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The Winning of Barbara Worth
The Winning of Barbara Worth

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Winning of Barbara Worth is here in full — 326 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Winning of Barbara Worth
Context Illustration Reading 49/65 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.
It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."
Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.
As the mules started the baby stirred uneasily in the Seer's arms and murmured sleepily: "Mamma."
But the low, soothing tones of the big man calmed her and she slept.
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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 Winning of Barbara Worth

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Winning of Barbara Worth is here in full — 326 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 49/65 · 5 reading units · Lines 241–245

Line 1
If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.
Line 2
It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."
Line 3
Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.
Line 4
As the mules started the baby stirred uneasily in the Seer's arms and murmured sleepily: "Mamma."
Line 5
But the low, soothing tones of the big man calmed her and she slept.
/bʌt ðə loʊ ˈsuːðɪŋ toʊnz ʌv ðə bɪɡ mæn kɑːmd hɜːr ənd ʃiː slept/

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.

awaken verb US /əˈweɪkən/

cause to become awake or conscious

From this reading “Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.”

calmed verb US /kɑːmd/

past form of “calm” — make calm or still

From this reading “But the low, soothing tones of the big man calmed her and she slept.”

hitched verb US /hɪtʃt/

past form of “hitch” — to hook or entangle

From this reading “Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.”

mules noun US /mjuːlz/

plural of “mule” — hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse; usually sterile

From this reading “As the mules started the baby stirred uneasily in the Seer's arms and murmured sleepily: "Mamma."”

outfit noun US /ˈaʊtfɪt/

any cohesive unit such as a military company

From this reading “Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.”

sleepily adverb US /ˈsliːpəli/

in a sleepy manner

From this reading “As the mules started the baby stirred uneasily in the Seer's arms and murmured sleepily: "Mamma."”

soothing adjective US /ˈsuːðɪŋ/

affording physical relief

From this reading “But the low, soothing tones of the big man calmed her and she slept.”

uneasily adverb US /əˈniːzəli/

with anxiety or apprehension

From this reading “As the mules started the baby stirred uneasily in the Seer's arms and murmured sleepily: "Mamma."”

All words in this reading · 78

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 If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

ain't

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

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/

weapons considered collectively

From this reading As the mules started the baby stirred uneasily in the Seer's arms and murmured sleepily: "Mamma."

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

awakenverbUS /əˈweɪkən/

cause to become awake or conscious

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

babynounUS /ˈbeɪbi/

a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading As the mules started the baby stirred uneasily in the Seer's arms and murmured sleepily: "Mamma."

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading But the low, soothing tones of the big man calmed her and she slept.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But the low, soothing tones of the big man calmed her and she slept.

calmedverbUS /kɑːmd/

past form of “calm” — make calm or still

From this reading But the low, soothing tones of the big man calmed her and she slept.

chancenounUS /tʃæns/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

CitynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

findin

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

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

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

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

hitchedverbUS /hɪtʃt/

past form of “hitch” — to hook or entangle

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

jestnounUS /dʒest/

a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

kidverbUS /kɪd/

tell false information to for fun

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

killin

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

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

ll

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

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading But the low, soothing tones of the big man calmed her and she slept.

MammanounUS /ˈmɑːmə/

informal terms for a mother

From this reading As the mules started the baby stirred uneasily in the Seer's arms and murmured sleepily: "Mamma."

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading But the low, soothing tones of the big man calmed her and she slept.

mulesnounUS /mjuːlz/

plural of “mule” — hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse; usually sterile

From this reading As the mules started the baby stirred uneasily in the Seer's arms and murmured sleepily: "Mamma."

murmuredverbUS /ˈmɜːrmərd/

past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly

From this reading As the mules started the baby stirred uneasily in the Seer's arms and murmured sleepily: "Mamma."

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

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 It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading But the low, soothing tones of the big man calmed her and she slept.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

outfitnounUS /ˈaʊtfɪt/

any cohesive unit such as a military company

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

placesnounUS /ˈpleɪsəz/

plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

quietlyadverbUS /ˈkwaɪətli/

with low volume

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

ReturningadjectiveUS /rɪˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

tending to return to an earlier state

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

risknounUS /rɪsk/

a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

Rubio

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

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

Seer's

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

From this reading As the mules started the baby stirred uneasily in the Seer's arms and murmured sleepily: "Mamma."

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

sleepilyadverbUS /ˈsliːpəli/

in a sleepy manner

From this reading As the mules started the baby stirred uneasily in the Seer's arms and murmured sleepily: "Mamma."

sleepingnounUS /ˈsliːpɪŋ/

the state of being asleep

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

sleptverbUS /slept/

inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep

From this reading But the low, soothing tones of the big man calmed her and she slept.

slimadjectiveUS /slɪm/

being of delicate or slender build

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

soothingadjectiveUS /ˈsuːðɪŋ/

affording physical relief

From this reading But the low, soothing tones of the big man calmed her and she slept.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading As the mules started the baby stirred uneasily in the Seer's arms and murmured sleepily: "Mamma."

stirredadjectiveUS /stɜːrd/

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading As the mules started the baby stirred uneasily in the Seer's arms and murmured sleepily: "Mamma."

teamnounUS /tiːm/

a cooperative unit (especially in sports)

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

tonesnounUS /toʊnz/

plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice

From this reading But the low, soothing tones of the big man calmed her and she slept.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

uneasilyadverbUS /əˈniːzəli/

with anxiety or apprehension

From this reading As the mules started the baby stirred uneasily in the Seer's arms and murmured sleepily: "Mamma."

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

wagonnounUS /ˈwæɡən/

any of various kinds of wheeled vehicles drawn by an animal or a tractor

From this reading Returning to the outfit they very quietly--so as not to awaken the sleeping child--hitched the team to the wagon and took their places.

waitverbUS /weɪt/

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

we've

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

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

we-all

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

From this reading If we wait to go back there ain't one chance in a hundred that we-all 'll ever see Rubio City again.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading It ain't sense to risk killin' the kid when we've got a chance to save her--jest on a slim chance o' findin' out who she is."

Chapter 1 of The Winning of Barbara Worth by Harold Bell Wright holds 326 sentences, grouped into 66 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 Winning of Barbara Worth contain?

Chapter 1 holds 326 sentences of The Winning of Barbara Worth, unabridged, divided into 66 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Winning of Barbara Worth by Harold Bell Wright exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 326 sentences, grouped into 66 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 Winning of Barbara Worth?

Work through the 66 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 66 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 Winning of Barbara Worth

Common questions about reading The Winning of Barbara Worth by Harold Bell Wright on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Winning of Barbara Worth?

Yes. All 7055 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6997 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Winning of Barbara Worth is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6997, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Winning of Barbara Worth take to read?

About 587 minutes of reading across 1411 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Winning of Barbara Worth section by section

How to work through The Winning of Barbara Worth section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Winning of Barbara Worth

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Winning of Barbara Worth, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Jefferson
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Winning of Barbara Worth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Worth's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Winning of Barbara Worth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Offering
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Winning of Barbara Worth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Broke
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Winning of Barbara Worth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.