Chapter 3 of On the Church Steps is here in full — 83 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 On the Church Steps is here in full — 83 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter. One of us must go, and they send me. I must sail in two weeks." It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon! Oh, Charlie, take me with you!"
Chapter 3 of On the Church Steps is here in full — 83 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/16 · 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.
playing or singing with instrumental or vocal accompaniment
From this reading “"I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.”
a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
From this reading “It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!”
a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
From this reading “"I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.”
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading “I must sail in two weeks."”
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading “It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!”
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading “It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!”
a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
From this reading “It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!”
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading “I must sail in two weeks."”
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 It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
playing or singing with instrumental or vocal accompaniment
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh, Charlie, take me with you!"
rid of obstructions
From this reading It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!
a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
From this reading It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading One of us must go, and they send me.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading One of us must go, and they send me.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading One of us must go, and they send me.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading One of us must go, and they send me.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Oh, Charlie, take me with you!"
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One of us must go, and they send me.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!
a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading I must sail in two weeks."
cause to go somewhere
From this reading One of us must go, and they send me.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!
a thing, without saying which
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
in the near future
From this reading It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!
carry out
From this reading Oh, Charlie, take me with you!"
express in words
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading One of us must go, and they send me.
a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
From this reading It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading I must sail in two weeks."
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading One of us must go, and they send me.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and Bessie gave a little gasp of surprise: "So soon!
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading I must sail in two weeks."
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Oh, Charlie, take me with you!"
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I have something to tell you;" and without an instant's pause I went on: "Mr. D---- has business in England which cannot be attended to by letter.
Chapter 3 of On the Church Steps by Sarah C. Hallowell holds 83 sentences, grouped into 17 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 3 holds 83 sentences of On the Church Steps, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of On the Church Steps by Sarah C. Hallowell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 83 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 On the Church Steps by Sarah C. Hallowell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1614 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17559 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #17559, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 134 minutes of reading across 323 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through On the Church Steps section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of On the Church Steps 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 On the Church Steps, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
