laughing
From this reading He looked at Avery with his sudden, boyish laugh.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "But I know she doesn't like, so that's an end of the matter."
plural of “like” — a similar kind
From this reading "Aunt Avery may kiss me if she likes."
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He looked at Avery with his sudden, boyish laugh.
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "But I know she doesn't like, so that's an end of the matter."
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "Aunt Avery may kiss me if she likes."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Aunt Avery may kiss me if she likes."
American plants closely resembling Old World mistletoe
From this reading A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.
not any; not one
From this reading "No," said Piers.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "But I know she doesn't like, so that's an end of the matter."
plural of “pier” — a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats
From this reading "No," said Piers.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "No," said Piers.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Aunt Avery may kiss me if she likes."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "But I know she doesn't like, so that's an end of the matter."
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading He looked at Avery with his sudden, boyish laugh.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But I know she doesn't like, so that's an end of the matter."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He looked at Avery with his sudden, boyish laugh.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading A MAN'S CONFIDENCE "Aren't you going to kiss Aunt Avery under the mistletoe?" asked Gracie.
Chapter 10 of The Bars of Iron by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell holds 449 sentences, grouped into 90 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 10 holds 449 sentences of The Bars of Iron, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of The Bars of Iron by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 449 sentences, grouped into 90 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 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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 10 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 The Bars of Iron by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 13358 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10509 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #10509, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2672 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Bars of Iron section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of The Bars of Iron 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 The Bars of Iron, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
