Chapter 10 of The Old Helmet, Volume I is here in full — 446 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 Old Helmet, Volume I is here in full — 446 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AT LUNCHEON. "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring." "Macintosh, do you ever condescend to do such a thing as walk?--take a walk, I mean?" "You may command me," he answered somewhat lazily. "May I?
Chapter 10 of The Old Helmet, Volume I is here in full — 446 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.
pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading “"And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."”
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading “"You may command me," he answered somewhat lazily.”
behave in a patronizing and condescending manner
From this reading “"Macintosh, do you ever condescend to do such a thing as walk?--take a walk, I mean?"”
in a slow and lazy manner
From this reading “"You may command me," he answered somewhat lazily.”
a midday meal
From this reading “AT LUNCHEON.”
a lightweight waterproof (usually rubberized) fabric
From this reading “"Macintosh, do you ever condescend to do such a thing as walk?--take a walk, I mean?"”
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading “"And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."”
take in marriage
From this reading “"And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."”
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 "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "You may command me," he answered somewhat lazily.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading AT LUNCHEON.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading "You may command me," he answered somewhat lazily.
behave in a patronizing and condescending manner
From this reading "Macintosh, do you ever condescend to do such a thing as walk?--take a walk, I mean?"
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Macintosh, do you ever condescend to do such a thing as walk?--take a walk, I mean?"
at any time
From this reading "Macintosh, do you ever condescend to do such a thing as walk?--take a walk, I mean?"
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "You may command me," he answered somewhat lazily.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Macintosh, do you ever condescend to do such a thing as walk?--take a walk, I mean?"
and nothing more
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
in a slow and lazy manner
From this reading "You may command me," he answered somewhat lazily.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
a midday meal
From this reading AT LUNCHEON.
a lightweight waterproof (usually rubberized) fabric
From this reading "Macintosh, do you ever condescend to do such a thing as walk?--take a walk, I mean?"
engage in
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "You may command me," he answered somewhat lazily.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "You may command me," he answered somewhat lazily.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "Macintosh, do you ever condescend to do such a thing as walk?--take a walk, I mean?"
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
on one occasion
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
to a small degree or extent
From this reading "You may command me," he answered somewhat lazily.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "Macintosh, do you ever condescend to do such a thing as walk?--take a walk, I mean?"
carry out
From this reading "Macintosh, do you ever condescend to do such a thing as walk?--take a walk, I mean?"
a special situation
From this reading "Macintosh, do you ever condescend to do such a thing as walk?--take a walk, I mean?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Macintosh, do you ever condescend to do such a thing as walk?--take a walk, I mean?"
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading "Macintosh, do you ever condescend to do such a thing as walk?--take a walk, I mean?"
take in marriage
From this reading "And, once wed, So just a man and gentle, could not choose But make my life as smooth as marriage-ring."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Macintosh, do you ever condescend to do such a thing as walk?--take a walk, I mean?"
Chapter 10 of The Old Helmet, Volume I by Susan Warner holds 446 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 446 sentences of The Old Helmet, Volume I, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of The Old Helmet, Volume I by Susan Warner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 446 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 Old Helmet, Volume I by Susan Warner on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6494 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26829 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26829, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 541 minutes of reading across 1299 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Old Helmet, Volume I section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of The Old Helmet, Volume I 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 Old Helmet, Volume I, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
