Chapter 21 of Black Oxen is here in full — 435 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXI
Chapter 21 of Black Oxen is here in full — 435 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Mary was staring out of the window. She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering. How could she have forgotten . . for a few short weeks--and up there?
Chapter 21 of Black Oxen is here in full — 435 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading “She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.”
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading “She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.”
having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination
From this reading “She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.”
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading “How could she have forgotten .”
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading “Mary was staring out of the window.”
past form of “recall” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading “She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.”
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading “Mary was staring out of the window.”
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading “. for a few short weeks--and up there?”
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 . for a few short weeks--and up there?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading . for a few short weeks--and up there?
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading How could she have forgotten .
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.
having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination
From this reading She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading . for a few short weeks--and up there?
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading . for a few short weeks--and up there?
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading How could she have forgotten .
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading How could she have forgotten .
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How could she have forgotten .
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.
held dear
From this reading She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading Mary was staring out of the window.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mary was staring out of the window.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Mary was staring out of the window.
past form of “recall” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading . for a few short weeks--and up there?
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading Mary was staring out of the window.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mary was staring out of the window.
in or at that place or location
From this reading . for a few short weeks--and up there?
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading . for a few short weeks--and up there?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mary was staring out of the window.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading . for a few short weeks--and up there?
at the time that
From this reading She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Mary was staring out of the window.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading She recalled that she had faced the fact of the old mind in the young brain when she first discovered that she loved Clavering.
Chapter 21 of Black Oxen by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton holds 435 sentences, grouped into 87 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 21 holds 435 sentences of Black Oxen, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of Black Oxen by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 435 sentences, grouped into 87 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 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 21 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.
