Chapter 20 of Black Oxen is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Black Oxen is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
They were both in an exalted mood. The wood was very still, its beauty incomparable. And they might already have been on another star. Across that divine balsam-scented stillness came the deep imperative notes of a bell. Clavering twitched his shoulders impatiently.
Chapter 20 of Black Oxen is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 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.
of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style
From this reading “They were both in an exalted mood.”
with impatience; in an impatient manner
From this reading “Clavering twitched his shoulders impatiently.”
requiring attention or action
From this reading “Across that divine balsam-scented stillness came the deep imperative notes of a bell.”
such that comparison is impossible; unsuitable for comparison or lacking features that can be compared
From this reading “The wood was very still, its beauty incomparable.”
a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading “They were both in an exalted mood.”
(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading “And they might already have been on another star.”
(poetic) tranquil silence
From this reading “Across that divine balsam-scented stillness came the deep imperative notes of a bell.”
past form of “twitch” — make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion
From this reading “Clavering twitched his shoulders impatiently.”
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 Across that divine balsam-scented stillness came the deep imperative notes of a bell.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Across that divine balsam-scented stillness came the deep imperative notes of a bell.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading And they might already have been on another star.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They were both in an exalted mood.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And they might already have been on another star.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading And they might already have been on another star.
smelling of balsam resin
From this reading Across that divine balsam-scented stillness came the deep imperative notes of a bell.
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading The wood was very still, its beauty incomparable.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading And they might already have been on another star.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading Across that divine balsam-scented stillness came the deep imperative notes of a bell.
the two together, not just one
From this reading They were both in an exalted mood.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Across that divine balsam-scented stillness came the deep imperative notes of a bell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Clavering twitched his shoulders impatiently.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading Across that divine balsam-scented stillness came the deep imperative notes of a bell.
emanating from God
From this reading Across that divine balsam-scented stillness came the deep imperative notes of a bell.
of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style
From this reading They were both in an exalted mood.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading And they might already have been on another star.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Clavering twitched his shoulders impatiently.
with impatience; in an impatient manner
From this reading Clavering twitched his shoulders impatiently.
requiring attention or action
From this reading Across that divine balsam-scented stillness came the deep imperative notes of a bell.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They were both in an exalted mood.
such that comparison is impossible; unsuitable for comparison or lacking features that can be compared
From this reading The wood was very still, its beauty incomparable.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The wood was very still, its beauty incomparable.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading And they might already have been on another star.
a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading They were both in an exalted mood.
plural of “note” — a brief written record
From this reading Across that divine balsam-scented stillness came the deep imperative notes of a bell.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Across that divine balsam-scented stillness came the deep imperative notes of a bell.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading And they might already have been on another star.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading Clavering twitched his shoulders impatiently.
(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading And they might already have been on another star.
not in physical motion
From this reading The wood was very still, its beauty incomparable.
(poetic) tranquil silence
From this reading Across that divine balsam-scented stillness came the deep imperative notes of a bell.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Across that divine balsam-scented stillness came the deep imperative notes of a bell.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The wood was very still, its beauty incomparable.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were both in an exalted mood.
past form of “twitch” — make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion
From this reading Clavering twitched his shoulders impatiently.
precisely as stated
From this reading The wood was very still, its beauty incomparable.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The wood was very still, its beauty incomparable.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were both in an exalted mood.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading The wood was very still, its beauty incomparable.
Chapter 20 of Black Oxen by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 20 holds 398 sentences of Black Oxen, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Black Oxen by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 20 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 Black Oxen by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9023 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25542 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25542, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1805 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Black Oxen section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of Black Oxen 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 Black Oxen, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
