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The Path to Home
The Path to Home

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Path to Home is here in full — 323 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Path to Home
Context Illustration Reading 1/64 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.
The Reilly & Lee Co.
F. K. R.
There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.
There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.
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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 Path to Home

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Path to Home is here in full — 323 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/64 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.
Line 2
The Reilly & Lee Co.
Line 3
F. K. R.
/ef keɪ ɑːr/
Line 4
There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.
Line 5
There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.
/ðer ɑːr ˈʃæɡi ˈæstərz ˈbluːmɪŋ ɪn ðə bed ðæt laɪnz ðə fens ənd ðə ˈsɪmpləst ʌv ðə ˈblɑːsəmz siːmz ʌv ˈmaɪti ˈkɑːnsəkwəns/

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.

asters noun US /ˈæstərz/

plural of “aster” — any of various chiefly fall-blooming herbs of the genus Aster with showy daisylike flowers

From this reading “There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.”

blooming noun US /ˈbluːmɪŋ/

the organic process of bearing flowers

From this reading “There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.”

blossoms noun US /ˈblɑːsəmz/

plural of “blossom” — reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one having showy or colorful parts

From this reading “There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.”

curtains noun US /ˈkɜːrtənz/

plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)

From this reading “There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.”

Lee noun US /liː/

United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)

From this reading “Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.”

parlor noun US /ˈpɑːrlər/

reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received

From this reading “There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.”

shaggy adjective US /ˈʃæɡi/

used of hair; thick and poorly groomed

From this reading “There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.”

simplest adjective US /ˈsɪmpləst/

superlative of “simple” — having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading “There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.”

All words in this reading · 46

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 Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.

astersnounUS /ˈæstərz/

plural of “aster” — any of various chiefly fall-blooming herbs of the genus Aster with showy daisylike flowers

From this reading There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.

AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.

bloomingnounUS /ˈbluːmɪŋ/

the organic process of bearing flowers

From this reading There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.

blossomsnounUS /ˈblɑːsəmz/

plural of “blossom” — reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one having showy or colorful parts

From this reading There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.

ConounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.

consequencenounUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwəns/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.

curtainsnounUS /ˈkɜːrtənz/

plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)

From this reading There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.

doorwaynounUS /ˈdɔːrweɪ/

the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close

From this reading There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.

FnounUS /ef/

a degree on the Fahrenheit scale of temperature

From this reading F. K. R.

fenceverbUS /fens/

enclose with a fence

From this reading There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.

FolksnounUS /foʊks/

your parents

From this reading Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.

gatenounUS /ɡeɪt/

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.

HeapnounUS /hiːp/

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.

JustadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.

KnounUS /keɪ/

the basic unit of thermodynamic temperature adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading F. K. R.

LeenounUS /liː/

United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)

From this reading Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.

linesnounUS /laɪnz/

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.

Livin

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

From this reading Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.

mightyadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪti/

having or showing great strength or force or intensity

From this reading There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.

onounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.

OverprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.

parlornounUS /ˈpɑːrlər/

reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received

From this reading There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.

RnounUS /ɑːr/

a unit of radiation exposure; the dose of ionizing radiation that will produce 1 electrostatic unit of electricity in 1 cc of dry air

From this reading F. K. R.

Reilly

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

From this reading Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.

seemsverbUS /siːmz/

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.

shaggyadjectiveUS /ˈʃæɡi/

used of hair; thick and poorly groomed

From this reading There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.

simplestadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpləst/

superlative of “simple” — having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.

straightadjectiveUS /streɪt/

successive (without a break)

From this reading There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Author of "Just Folks"--"Over Here" "A Heap o' Livin'" The Reilly & Lee Co.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There are shaggy asters blooming in the bed that lines the fence, And the simplest of the blossoms seems of mighty consequence.

There's

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

From this reading There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.

windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading There's the mother at the doorway, and the children at the gate, And the little parlor windows with the curtains white and straight.

Chapter 1 of The Path to Home by Edgar A. (Edgar Albert) Guest holds 323 sentences, grouped into 65 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 Path to Home contain?

Chapter 1 holds 323 sentences of The Path to Home, unabridged, divided into 65 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Path to Home by Edgar A. (Edgar Albert) Guest exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 323 sentences, grouped into 65 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 Path to Home?

Work through the 65 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 65 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 Path to Home

Common questions about reading The Path to Home by Edgar A. (Edgar Albert) Guest on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Path to Home?

Yes. All 969 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21890 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Path to Home is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #21890, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Path to Home take to read?

About 80 minutes of reading across 194 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Path to Home section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Path to Home 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 Path to Home

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Path to Home, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Path to Home; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Folks
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Path to Home; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Livin'
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Path to Home; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Reilly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Path to Home; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.