Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Proud Lady
Proud Lady

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Proud Lady is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Neith Boyce • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Proud Lady
Context Illustration Reading 1/85 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.
Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.
Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.
She opened the gate and slammed it behind her.
The wooden sidewalk echoed her heavy tread.
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.

Proud Lady

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Proud Lady is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.
Line 2
Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.
Line 3
Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.
Line 4
She opened the gate and slammed it behind her.
/ʃiː ˈoʊpənd ðə ɡeɪt ənd slæmd ɪt bɪˈhaɪnd hɜːr/
Line 5
The wooden sidewalk echoed her heavy tread.
/ðə ˈwʊdən ˈsaɪdwɔːk ˈekoʊd hɜːr ˈhevi tred/

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.

Binghamton noun US /ˈbɪŋəmtən/

a city in south central New York near the border with Pennsylvania

From this reading “_Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bristled adjective US /ˈbrɪsəld/

having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc.

From this reading “Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pansies noun US /ˈpænziz/

plural of “pansy” — large-flowered garden plant derived chiefly from the wild pansy of Europe and having velvety petals of various colors

From this reading “Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sidewalk noun US /ˈsaɪdwɔːk/

walk consisting of a paved area for pedestrians; usually beside a street or roadway

From this reading “The wooden sidewalk echoed her heavy tread.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
slammed verb US /slæmd/

inflected form of “slam” — close violently

From this reading “She opened the gate and slammed it behind her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stiffly adverb US /ˈstɪfli/

in a stiff manner

From this reading “Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
trimmed adjective US /trɪmd/

made neat and tidy by trimming

From this reading “Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Wolff noun US /wʊlf/

German anatomist (1733-1794)

From this reading “_Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

black silk adjective + noun

In this reading “Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.”

2,971 times in 426,211 chapters
church bells noun + noun counted as “church bell”

a bell in a church tower (usually sounded to summon people to church)

In this reading “_Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.”

1,979 times in 426,211 chapters
black bonnet adjective + noun

In this reading “Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.”

338 times in 426,211 chapters
go down verb + adjective

move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

In this reading “Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.”

68,434 times in 426,211 chapters
Set up verb + adjective

set up or found

In this reading “_Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.”

20,893 times in 426,211 chapters
in the doorway preposition + article + noun counted as “in … doorway”

In this reading “Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.”

11,597 times in 426,211 chapters
with anger preposition + noun

In this reading “Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.”

6,231 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 68

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.

AcrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
angernounUS /ˈæŋɡər/

a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance

From this reading Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading She opened the gate and slammed it behind her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bellsnounUS /belz/

plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BinghamtonnounUS /ˈbɪŋəmtən/

a city in south central New York near the border with Pennsylvania

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
blackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bonnetnounUS /ˈbɑːnət/

a hat tied under the chin

From this reading Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BoundadjectiveUS /baʊnd/

confined by bonds

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bristledadjectiveUS /ˈbrɪsəld/

having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc.

From this reading Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
broadadjectiveUS /brɔːd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
churchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cladadjectiveUS /klæd/

wearing or provided with clothing; sometimes used in combination

From this reading Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ConounUS /koʊ/

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

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doorwaynounUS /ˈdɔːrweɪ/

the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close

From this reading Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
echoedverbUS /ˈekoʊd/

past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate

From this reading The wooden sidewalk echoed her heavy tread.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EstatenounUS /ɪˈsteɪt/

everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Etherington

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

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

Pending verification
FnounUS /ef/

a degree on the Fahrenheit scale of temperature

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
furnishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɜːrnɪʃt/

provided with whatever is necessary for a purpose (as furniture or equipment or authority)

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gatenounUS /ɡeɪt/

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HnounUS /eɪtʃ/

a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading The wooden sidewalk echoed her heavy tread.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading She opened the gate and slammed it behind her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Lavinia

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

From this reading Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.

Pending verification
Lowell's

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

From this reading Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.

Pending verification
MarynounUS /ˈmeri/

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
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 _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

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

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading She opened the gate and slammed it behind her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pansiesnounUS /ˈpænziz/

plural of “pansy” — large-flowered garden plant derived chiefly from the wild pansy of Europe and having velvety petals of various colors

From this reading Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PapernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
printedverbUS /ˈprɪntɪd/

past form of “print” — put into print

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
purplenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəl/

a purple color or pigment

From this reading Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ringingnounUS /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/

the sound of a bell ringing

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SetverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She opened the gate and slammed it behind her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
sidewalknounUS /ˈsaɪdwɔːk/

walk consisting of a paved area for pedestrians; usually beside a street or roadway

From this reading The wooden sidewalk echoed her heavy tread.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
silknounUS /sɪlk/

a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae

From this reading Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
slammedverbUS /slæmd/

inflected form of “slam” — close violently

From this reading She opened the gate and slammed it behind her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stifflyadverbUS /ˈstɪfli/

in a stiff manner

From this reading Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
trainverbUS /treɪn/

create by training and teaching

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
treadverbUS /tred/

put down or press the foot, place the foot

From this reading The wooden sidewalk echoed her heavy tread.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
trimmedadjectiveUS /trɪmd/

made neat and tidy by trimming

From this reading Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Vail-Ballou

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

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

Pending verification
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 _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
walknounUS /wɔːk/

the act of traveling by foot

From this reading Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
watchedverbUS /wɑːtʃt/

past form of “watch” — look attentively

From this reading Mary Lavinia, standing in the doorway, watched her mother go down the walk to the gate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whistleverbUS /ˈwɪsəl/

make whistling sounds

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Mrs. Lowell's broad back, clad in black silk, her black bonnet stiffly trimmed with purple pansies, bristled with anger.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WolffnounUS /wʊlf/

German anatomist (1733-1794)

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
woodenadjectiveUS /ˈwʊdən/

made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood

From this reading The wooden sidewalk echoed her heavy tread.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
YnounUS /waɪ/

a silvery metallic element that is common in rare-earth minerals; used in magnesium and aluminum alloys

From this reading _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
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 _Set up and printed by the Vail-Ballou Co., Binghamton, N. Y._ _Paper furnished by W. F. Etherington & Co., New York._ _Bound by H. Wolff Estate, New York._ Across the ringing of the church bells came the whistle of the train.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of Proud Lady by Neith Boyce holds 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 Proud Lady contain?

Chapter 1 holds 426 sentences of Proud Lady, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Proud Lady by Neith Boyce exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 Proud Lady?

Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 86 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 Proud Lady

Common questions about reading Proud Lady by Neith Boyce on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Proud Lady?

Yes. All 5923 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62478 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Proud Lady is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #62478, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Proud Lady take to read?

About 493 minutes of reading across 1185 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Proud Lady section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 14 chapters of Proud Lady 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 Proud Lady

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

Printed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Proud Lady; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Vail-ballou
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Proud Lady; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Binghamton
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Proud Lady; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Paper
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Proud Lady; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.