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The Seaboard Parish, Complete
The Seaboard Parish, Complete

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of The Seaboard Parish, Complete is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Seaboard Parish, Complete
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE HARVEST.
It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.
The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.
But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.
I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Seaboard Parish, Complete

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of The Seaboard Parish, Complete is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE HARVEST.
/ðə ˈhɑːrvəst/
Line 2
It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.
/ɪt wɑːz sʌm taɪm bɪˈfɔːr wiː ɡɑːt ðə belz tuː wɜːrk tuː ˈaʊər maɪnd bʌt æt læst wiː səkˈsiːdɪd/
Line 3
The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.
/ðə wɜːrst ʌv ɪt wɑːz tuː ɡet ðə kræŋks wɪtʃ æt fɜːrst riˈkwaɪərd strɔːŋ ˈpreʃər ɑːn ðə kiːz tuː wɜːrk ˈiːzəli ɪˈnʌf/
Line 4
But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.
Line 5
I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

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.

cranks noun US /kræŋks/

plural of “crank” — a bad-tempered person

From this reading “The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.”

discourse noun US /ˈdɪskɔːrs/

extended verbal expression in speech or writing

From this reading “I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.”

eloquently adverb US /ˈeləkwəntli/

with eloquence

From this reading “I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.”

harvest noun US /ˈhɑːrvəst/

the yield from plants in a single growing season

From this reading “THE HARVEST.”

instrument noun US /ˈɪnstrəmənt/

a device that requires skill for proper use

From this reading “I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.”

keys noun US /kiːz/

plural of “key” — metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated

From this reading “The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.”

pressure noun US /ˈpreʃər/

the force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit)

From this reading “The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.”

spared verb US /sperd/

past form of “spare” — refrain from harming

From this reading “But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.”

All words in this reading · 66

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.

attemptnounUS /əˈtempt/

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.

bellsnounUS /belz/

plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

cousinnounUS /ˈkʌzən/

the child of your aunt or uncle

From this reading But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.

cranksnounUS /kræŋks/

plural of “crank” — a bad-tempered person

From this reading The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.

discoursenounUS /ˈdɪskɔːrs/

extended verbal expression in speech or writing

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

easilyadverbUS /ˈiːzəli/

with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)

From this reading The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.

eloquentlyadverbUS /ˈeləkwəntli/

with eloquence

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.

HARVESTnounUS /ˈhɑːrvəst/

the yield from plants in a single growing season

From this reading THE HARVEST.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

instrumentnounUS /ˈɪnstrəmənt/

a device that requires skill for proper use

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.

Joe

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

From this reading But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.

keysnounUS /kiːz/

plural of “key” — metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated

From this reading The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.

lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.

loudlyadverbUS /ˈlaʊdli/

with relatively high volume

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

makingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.

neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.

painsnounUS /peɪnz/

an effortful attempt to attain a goal

From this reading But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.

perfectadjectiveUS /pərˈfekt/

being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish

From this reading But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.

pressurenounUS /ˈpreʃər/

the force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit)

From this reading The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.

requiredadjectiveUS /riˈkwaɪərd/

necessary for relief or supply

From this reading The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

sparedverbUS /sperd/

past form of “spare” — refrain from harming

From this reading But neither Joe nor his cousin spared any pains to perfect the attempt, and, as I say, at length we succeeded.

strongadjectiveUS /strɔːŋ/

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.

succeededverbUS /səkˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE HARVEST.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

towernounUS /ˈtaʊər/

a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.

whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading It was some time before we got the bells to work to our mind, but at last we succeeded.

worstnounUS /wɜːrst/

the least favorable outcome

From this reading The worst of it was to get the cranks, which at first required strong pressure on the keys, to work easily enough.

Wynnie

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

From this reading I took Wynnie down to the instrument and made her try whether she could not do something, and she succeeded in making the old tower discourse loudly and eloquently.

Chapter 28 of The Seaboard Parish, Complete by George MacDonald holds 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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 28 of The Seaboard Parish, Complete contain?

Chapter 28 holds 168 sentences of The Seaboard Parish, Complete, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 28 of The Seaboard Parish, Complete by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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 28 of The Seaboard Parish, Complete?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 28 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 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 Seaboard Parish, Complete

Common questions about reading The Seaboard Parish, Complete by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Seaboard Parish, Complete?

Yes. All 8940 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8562 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Seaboard Parish, Complete is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #8562, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Seaboard Parish, Complete take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1788 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Seaboard Parish, Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Seaboard Parish, Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Homiletic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Seaboard Parish, Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Friends
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Seaboard Parish, Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beginning
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Seaboard Parish, Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sermon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Seaboard Parish, Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.