Chapter 1 of The Crimson Blind is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Crimson Blind is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
David walked swiftly along, his mind in a perfect whirl. Now that once he had started he was eager to see the adventure through. It was strange, but stranger things had happened. More than one correspondent with queer personal experiences had taught him that. Nor was Steel in the least afraid.
Chapter 1 of The Crimson Blind is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 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.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading “Now that once he had started he was eager to see the adventure through.”
someone who communicates by means of letters
From this reading “More than one correspondent with queer personal experiences had taught him that.”
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading “David walked swiftly along, his mind in a perfect whirl.”
plural of “experience” — the accumulation of knowledge or skill that results from direct participation in events or activities
From this reading “More than one correspondent with queer personal experiences had taught him that.”
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading “More than one correspondent with queer personal experiences had taught him that.”
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading “Nor was Steel in the least afraid.”
in a swift manner
From this reading “David walked swiftly along, his mind in a perfect whirl.”
turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading “David walked swiftly along, his mind in a perfect whirl.”
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 David walked swiftly along, his mind in a perfect whirl.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading Now that once he had started he was eager to see the adventure through.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading Nor was Steel in the least afraid.
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading David walked swiftly along, his mind in a perfect whirl.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was strange, but stranger things had happened.
someone who communicates by means of letters
From this reading More than one correspondent with queer personal experiences had taught him that.
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading David walked swiftly along, his mind in a perfect whirl.
having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy
From this reading Now that once he had started he was eager to see the adventure through.
plural of “experience” — the accumulation of knowledge or skill that results from direct participation in events or activities
From this reading More than one correspondent with queer personal experiences had taught him that.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Now that once he had started he was eager to see the adventure through.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading It was strange, but stranger things had happened.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Now that once he had started he was eager to see the adventure through.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading More than one correspondent with queer personal experiences had taught him that.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading David walked swiftly along, his mind in a perfect whirl.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading David walked swiftly along, his mind in a perfect whirl.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was strange, but stranger things had happened.
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 Nor was Steel in the least afraid.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading David walked swiftly along, his mind in a perfect whirl.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading More than one correspondent with queer personal experiences had taught him that.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Nor was Steel in the least afraid.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now that once he had started he was eager to see the adventure through.
on one occasion
From this reading Now that once he had started he was eager to see the adventure through.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading More than one correspondent with queer personal experiences had taught him that.
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading David walked swiftly along, his mind in a perfect whirl.
concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality
From this reading More than one correspondent with queer personal experiences had taught him that.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading More than one correspondent with queer personal experiences had taught him that.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Now that once he had started he was eager to see the adventure through.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Now that once he had started he was eager to see the adventure through.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading Nor was Steel in the least afraid.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading It was strange, but stranger things had happened.
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading It was strange, but stranger things had happened.
in a swift manner
From this reading David walked swiftly along, his mind in a perfect whirl.
inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading More than one correspondent with queer personal experiences had taught him that.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading More than one correspondent with queer personal experiences had taught him that.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Now that once he had started he was eager to see the adventure through.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Now that once he had started he was eager to see the adventure through.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading It was strange, but stranger things had happened.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Now that once he had started he was eager to see the adventure through.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Now that once he had started he was eager to see the adventure through.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading David walked swiftly along, his mind in a perfect whirl.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Now that once he had started he was eager to see the adventure through.
turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading David walked swiftly along, his mind in a perfect whirl.
in the company of; together with
From this reading More than one correspondent with queer personal experiences had taught him that.
Chapter 1 of The Crimson Blind by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White holds 163 sentences, grouped into 33 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 1 holds 163 sentences of The Crimson Blind, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Crimson Blind by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 163 sentences, grouped into 33 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 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 33 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 1 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 Crimson Blind by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9110 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9832 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9832, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1822 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Crimson Blind section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Crimson Blind 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 Crimson Blind, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
