Chapter 3 of Laicus is here in full — 85 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Laicus is here in full — 85 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
We join the Church. "I have bought the house, Jennie," said I. "Thank you," said Jennie. She said it softly, but her eyes said it more plainly than her voice. I had hesitated a little before I finally closed the purchase.
Chapter 3 of Laicus is here in full — 85 sentences across 17 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.
inflected form of “buy” — obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction
From this reading “"I have bought the house, Jennie," said I.”
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading “I had hesitated a little before I finally closed the purchase.”
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading “I had hesitated a little before I finally closed the purchase.”
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading “I had hesitated a little before I finally closed the purchase.”
become part of; become a member of a group or organization
From this reading “We join the Church.”
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading “She said it softly, but her eyes said it more plainly than her voice.”
the acquisition of something for payment
From this reading “I had hesitated a little before I finally closed the purchase.”
with low volume
From this reading “She said it softly, but her eyes said it more plainly than her voice.”
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 I had hesitated a little before I finally closed the purchase.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I had hesitated a little before I finally closed the purchase.
inflected form of “buy” — obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction
From this reading "I have bought the house, Jennie," said I.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She said it softly, but her eyes said it more plainly than her voice.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading We join the Church.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading I had hesitated a little before I finally closed the purchase.
opinion or judgment
From this reading She said it softly, but her eyes said it more plainly than her voice.
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading I had hesitated a little before I finally closed the purchase.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had hesitated a little before I finally closed the purchase.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I have bought the house, Jennie," said I.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She said it softly, but her eyes said it more plainly than her voice.
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading I had hesitated a little before I finally closed the purchase.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading "I have bought the house, Jennie," said I.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I have bought the house, Jennie," said I.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She said it softly, but her eyes said it more plainly than her voice.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I have bought the house, Jennie," said I.
become part of; become a member of a group or organization
From this reading We join the Church.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I had hesitated a little before I finally closed the purchase.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading She said it softly, but her eyes said it more plainly than her voice.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading She said it softly, but her eyes said it more plainly than her voice.
the acquisition of something for payment
From this reading I had hesitated a little before I finally closed the purchase.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I have bought the house, Jennie," said I.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She said it softly, but her eyes said it more plainly than her voice.
with low volume
From this reading She said it softly, but her eyes said it more plainly than her voice.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading She said it softly, but her eyes said it more plainly than her voice.
express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading "Thank you," said Jennie.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We join the Church.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading She said it softly, but her eyes said it more plainly than her voice.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We join the Church.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Thank you," said Jennie.
Chapter 3 of Laicus by Lyman Abbott holds 85 sentences, grouped into 17 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.
Chapter 3 holds 85 sentences of Laicus, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Laicus by Lyman Abbott exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 85 sentences, grouped into 17 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 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 17 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 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.
Common questions about reading Laicus by Lyman Abbott on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4423 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4954 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4954, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 368 minutes of reading across 885 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Laicus section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 33 chapters of Laicus 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 Laicus, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
