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Elsie Venner
Elsie Venner

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Elsie Venner is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Elsie Venner
Context Illustration Reading 2/44 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.
Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.
Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.
Products, beef, pork, butter, cheese.
Manufactures, shoe-pegs, clothes-pins, and tin-ware.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Elsie Venner

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Elsie Venner is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 2/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 6–10

Line 1
A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.
Line 2
Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.
/mɪŋk ˈrɪvər rʌnz θruː ðə taʊn ˈnævəɡəbəl fɔːr smɔːl boʊts ˈæftər ˈhevi reɪnz/
Line 3
Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.
Line 4
Products, beef, pork, butter, cheese.
/ˈprɑːdəkts biːf pɔːrk ˈbʌtər tʃiːz/
Line 5
Manufactures, shoe-pegs, clothes-pins, and tin-ware.

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.

eels noun US /iːlz/

plural of “eel” — the fatty flesh of eel; an elongate fish found in fresh water in Europe and America; large eels are usually smoked or pickled

From this reading “Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.”

Manufactures noun US /ˌmænjəˈfæktʃərz/

plural of “manufacture” — the organized action of making of goods and services for sale

From this reading “Manufactures, shoe-pegs, clothes-pins, and tin-ware.”

Mink noun US /mɪŋk/

the expensive fur of a mink

From this reading “Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.”

navigable adjective US /ˈnævəɡəbəl/

able to be sailed on or through safely

From this reading “Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.”

pouts noun US /paʊts/

plural of “pout” — a disdainful grimace

From this reading “Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.”

residences noun US /ˈrezɪdənsɪz/

plural of “residence” — any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading “A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.”

stocked adjective US /stɑːkt/

furnished with more than enough

From this reading “Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.”

township noun US /ˈtaʊnʃɪp/

an administrative division of a county

From this reading “A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.”

All words in this reading · 62

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.

2

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

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

3

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

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.

agriculturaladjectiveUS /ˌæɡrəˈkʌltʃərəl/

relating to or used in or promoting agriculture or farming

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.

beefnounUS /biːf/

cattle that are reared for their meat

From this reading Products, beef, pork, butter, cheese.

boatsnounUS /boʊts/

plural of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water

From this reading Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.

butternounUS /ˈbʌtər/

an edible emulsion of fat globules made by churning milk or cream; for cooking and table use

From this reading Products, beef, pork, butter, cheese.

CentrenounUS /ˈsentər/

a low-lying region in central France

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

cheesenounUS /tʃiːz/

a solid food prepared from the pressed curd of milk

From this reading Products, beef, pork, butter, cheese.

churchesnounUS /ˈtʃɜːrtʃɪz/

plural of “church” — one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

clothes-pins

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

From this reading Manufactures, shoe-pegs, clothes-pins, and tin-ware.

ConounUS /koʊ/

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

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

EnounUS /iː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body

From this reading Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.

eelsnounUS /iːlz/

plural of “eel” — the fatty flesh of eel; an elongate fish found in fresh water in Europe and America; large eels are usually smoked or pickled

From this reading Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.

handsomeadjectiveUS /ˈhænsəm/

pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.

hornnounUS /hɔːrn/

a noisemaker (as at parties or games) that makes a loud noise when you blow through it

From this reading Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.

housesnounUS /ˈhaʊsəz/

plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

ManufacturesnounUS /ˌmænjəˈfæktʃərz/

plural of “manufacture” — the organized action of making of goods and services for sale

From this reading Manufactures, shoe-pegs, clothes-pins, and tin-ware.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

MinknounUS /mɪŋk/

the expensive fur of a mink

From this reading Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.

MuddyadjectiveUS /ˈmʌdi/

(of soil) soft and watery

From this reading Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.

NnounUS /en/

a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues

From this reading Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.

navigableadjectiveUS /ˈnævəɡəbəl/

able to be sailed on or through safely

From this reading Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

Pigwacket

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

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

PondnounUS /pɑːnd/

a small lake

From this reading Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.

porknounUS /pɔːrk/

meat from a domestic hog or pig

From this reading Products, beef, pork, butter, cheese.

post-village

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

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

poutsnounUS /paʊts/

plural of “pout” — a disdainful grimace

From this reading Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.

privateadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪvət/

confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

ProductsnounUS /ˈprɑːdəkts/

plural of “product” — commodities offered for sale

From this reading Products, beef, pork, butter, cheese.

rainsnounUS /reɪnz/

plural of “rain” — water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.

regionnounUS /ˈriːdʒən/

the extended spatial location of something

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

residencesnounUS /ˈrezɪdənsɪz/

plural of “residence” — any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

RivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.

runsnounUS /rʌnz/

plural of “run” — a score in baseball made by a runner touching all four bases safely

From this reading Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.

schoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

sectionnounUS /ˈsekʃən/

a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)

From this reading Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.

severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

shiners

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

From this reading Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.

shoe-pegs

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

From this reading Manufactures, shoe-pegs, clothes-pins, and tin-ware.

situatedadjectiveUS /ˈsɪtʃuːeɪtɪd/

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

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

From this reading Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.

Smithville

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

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

StatenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

stockedadjectiveUS /stɑːkt/

furnished with more than enough

From this reading Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.

thrivingadjectiveUS /ˈθraɪvɪŋ/

very lively and profitable

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.

tin-ware

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

From this reading Manufactures, shoe-pegs, clothes-pins, and tin-ware.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading Mink River runs through the town, navigable for small boats after heavy rains.

townshipnounUS /ˈtaʊnʃɪp/

an administrative division of a county

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

villagesnounUS /ˈvɪlədʒəz/

plural of “village” — a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading A post-village and township in ------ Co., State of ------, situated in a fine agricultural region, 2 thriving villages, Pigwacket Centre and Smithville, 3 churches, several school houses, and many handsome private residences.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Muddy Pond at N. E. section, well stocked with horn pouts, eels, and shiners.

Chapter 3 of Elsie Venner by Oliver Wendell Holmes holds 220 sentences, grouped into 44 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 3 of Elsie Venner contain?

Chapter 3 holds 220 sentences of Elsie Venner, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Elsie Venner by Oliver Wendell Holmes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 220 sentences, grouped into 44 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 3 of Elsie Venner?

Work through the 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 44 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Elsie Venner

Common questions about reading Elsie Venner by Oliver Wendell Holmes on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Elsie Venner?

Yes. All 5636 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2696 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Elsie Venner is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2696, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Elsie Venner take to read?

About 469 minutes of reading across 1128 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Elsie Venner section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 32 chapters of Elsie Venner 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 Elsie Venner

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

Nothing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elsie Venner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
England
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elsie Venner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Corresponding
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elsie Venner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Feudal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elsie Venner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.