Chapter 17 of Heather and Snow is here in full — 89 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Heather and Snow is here in full — 89 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak. I do not believe he had ever before seen a woman weeping. He shivered visibly. ‘Phemy’s no that weel,’ she said. ‘Her hert’s sae sair it gars her greit.
Chapter 17 of Heather and Snow is here in full — 89 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/17 · 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.
something that interests you because it is important or affects you
From this reading “MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.”
plural of “gar” — primitive predaceous North American fish covered with hard scales and having long jaws with needlelike teeth
From this reading “‘Her hert’s sae sair it gars her greit.”
assistance in time of difficulty
From this reading “MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.”
common to or shared by two or more parties
From this reading “MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.”
past form of “shiver” — tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement
From this reading “He shivered visibly.”
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading “MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.”
in a visible manner
From this reading “He shivered visibly.”
showing sorrow
From this reading “I do not believe he had ever before seen a woman weeping.”
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 MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I do not believe he had ever before seen a woman weeping.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading I do not believe he had ever before seen a woman weeping.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
something that interests you because it is important or affects you
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I do not believe he had ever before seen a woman weeping.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
at any time
From this reading I do not believe he had ever before seen a woman weeping.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
plural of “gar” — primitive predaceous North American fish covered with hard scales and having long jaws with needlelike teeth
From this reading ‘Her hert’s sae sair it gars her greit.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Her hert’s sae sair it gars her greit.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I do not believe he had ever before seen a woman weeping.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I do not believe he had ever before seen a woman weeping.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading ‘Her hert’s sae sair it gars her greit.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Her hert’s sae sair it gars her greit.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I do not believe he had ever before seen a woman weeping.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading ‘Her hert’s sae sair it gars her greit.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
assistance in time of difficulty
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
common to or shared by two or more parties
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
not any; not one
From this reading ‘Phemy’s no that weel,’ she said.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I do not believe he had ever before seen a woman weeping.
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Phemy’s no that weel,’ she said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Her hert’s sae sair it gars her greit.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading ‘Phemy’s no that weel,’ she said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Her hert’s sae sair it gars her greit.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I do not believe he had ever before seen a woman weeping.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading ‘Phemy’s no that weel,’ she said.
past form of “shiver” — tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement
From this reading He shivered visibly.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
express in speech
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
in a visible manner
From this reading He shivered visibly.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Phemy’s no that weel,’ she said.
showing sorrow
From this reading I do not believe he had ever before seen a woman weeping.
in the company of; together with
From this reading MUTUAL MINISTRATION In a minute or so the door opened, and Steenie coming one step into the kitchen, stood and stared with such a face of concern that Kirsty was obliged to speak.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading I do not believe he had ever before seen a woman weeping.
Chapter 17 of Heather and Snow by George MacDonald holds 89 sentences, grouped into 18 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 17 holds 89 sentences of Heather and Snow, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Heather and Snow by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 89 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 18 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 17 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 Heather and Snow by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3680 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9155 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9155, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 306 minutes of reading across 736 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Heather and Snow section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Heather and Snow 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 Heather and Snow, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
