Betty's Virginia Christmas

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of Betty's Virginia Christmas is here in full — 82 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Molly Elliot Seawell • Curated US English Learning Edition

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The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

Quiet and still was the house in the dawn of the wintry morning, and apparently asleep.

The burning roof had not yet awakened the household, as the smoke and flames were borne upward.

Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

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Chapter XVII Reading 1/16

Betty's Virginia Christmas Molly Elliot Seawell

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of Betty's Virginia Christmas is here in full — 82 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE HAND OF DESTINY When Fortescue saw the thin cloud of smoke curling upward from the roof of Holly Lodge, he sprang up, and, still in his evening clothes and dancing pumps, ran downstairs, ringing bells and shouting aloud as he ran. The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge. Quiet and still was the house in the dawn of the wintry morning, and apparently asleep. The burning roof had not yet awakened the household, as the smoke and flames were borne upward. Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

Betty's Virginia Christmas

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of Betty's Virginia Christmas is here in full — 82 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

Line 3

Quiet and still was the house in the dawn of the wintry morning, and apparently asleep.

/ˈkwaɪət ənd stɪl wɑːz ðə haʊs ɪn ðə dɔːn ʌv ðə ˈwɪntri ˈmɔːrnɪŋ ənd əˈperəntli əˈsliːp/

Line 4

The burning roof had not yet awakened the household, as the smoke and flames were borne upward.

/ðə ˈbɜːrnɪŋ ruːf hæd nɑːt jet əˈweɪkənd ðə ˈhaʊshoʊld æz ðə smoʊk ənd fleɪmz wɜːr bɔːrn ˈʌpwərd/

Line 5

Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

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.

buckets noun US /ˈbʌkəts/

plural of “bucket” — a roughly cylindrical vessel that is open at the top

From this reading “The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.”

crackle verb US /ˈkrækəl/

make a crackling sound

From this reading “Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.”

curling noun US /ˈkɜːrlɪŋ/

a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target

From this reading “THE HAND OF DESTINY When Fortescue saw the thin cloud of smoke curling upward from the roof of Holly Lodge, he sprang up, and, still in his evening clothes and dancing pumps, ran downstairs, ringing bells and shouting aloud as he ran.”

flocked verb US /flɑːkt/

past form of “flock” — move as a crowd or in a group

From this reading “The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.”

hammered adjective US /ˈhæmərd/

shaped or worked with a hammer and often showing hammer marks

From this reading “Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.”

Holly noun US /ˈhɑːli/

any tree or shrub of the genus Ilex having red berries and shiny evergreen leaves with prickly edges

pumps noun US /pʌmps/

plural of “pump” — a mechanical device that moves fluid or gas by pressure or suction

wintry adjective US /ˈwɪntri/

characteristic of or occurring in winter

From this reading “Quiet and still was the house in the dawn of the wintry morning, and apparently asleep.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

smoke curling noun + noun

In this reading “THE HAND OF DESTINY When Fortescue saw the thin cloud of smoke curling upward from the roof of Holly Lodge, he sprang up, and, still in his evening clothes and dancing pumps, ran downstairs, ringing bells and shouting aloud as he ran.”

main force adjective + noun

In this reading “Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.”

front door noun + noun

exterior door (at the entrance) at the front of a building

In this reading “Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.”

ran downstairs verb + particle counted as “run downstairs”

apparently asleep adverb + adjective

In this reading “Quiet and still was the house in the dawn of the wintry morning, and apparently asleep.”

sprang up verb + adjective counted as “spring up”

come into existence; take on form or shape

open field verb + noun

In this reading “The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.”

evening clothes noun + noun

attire to wear on formal occasions in the evening

All words in this reading · 81

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.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

aloudadverbUS /əˈlaʊd/

using the voice; not silently

From this reading THE HAND OF DESTINY When Fortescue saw the thin cloud of smoke curling upward from the roof of Holly Lodge, he sprang up, and, still in his evening clothes and dancing pumps, ran downstairs, ringing bells and shouting aloud as he ran.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

apparentlyadverbUS /əˈperəntli/

from appearances alone

From this reading Quiet and still was the house in the dawn of the wintry morning, and apparently asleep.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

asleepadjectiveUS /əˈsliːp/

in a state of sleep

From this reading Quiet and still was the house in the dawn of the wintry morning, and apparently asleep.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

awakenedadjectiveUS /əˈweɪkənd/

aroused or activated

From this reading The burning roof had not yet awakened the household, as the smoke and flames were borne upward.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

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

From this reading Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

bellsnounUS /belz/

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

borneverbUS /bɔːrn/

inflected form of “bear” — have

From this reading The burning roof had not yet awakened the household, as the smoke and flames were borne upward.

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

bucketsnounUS /ˈbʌkəts/

plural of “bucket” — a roughly cylindrical vessel that is open at the top

From this reading The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

burningnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

From this reading The burning roof had not yet awakened the household, as the smoke and flames were borne upward.

burstverbUS /bɜːrst/

come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure

From this reading Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

callingnounUS /ˈkɔːlɪŋ/

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

clothesnounUS /kloʊðz/

clothing in general

cloudverbUS /klaʊd/

make overcast or cloudy

crackleverbUS /ˈkrækəl/

make a crackling sound

From this reading Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

curlingnounUS /ˈkɜːrlɪŋ/

a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target

dancingnounUS /ˈdænsɪŋ/

taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music

dawnnounUS /dɔːn/

the first light of day

From this reading Quiet and still was the house in the dawn of the wintry morning, and apparently asleep.

DESTINYnounUS /ˈdestəni/

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

downstairsadverbUS /ˈdaʊnˈsterz/

on a floor below

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

fieldnounUS /fiːld/

a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

flamesnounUS /fleɪmz/

plural of “flame” — the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke

From this reading The burning roof had not yet awakened the household, as the smoke and flames were borne upward.

flockedverbUS /flɑːkt/

past form of “flock” — move as a crowd or in a group

From this reading The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

followverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊ/

to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

forcenounUS /fɔːrs/

a powerful effect or influence

From this reading Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

Fortescue

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

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

frontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The burning roof had not yet awakened the household, as the smoke and flames were borne upward.

half-dressed

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

From this reading The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

hammeredadjectiveUS /ˈhæmərd/

shaped or worked with a hammer and often showing hammer marks

From this reading Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

HANDnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

HollynounUS /ˈhɑːli/

any tree or shrub of the genus Ilex having red berries and shiny evergreen leaves with prickly edges

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Quiet and still was the house in the dawn of the wintry morning, and apparently asleep.

householdnounUS /ˈhaʊshoʊld/

a social unit living together

From this reading The burning roof had not yet awakened the household, as the smoke and flames were borne upward.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

LodgeverbUS /lɑːdʒ/

be a lodger; stay temporarily

mainadjectiveUS /meɪn/

most important element

From this reading Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Quiet and still was the house in the dawn of the wintry morning, and apparently asleep.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The burning roof had not yet awakened the household, as the smoke and flames were borne upward.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

pumpsnounUS /pʌmps/

plural of “pump” — a mechanical device that moves fluid or gas by pressure or suction

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

QuietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading Quiet and still was the house in the dawn of the wintry morning, and apparently asleep.

ranverbUS /ræn/

inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

ringingnounUS /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/

the sound of a bell ringing

roofnounUS /ruːf/

a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

servantsnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənts/

plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

shoulderverbUS /ˈʃoʊldər/

lift onto one's shoulders

From this reading Fortescue hammered at the little front door, and, as the flames began to crackle, put his shoulder to the door and burst it in by main force.

shoutingnounUS /ˈʃaʊtɪŋ/

encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators

smokenounUS /smoʊk/

a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

spedverbUS /sped/

inflected form of “speed” — move hurridly

From this reading The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

sprangverbUS /spræŋ/

inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

thinadjectiveUS /θɪn/

Having little thickness or extent.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

upwardadjectiveUS /ˈʌpwərd/

directed up

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Quiet and still was the house in the dawn of the wintry morning, and apparently asleep.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The burning roof had not yet awakened the household, as the smoke and flames were borne upward.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

wintryadjectiveUS /ˈwɪntri/

characteristic of or occurring in winter

From this reading Quiet and still was the house in the dawn of the wintry morning, and apparently asleep.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The servants flocked out half-dressed, and Fortescue, calling to them to follow him and bring buckets with them, sped across the open field to Holly Lodge.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading The burning roof had not yet awakened the household, as the smoke and flames were borne upward.

Chapter 17 of Betty's Virginia Christmas by Molly Elliot Seawell holds 82 sentences, grouped into 17 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 17 of Betty's Virginia Christmas contain?

Chapter 17 holds 82 sentences of Betty's Virginia Christmas, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of Betty's Virginia Christmas by Molly Elliot Seawell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 82 sentences, grouped into 17 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 17 of Betty's Virginia Christmas?

Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 17 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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.

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Yes. All 1769 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59594 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #59594, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 147 minutes of reading across 354 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter XVII

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