Chapter 10 of The Touch of Abner is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of The Touch of Abner is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?" "Don’t ye think so ye’rself?" was the evasive reply. "Is this rain softenin’ ye up? It is me, at any rate, an’ I’m gittin’ soaked." "But how kin I begin the change, Zeb?"
Chapter 10 of The Touch of Abner is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “"But how kin I begin the change, Zeb?"”
deliberately vague or ambiguous
From this reading “"Don’t ye think so ye’rself?" was the evasive reply.”
a person having kinship with another or others
From this reading “"But how kin I begin the change, Zeb?"”
past form of “pant” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading “"Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"”
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading “"Is this rain softenin’ ye up?”
a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit
From this reading “It is me, at any rate, an’ I’m gittin’ soaked."”
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading “"Don’t ye think so ye’rself?" was the evasive reply.”
very drunk
From this reading “It is me, at any rate, an’ I’m gittin’ soaked."”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “It is me, at any rate, an’ I’m gittin’ soaked."”
in a lengthy or prolix manner
In this reading “"Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"”
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 "Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading It is me, at any rate, an’ I’m gittin’ soaked."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "But how kin I begin the change, Zeb?"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But how kin I begin the change, Zeb?"
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading "Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Don’t ye think so ye’rself?" was the evasive reply.
deliberately vague or ambiguous
From this reading "Don’t ye think so ye’rself?" was the evasive reply.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is me, at any rate, an’ I’m gittin’ soaked."
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading "Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But how kin I begin the change, Zeb?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is me, at any rate, an’ I’m gittin’ soaked."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Is this rain softenin’ ye up?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is me, at any rate, an’ I’m gittin’ soaked."
a person having kinship with another or others
From this reading "But how kin I begin the change, Zeb?"
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading "Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It is me, at any rate, an’ I’m gittin’ soaked."
a condition requiring relief
From this reading "Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"
past form of “pant” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading "Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading "Is this rain softenin’ ye up?
a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit
From this reading It is me, at any rate, an’ I’m gittin’ soaked."
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading "Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading "Don’t ye think so ye’rself?" was the evasive reply.
express in words
From this reading "Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Don’t ye think so ye’rself?" was the evasive reply.
very drunk
From this reading It is me, at any rate, an’ I’m gittin’ soaked."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Is this rain softenin’ ye up?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Don’t ye think so ye’rself?" was the evasive reply.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Is this rain softenin’ ye up?
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Is this rain softenin’ ye up?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Don’t ye think so ye’rself?" was the evasive reply.
an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person
From this reading "Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Don’t ye think so ye’rself?" was the evasive reply.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Say, Zeb," Abner at length panted, "an’ ye really think I need a change of heart?"
Chapter 10 of The Touch of Abner by H. A. (Hiram Alfred) Cody holds 405 sentences, grouped into 81 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 405 sentences of The Touch of Abner, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of The Touch of Abner by H. A. (Hiram Alfred) Cody exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 405 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 Touch of Abner by H. A. (Hiram Alfred) Cody on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6854 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53604 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #53604, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 571 minutes of reading across 1371 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Touch of Abner section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Touch of Abner 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 Touch of Abner, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
