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Devota
Devota

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Devota is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Devota
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.
NEW YORK G. W. DILLINGHAM CO.
Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'
He lives that historic motto!"
40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.
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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.

Devota

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Devota is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.
Line 2
NEW YORK G. W. DILLINGHAM CO.
Line 3
Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'
Line 4
He lives that historic motto!"
/hiː lɪvz ðæt hɪˈstɔːrɪk ˈmɑːtoʊ/
Line 5
40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

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.

Astor noun US /ˈæstər/

British politician (born in the United States) who was the first woman to sit in the British House of Commons (1879-1964)

From this reading “Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'”

augusta noun US /əˈɡʌstə/

the capital of the state of Maine

From this reading “BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.”

dial noun US /ˈdaɪəl/

the face of a timepiece; graduated to show the hours

From this reading “40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.”

evans noun US /ˈevənz/

United States anatomist who identified four pituitary hormones and discovered vitamin E (1882-1971)

From this reading “BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.”

historic adjective US /hɪˈstɔːrɪk/

belonging to the past; of what is important or famous in the past

From this reading “He lives that historic motto!"”

motto noun US /ˈmɑːtoʊ/

a favorite saying of a sect or political group

From this reading “He lives that historic motto!"”

overwhelming adjective US /ˌoʊvərˈwelmɪŋ/

so strong as to be irresistible

From this reading “40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.”

Speckled adjective US /ˈspekəld/

having a pattern of dots

From this reading “BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.”

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.

At the Mercy preposition + article + noun counted as “at … mercy”

In this reading “BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.”

lonely woman adjective + noun

In this reading “40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.”

All words in this reading · 66

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.

122

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

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

40

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

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

45

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

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

80

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

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.

AndeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

arriveverbUS /ərˈaɪv/

reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

AstornounUS /ˈæstər/

British politician (born in the United States) who was the first woman to sit in the British House of Commons (1879-1964)

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.

AUGUSTAnounUS /əˈɡʌstə/

the capital of the state of Maine

From this reading BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.

AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

BirdnounUS /bɜːrd/

warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.

BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.

COnounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading NEW YORK G. W. DILLINGHAM CO.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

DEVOTA

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

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

dialnounUS /ˈdaɪəl/

the face of a timepiece; graduated to show the hours

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

DILLINGHAM

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

From this reading NEW YORK G. W. DILLINGHAM CO.

Elmo

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

From this reading BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.

etc

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

From this reading BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.

EVANSnounUS /ˈevənz/

United States anatomist who identified four pituitary hormones and discovered vitamin E (1882-1971)

From this reading BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

Frontispiecenoun

an ornamental facade

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

GnounUS /dʒiː/

a metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram

From this reading NEW YORK G. W. DILLINGHAM CO.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He lives that historic motto!"

historicadjectiveUS /hɪˈstɔːrɪk/

belonging to the past; of what is important or famous in the past

From this reading He lives that historic motto!"

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

JnounUS /dʒeɪ/

a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

J'y

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

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

LittleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

livesnounUS /lɪvz/

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading He lives that historic motto!"

lonelyadjectiveUS /ˈloʊnli/

lacking companions or companionship

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

MadamnounUS /ˈmædəm/

a woman of refinement

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

MercynounUS /ˈmɜːrsi/

leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice

From this reading BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.

mottonounUS /ˈmɑːtoʊ/

a favorite saying of a sect or political group

From this reading He lives that historic motto!"

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

NEWadjectiveUS /nuː/

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

From this reading NEW YORK G. W. DILLINGHAM CO.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.

overwhelmingadjectiveUS /ˌoʊvərˈwelmɪŋ/

so strong as to be irresistible

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

paintverbUS /peɪnt/

make a painting

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

PlacenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

PressverbUS /pres/

exert pressure or force to or upon

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

reste

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

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

Roy

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

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

seizedverbUS /siːzd/

past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

shooknounUS /ʃʊk/

a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

Shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

sorrownounUS /ˈsɑːroʊ/

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

SpeckledadjectiveUS /ˈspekəld/

having a pattern of dots

From this reading BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.

St

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

From this reading BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.

suis

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

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

TELEGRAMnounUS /ˈteləɡræm/

a message transmitted by telegraph

From this reading 40 An overwhelming sorrow seized and shook the lonely woman by the dial 80 "Roy--my own Roy" 122 DEVOTA A TELEGRAM, Madam.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He lives that historic motto!"

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

Tiberiusnoun

son-in-law of Augustus who became a suspicious tyrannical Emperor of Rome after a brilliant military career (42 BC to AD 37)

From this reading BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

WnounUS /ˈdʌbəljuː/

a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite

From this reading NEW YORK G. W. DILLINGHAM CO.

WILSONnounUS /ˈwɪlsən/

author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)

From this reading BY AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON Author of "St. Elmo," "At the Mercy of Tiberius," "A Speckled Bird," etc.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York "Should the day ever arrive may I be there to paint the real woman" _Frontispiece_ 45 "'_J'y suis, j'y reste_.'

YORKnounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading NEW YORK G. W. DILLINGHAM CO.

Chapter 1 of Devota by Augusta J. (Augusta Jane) Evans holds 171 sentences, grouped into 35 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 Devota contain?

Chapter 1 holds 171 sentences of Devota, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Devota by Augusta J. (Augusta Jane) Evans exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 171 sentences, grouped into 35 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 Devota?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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 Devota

Common questions about reading Devota by Augusta J. (Augusta Jane) Evans on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Devota?

Yes. All 563 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43080 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Devota is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #43080, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Devota take to read?

About 46 minutes of reading across 113 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Devota section by section

How to work through Devota section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 3 chapters of Devota to begin.

  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 Devota

Words and structures a reader meets early in Devota, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Augusta
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Devota; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Evans
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Devota; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wilson
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Devota; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Devota; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.