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Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States
Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States is here in full — 76 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/15 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MEETING OF THE COUSINS.
The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.
Clotelle looked around wildly as she passed through the hall into the presence of her new mistress.
Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.
"But," said Mrs. Taylor, after Clotelle had gone into the kitchen, "how much she looks like Miss Jane Morton."
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States is here in full — 76 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MEETING OF THE COUSINS.
/ˈmiːtɪŋ ʌv ðə ˈkʌzənz/
Line 2
The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.
Line 3
Clotelle looked around wildly as she passed through the hall into the presence of her new mistress.
Line 4
Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.
Line 5
"But," said Mrs. Taylor, after Clotelle had gone into the kitchen, "how much she looks like Miss Jane Morton."

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.

congratulated verb US /kənˈɡrætʃəleɪtɪd/

past form of “congratulate” — say something to someone that expresses praise

From this reading “Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.”

cousins noun US /ˈkʌzənz/

plural of “cousin” — the child of your aunt or uncle

From this reading “MEETING OF THE COUSINS.”

judicious adjective US /dʒuːˈdɪʃəs/

marked by the exercise of good judgment or common sense in practical matters

From this reading “Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.”

Morton noun US /ˈmɔːrtən/

United States jazz musician who moved from ragtime to New Orleans jazz (1885-1941)

From this reading “"But," said Mrs. Taylor, after Clotelle had gone into the kitchen, "how much she looks like Miss Jane Morton."”

Orleans noun US /ˈɔːrliənz/

a city on the Loire river in north central France; site of the siege of Orleans by the English (1428-1429)

From this reading “The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.”

purchased verb US /ˈpɜːrtʃəst/

past form of “purchase” — obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction

From this reading “The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.”

Taylor noun US /ˈteɪlər/

United States composer and music critic (1885-1966)

From this reading “The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.”

wildly adverb US /ˈwaɪldli/

to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree

From this reading “Clotelle looked around wildly as she passed through the hall into the presence of her new mistress.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading "But," said Mrs. Taylor, after Clotelle had gone into the kitchen, "how much she looks like Miss Jane Morton."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.

appearancenounUS /əˈpɪrəns/

outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

From this reading Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading Clotelle looked around wildly as she passed through the hall into the presence of her new mistress.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Clotelle looked around wildly as she passed through the hall into the presence of her new mistress.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "But," said Mrs. Taylor, after Clotelle had gone into the kitchen, "how much she looks like Miss Jane Morton."

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

CampnounUS /kæmp/

temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

choicenounUS /tʃɔɪs/

the person or thing chosen or selected

From this reading Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.

clocknounUS /klɑːk/

a timepiece that shows the time of day

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

Clotelle

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

From this reading Clotelle looked around wildly as she passed through the hall into the presence of her new mistress.

congratulatedverbUS /kənˈɡrætʃəleɪtɪd/

past form of “congratulate” — say something to someone that expresses praise

From this reading Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.

COUSINSnounUS /ˈkʌzənz/

plural of “cousin” — the child of your aunt or uncle

From this reading MEETING OF THE COUSINS.

dwellingnounUS /ˈdwelɪŋ/

housing that someone is living in

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

finishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪnɪʃt/

(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading "But," said Mrs. Taylor, after Clotelle had gone into the kitchen, "how much she looks like Miss Jane Morton."

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

hallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Clotelle looked around wildly as she passed through the hall into the presence of her new mistress.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

how

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

From this reading "But," said Mrs. Taylor, after Clotelle had gone into the kitchen, "how much she looks like Miss Jane Morton."

husbandnounUS /ˈhʌzbənd/

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Clotelle looked around wildly as she passed through the hall into the presence of her new mistress.

Jane

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

From this reading "But," said Mrs. Taylor, after Clotelle had gone into the kitchen, "how much she looks like Miss Jane Morton."

judiciousadjectiveUS /dʒuːˈdɪʃəs/

marked by the exercise of good judgment or common sense in practical matters

From this reading Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

kitchennounUS /ˈkɪtʃən/

a room equipped for preparing meals

From this reading "But," said Mrs. Taylor, after Clotelle had gone into the kitchen, "how much she looks like Miss Jane Morton."

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "But," said Mrs. Taylor, after Clotelle had gone into the kitchen, "how much she looks like Miss Jane Morton."

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Clotelle looked around wildly as she passed through the hall into the presence of her new mistress.

looksnounUS /lʊks/

plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading "But," said Mrs. Taylor, after Clotelle had gone into the kitchen, "how much she looks like Miss Jane Morton."

MEETINGnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/

a formally arranged gathering

From this reading MEETING OF THE COUSINS.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading "But," said Mrs. Taylor, after Clotelle had gone into the kitchen, "how much she looks like Miss Jane Morton."

mistressnounUS /ˈmɪstrəs/

an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man

From this reading Clotelle looked around wildly as she passed through the hall into the presence of her new mistress.

MortonnounUS /ˈmɔːrtən/

United States jazz musician who moved from ragtime to New Orleans jazz (1885-1941)

From this reading "But," said Mrs. Taylor, after Clotelle had gone into the kitchen, "how much she looks like Miss Jane Morton."

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.

negro-pen

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

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading MEETING OF THE COUSINS.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.

OrleansnounUS /ˈɔːrliənz/

a city on the Loire river in north central France; site of the siege of Orleans by the English (1428-1429)

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading Clotelle looked around wildly as she passed through the hall into the presence of her new mistress.

pleasedadjectiveUS /pliːzd/

experiencing or manifesting pleasure

From this reading Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.

presencenounUS /ˈprezəns/

the state of being present; current existence

From this reading Clotelle looked around wildly as she passed through the hall into the presence of her new mistress.

purchasedverbUS /ˈpɜːrtʃəst/

past form of “purchase” — obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

residencenounUS /ˈrezɪdəns/

any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "But," said Mrs. Taylor, after Clotelle had gone into the kitchen, "how much she looks like Miss Jane Morton."

scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/

only a very short time before

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

servant's

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

From this reading Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Clotelle looked around wildly as she passed through the hall into the presence of her new mistress.

slave-girl

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

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

StreetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

strikingadjectiveUS /ˈstraɪkɪŋ/

sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

TaylornounUS /ˈteɪlər/

United States composer and music critic (1885-1966)

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading MEETING OF THE COUSINS.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Clotelle looked around wildly as she passed through the hall into the presence of her new mistress.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The clock in the hall had scarcely finished striking three when Mr. Taylor entered his own dwelling, a fine residence in Camp Street, New Orleans, followed by the slave-girl whom he had just purchased at the negro-pen.

wildlyadverbUS /ˈwaɪldli/

to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree

From this reading Clotelle looked around wildly as she passed through the hall into the presence of her new mistress.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Mrs. Taylor was much pleased with her servant's appearance, and congratulated her husband on his judicious choice.

Chapter 23 of Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States by William Wells Brown holds 76 sentences, grouped into 16 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 23 of Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States contain?

Chapter 23 holds 76 sentences of Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States by William Wells Brown exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 76 sentences, grouped into 16 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 23 of Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States?

Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 16 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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 Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States

Common questions about reading Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States by William Wells Brown on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States?

Yes. All 1888 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2095 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2095, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 157 minutes of reading across 378 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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Vocabulary met early in Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States

Words and structures a reader meets early in Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Slave's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Social
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Circle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Growing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.