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Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1
Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1 is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1
Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.
For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.
And it wuz kinder curious to meditate on it, that they wuz all deacons, every one on 'em.
Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.
Take 'em all together there wuz five deacons.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1 is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.
Line 2
For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.
Line 3
And it wuz kinder curious to meditate on it, that they wuz all deacons, every one on 'em.
Line 4
Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.
Line 5
Take 'em all together there wuz five deacons.

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.

Allen noun US /ˈælən/

United States comedienne remembered as the confused but imperturbable partner of her husband, George Burns (1906-1964)

From this reading “For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.”

Conference noun US /ˈkɑːnfərəns/

a prearranged meeting for consultation or exchange of information or discussion (especially one with a formal agenda)

From this reading “When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.”

deacons noun US /ˈdiːkənz/

plural of “deacon” — a Protestant layman who assists the minister

From this reading “And it wuz kinder curious to meditate on it, that they wuz all deacons, every one on 'em.”

Democrat noun US /ˈdeməkræt/

a member of the Democratic Party

From this reading “For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.”

kinder adjective US /ˈkaɪndər/

comparative of “kind” — having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading “And it wuz kinder curious to meditate on it, that they wuz all deacons, every one on 'em.”

meditate verb US /ˈmedəteɪt/

reflect deeply on a subject

From this reading “And it wuz kinder curious to meditate on it, that they wuz all deacons, every one on 'em.”

speculation noun US /ˌspekjəˈleɪʃən/

a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence

From this reading “For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.”

Wednesday noun US /ˈwenzdi/

the fourth day of the week; the third working day

From this reading “When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.”

All words in this reading · 75

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading And it wuz kinder curious to meditate on it, that they wuz all deacons, every one on 'em.

AllennounUS /ˈælən/

United States comedienne remembered as the confused but imperturbable partner of her husband, George Burns (1906-1964)

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

Baptis'es

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

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

clungverbUS /klʌŋ/

inflected form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

ConferencenounUS /ˈkɑːnfərəns/

a prearranged meeting for consultation or exchange of information or discussion (especially one with a formal agenda)

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

curiousadjectiveUS /ˈkjʊriəs/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading And it wuz kinder curious to meditate on it, that they wuz all deacons, every one on 'em.

deaconsnounUS /ˈdiːkənz/

plural of “deacon” — a Protestant layman who assists the minister

From this reading And it wuz kinder curious to meditate on it, that they wuz all deacons, every one on 'em.

DemocratnounUS /ˈdeməkræt/

a member of the Democratic Party

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

drovenounUS /droʊv/

a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

effortnounUS /ˈefərt/

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

emnounUS /em/

a quad with a square body

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading And it wuz kinder curious to meditate on it, that they wuz all deacons, every one on 'em.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading Take 'em all together there wuz five deacons.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

goin

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

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

hurrynounUS /ˈhɜːri/

a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

jined

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

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

Josiah

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

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

kinderadjectiveUS /ˈkaɪndər/

comparative of “kind” — having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading And it wuz kinder curious to meditate on it, that they wuz all deacons, every one on 'em.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

Loontown

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

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

meditateverbUS /ˈmedəteɪt/

reflect deeply on a subject

From this reading And it wuz kinder curious to meditate on it, that they wuz all deacons, every one on 'em.

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

meetin

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

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading And it wuz kinder curious to meditate on it, that they wuz all deacons, every one on 'em.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

speculationnounUS /ˌspekjəˈleɪʃən/

a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

spoze

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

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

stiddy

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

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

TakeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading Take 'em all together there wuz five deacons.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Take 'em all together there wuz five deacons.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading And it wuz kinder curious to meditate on it, that they wuz all deacons, every one on 'em.

ThreenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading Take 'em all together there wuz five deacons.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Three on 'em wuz Baptis'es, and two on 'em had jined our meetin' house, deacons, and the old name clung to 'em--we spoze because they wuz such good, stiddy men, and looked up to.

WednesdaynounUS /ˈwenzdi/

the fourth day of the week; the third working day

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

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 When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

wimmen

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

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading For my companion, Josiah Allen, had drove over to Loontown in a Democrat and in a great hurry, to meet two men who wanted him to go into a speculation with 'em.

wuz

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

From this reading When I first heard that wimmen wuz goin' to make a effort to set on a Conference, it wuz on a Wednesday, as I remember well.

Chapter 1 of Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1 by Marietta Holley holds 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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 Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1 contain?

Chapter 1 holds 152 sentences of Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1 by Marietta Holley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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 Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1

Common questions about reading Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1 by Marietta Holley on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1?

Yes. All 456 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9443 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #9443, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1 take to read?

About 38 minutes of reading across 92 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1 section by section

How to work through Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 3 chapters of Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1 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 Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1

Words and structures a reader meets early in Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Heard
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wimmen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Goin'
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Samantha among the Brethren — Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.