Chapter 23 of The Short Line War is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of The Short Line War is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda. “West, what do think of that?” he said, handing a type-written sheet across to the other desk. It was an order addressed to Mattison, reinstating J. Donohue in the passenger service of the M. & T. “He deserves it,” replied Harvey, briefly.
Chapter 23 of The Short Line War is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
third-person singular of “deserve” — be worthy or deserving
From this reading ““He deserves it,” replied Harvey, briefly.”
-ing form of “hand” — place into the hands or custody of
From this reading ““West, what do think of that?” he said, handing a type-written sheet across to the other desk.”
English physician and scientist who described the circulation of the blood; he later proposed that all animals originate from an ovum produced by the female of the species (1578-1657)
From this reading ““He deserves it,” replied Harvey, briefly.”
a written proposal or reminder
From this reading “THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.”
a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it
From this reading “It was an order addressed to Mattison, reinstating J. Donohue in the passenger service of the M.”
past form of “pile” — arrange in stacks
From this reading “THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.”
-ing form of “reinstate” — restore to the previous state or rank
From this reading “It was an order addressed to Mattison, reinstating J. Donohue in the passenger service of the M.”
acceptance of despair
From this reading “THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.”
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 THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading “West, what do think of that?” he said, handing a type-written sheet across to the other desk.
(of mail) marked with a destination
From this reading It was an order addressed to Mattison, reinstating J. Donohue in the passenger service of the M.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was an order addressed to Mattison, reinstating J. Donohue in the passenger service of the M.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.
for a short time
From this reading “He deserves it,” replied Harvey, briefly.
third-person singular of “deserve” — be worthy or deserving
From this reading “He deserves it,” replied Harvey, briefly.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “West, what do think of that?” he said, handing a type-written sheet across to the other desk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was an order addressed to Mattison, reinstating J. Donohue in the passenger service of the M.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.
-ing form of “hand” — place into the hands or custody of
From this reading “West, what do think of that?” he said, handing a type-written sheet across to the other desk.
English physician and scientist who described the circulation of the blood; he later proposed that all animals originate from an ovum produced by the female of the species (1578-1657)
From this reading “He deserves it,” replied Harvey, briefly.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “West, what do think of that?” he said, handing a type-written sheet across to the other desk.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was an order addressed to Mattison, reinstating J. Donohue in the passenger service of the M.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was an order addressed to Mattison, reinstating J. Donohue in the passenger service of the M.
a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second
From this reading It was an order addressed to Mattison, reinstating J. Donohue in the passenger service of the M.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.
the literary culture
From this reading THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading It was an order addressed to Mattison, reinstating J. Donohue in the passenger service of the M.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was an order addressed to Mattison, reinstating J. Donohue in the passenger service of the M.
a written proposal or reminder
From this reading THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “West, what do think of that?” he said, handing a type-written sheet across to the other desk.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading It was an order addressed to Mattison, reinstating J. Donohue in the passenger service of the M.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading “West, what do think of that?” he said, handing a type-written sheet across to the other desk.
a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it
From this reading It was an order addressed to Mattison, reinstating J. Donohue in the passenger service of the M.
past form of “pile” — arrange in stacks
From this reading THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.
-ing form of “reinstate” — restore to the previous state or rank
From this reading It was an order addressed to Mattison, reinstating J. Donohue in the passenger service of the M.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “He deserves it,” replied Harvey, briefly.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “West, what do think of that?” he said, handing a type-written sheet across to the other desk.
work done by one person or group that benefits another
From this reading It was an order addressed to Mattison, reinstating J. Donohue in the passenger service of the M.
any broad thin expanse or surface
From this reading “West, what do think of that?” he said, handing a type-written sheet across to the other desk.
acceptance of despair
From this reading THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.
a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine
From this reading & T.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “West, what do think of that?” he said, handing a type-written sheet across to the other desk.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “West, what do think of that?” he said, handing a type-written sheet across to the other desk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “West, what do think of that?” he said, handing a type-written sheet across to the other desk.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading “West, what do think of that?” he said, handing a type-written sheet across to the other desk.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “West, what do think of that?” he said, handing a type-written sheet across to the other desk.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE SURRENDER Jim looked up from a desk that was piled high with letters and memoranda.
Chapter 23 of The Short Line War by Samuel Merwin holds 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 23 holds 153 sentences of The Short Line War, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of The Short Line War by Samuel Merwin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 23 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 Short Line War by Samuel Merwin on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Short Line War section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Short Line War 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 Short Line War, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
