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The Guardian Angel
The Guardian Angel

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Guardian Angel is here in full — 55 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Guardian Angel
Context Illustration Reading 9/11 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Call'em.
SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.
Then came strings of advertisements, with a luxuriant vegetation of capitals and notes of admiration.
More of those PRIME GOODS!
Full Assortments of every Article in our line!
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Guardian Angel

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Guardian Angel is here in full — 55 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 9/11 · 5 reading units · Lines 41–45

Line 1
Call'em.
Line 2
SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.
Line 3
Then came strings of advertisements, with a luxuriant vegetation of capitals and notes of admiration.
/ðen keɪm strɪŋz ʌv ˈædvərtaɪzmənts wɪð ə ləɡˈʒɜːriənt ˌvedʒəˈteɪʃən ʌv ˈkæpətəlz ənd noʊts ʌv ˌædmərˈeɪʃən/
Line 4
More of those PRIME GOODS!
/mɔːr ʌv ðoʊz praɪm ɡʊdz/
Line 5
Full Assortments of every Article in our line!

Learner Dictionary

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.

advertisements noun US /ˈædvərtaɪzmənts/

plural of “advertisement” — a public promotion of some product or service

From this reading “Then came strings of advertisements, with a luxuriant vegetation of capitals and notes of admiration.”

Ambrose noun US /ˈæmbroʊz/

(Roman Catholic Church) Roman priest who became bishop of Milan

From this reading “SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.”

capitals noun US /ˈkæpətəlz/

plural of “capital” — assets available for use in the production of further assets

From this reading “Then came strings of advertisements, with a luxuriant vegetation of capitals and notes of admiration.”

honored adjective US /ˈɑːnərd/

having an illustrious reputation; respected

From this reading “SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.”

luxuriant adjective US /ləɡˈʒɜːriənt/

marked by complexity and richness of detail

From this reading “Then came strings of advertisements, with a luxuriant vegetation of capitals and notes of admiration.”

officiate verb US /əˈfɪʃieɪt/

act in an official capacity in a ceremony or religious ritual, such as a wedding

From this reading “SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.”

rector noun US /ˈrektər/

a person authorized to conduct religious worship

From this reading “SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.”

vegetation noun US /ˌvedʒəˈteɪʃən/

all the plant life in a particular region or period

From this reading “Then came strings of advertisements, with a luxuriant vegetation of capitals and notes of admiration.”

All words in this reading · 56

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Then came strings of advertisements, with a luxuriant vegetation of capitals and notes of admiration.

admirationnounUS /ˌædmərˈeɪʃən/

a feeling of delighted approval and liking

From this reading Then came strings of advertisements, with a luxuriant vegetation of capitals and notes of admiration.

advertisementsnounUS /ˈædvərtaɪzmənts/

plural of “advertisement” — a public promotion of some product or service

From this reading Then came strings of advertisements, with a luxuriant vegetation of capitals and notes of admiration.

AmbrosenounUS /ˈæmbroʊz/

(Roman Catholic Church) Roman priest who became bishop of Milan

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

ArticlenounUS /ˈɑːrtəkəl/

nonfictional prose forming an independent part of a publication

From this reading Full Assortments of every Article in our line!

Assortments

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Full Assortments of every Article in our line!

Bartholomew's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

Call'em

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Call'em.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Then came strings of advertisements, with a luxuriant vegetation of capitals and notes of admiration.

capitalsnounUS /ˈkæpətəlz/

plural of “capital” — assets available for use in the production of further assets

From this reading Then came strings of advertisements, with a luxuriant vegetation of capitals and notes of admiration.

ChapelnounUS /ˈtʃæpəl/

a place of worship that has its own altar

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

Dr

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

Eveleth

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Full Assortments of every Article in our line!

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

FulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading Full Assortments of every Article in our line!

GOODSnounUS /ɡʊdz/

plural of “good” — benefit

From this reading More of those PRIME GOODS!

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

honoredadjectiveUS /ˈɑːnərd/

having an illustrious reputation; respected

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

Hurlbut

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Full Assortments of every Article in our line!

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

journeyverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrni/

undertake a journey or trip

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

learnverbUS /lɜːrn/

gain knowledge or skills

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading Full Assortments of every Article in our line!

luxuriantadjectiveUS /ləɡˈʒɜːriənt/

marked by complexity and richness of detail

From this reading Then came strings of advertisements, with a luxuriant vegetation of capitals and notes of admiration.

MoreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading More of those PRIME GOODS!

notesnounUS /noʊts/

plural of “note” — a brief written record

From this reading Then came strings of advertisements, with a luxuriant vegetation of capitals and notes of admiration.

occasionnounUS /əˈkeɪʒən/

an event that occurs at a critical time

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

officiateverbUS /əˈfɪʃieɪt/

act in an official capacity in a ceremony or religious ritual, such as a wedding

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Full Assortments of every Article in our line!

partiesnounUS /ˈpɑːrtiz/

plural of “party” — an organization to gain political power

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

Pemberton

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

presencenounUS /ˈprezəns/

the state of being present; current existence

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

PRIMEadjectiveUS /praɪm/

first in rank or degree

From this reading More of those PRIME GOODS!

rectornounUS /ˈrektər/

a person authorized to conduct religious worship

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

RevverbUS /rev/

increase the number of rotations per minute

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

SENSATIONnounUS /senˈseɪʃən/

an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

St

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

stringsnounUS /strɪŋz/

the section of an orchestra that plays stringed instruments

From this reading Then came strings of advertisements, with a luxuriant vegetation of capitals and notes of admiration.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then came strings of advertisements, with a luxuriant vegetation of capitals and notes of admiration.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading More of those PRIME GOODS!

to-morrow

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

vegetationnounUS /ˌvedʒəˈteɪʃən/

all the plant life in a particular region or period

From this reading Then came strings of advertisements, with a luxuriant vegetation of capitals and notes of admiration.

venerableadjectiveUS /ˈvenərəbəl/

impressive by reason of age

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading SENSATION parties and done with it!] The Rev. Dr. Pemberton and the venerable Dr. Hurlbut honored the occasion with their presence.--We learn that the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, rector of St. Bartholomew's Chapel, has returned from his journey, and will officiate to-morrow.

Chapter 1 of The Guardian Angel by Oliver Wendell Holmes holds 55 sentences, grouped into 11 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.

What does chapter 1 of The Guardian Angel contain?

Chapter 1 holds 55 sentences of The Guardian Angel, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Guardian Angel by Oliver Wendell Holmes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 55 sentences, grouped into 11 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.

How do I study chapter 1 of The Guardian Angel?

Work through the 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 11 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.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Guardian Angel

Common questions about reading The Guardian Angel by Oliver Wendell Holmes on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Guardian Angel?

Yes. All 5333 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2697 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Guardian Angel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2697, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Guardian Angel take to read?

About 444 minutes of reading across 1067 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Guardian Angel section by section

How to work through The Guardian Angel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 36 chapters of The Guardian Angel to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Guardian Angel

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Guardian Angel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Saturday
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Guardian Angel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
State
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Guardian Angel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Banner
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Guardian Angel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Delphian
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Guardian Angel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.