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Seth's Brother's Wife
Seth's Brother's Wife

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of Seth's Brother's Wife is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Seth's Brother's Wife
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Tyre had seen better days.
In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.
In those days it had been a power in politics too.
The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.
From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.
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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.

Seth's Brother's Wife

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of Seth's Brother's Wife is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Tyre had seen better days.
/taɪr hæd siːn ˈbetər deɪz/
Line 2
In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.
/ɪn ðə ˈnoʊbəl oʊld taɪm ʌv steɪdʒ ˈkoʊtʃɪz ɪt hæd bɪn ə ˈθraɪvɪŋ ˈɔːlmoʊst ˈbʌsəlɪŋ pleɪs wɪð mɪlz ˈtɜːrnɪŋ aʊt werz ˈseləbreɪtɪd θruː ɔːl ðə ˈsekʃən wɪð ə stɑːrtʃ ˈfæktəri wɪtʃ ˈlɪtərəli ɡeɪv ðə neɪm ʌv ðə taʊn tuː ɪts ˈprɑːdəkt æz ə ˈstændərd ʌv ˈeksələns ənd wɪð ˈtævərnz wɪtʃ wɜːr ˈrerli left wɪð ə ˈveɪkənt ruːm mɔːr ðæn ə deɪ æt ə taɪm/
Line 3
In those days it had been a power in politics too.
/ɪn ðoʊz deɪz ɪt hæd bɪn ə ˈpaʊər ɪn ˈpɑːlətɪks tuː/
Line 4
The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.
Line 5
From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

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.

coaches noun US /ˈkoʊtʃɪz/

plural of “coach” — (sports) someone in charge of training an athlete or a team

From this reading “In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.”

elbowing noun US /ˈelboʊɪŋ/

jostling with the elbows

From this reading “The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.”

judgeships noun US /ˈdʒʌdʒʃɪps/

plural of “judgeship” — the position of judge

From this reading “From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.”

starch noun US /stɑːrtʃ/

a complex carbohydrate found chiefly in seeds, fruits, tubers, roots and stem pith of plants, notably in corn, potatoes, wheat, and rice

From this reading “In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.”

tallest adjective US /ˈtɔːlɪst/

superlative of “tall” — great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading “The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.”

taverns noun US /ˈtævərnz/

plural of “tavern” — a building with a bar that is licensed to sell alcoholic drinks

From this reading “In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.”

thriving adjective US /ˈθraɪvɪŋ/

very lively and profitable

From this reading “In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.”

Tyre noun US /taɪr/

a port in southern Lebanon on the Mediterranean Sea; formerly a major Phoenician seaport famous for silks

From this reading “Tyre had seen better days.”

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.

cluster of verb + particle

In this reading “From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.”

village green noun + noun

a village park consisting of a plot of grassy land

In this reading “The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.”

in politics preposition + noun

In this reading “In those days it had been a power in politics too.”

better days adjective + noun

In this reading “Tyre had seen better days.”

in the State preposition + article + noun counted as “in … state”

In this reading “The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.”

at a time preposition + article + noun counted as “at … time”

simultaneously

In this reading “In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.”

name of verb + particle

In this reading “In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.”

All words in this reading · 103

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 In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

AlbanynounUS /ˈɔːlbəni/

state capital of New York; located in eastern New York State on the west bank of the Hudson river

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

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 In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

Anak

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

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading Tyre had seen better days.

bricknounUS /brɪk/

rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

bustlingadjectiveUS /ˈbʌsəlɪŋ/

full of energetic and noisy activity

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

celebratedadjectiveUS /ˈseləbreɪtɪd/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

clusterverbUS /ˈklʌstər/

come together as in a cluster or flock

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

coachesnounUS /ˈkoʊtʃɪz/

plural of “coach” — (sports) someone in charge of training an athlete or a team

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

court-house

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

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Tyre had seen better days.

echoedverbUS /ˈekoʊd/

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

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

elbowingnounUS /ˈelboʊɪŋ/

jostling with the elbows

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

eloquencenounUS /ˈel.ə.kwəns/

Fluent, persuasive, and graceful speaking or writing. (Sự hùng biện, tài ăn nói lưu loát.)

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

excellencenounUS /ˈeksələns/

the quality of excelling; possessing good qualities in high degree

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

factorynounUS /ˈfæktəri/

a plant consisting of one or more buildings with facilities for manufacturing

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

forcedadjectiveUS /fɔːrst/

produced by or subjected to forcing

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

frownedverbUS /fraʊnd/

past form of “frown” — look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

greennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Tyre had seen better days.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

jailnounUS /dʒeɪl/

a correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government (either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence)

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

judgeshipsnounUS /ˈdʒʌdʒʃɪps/

plural of “judgeship” — the position of judge

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

literallyadverbUS /ˈlɪtərəli/

in a literal sense

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

millsnounUS /mɪlz/

United States architect who was the presidentially appointed architect of Washington D.C. (1781-1855)

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

modernadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːdərn/

belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/

impressive in appearance

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

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

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

politiciansnounUS /ˌpɑːləˈtɪʃənz/

plural of “politician” — a leader engaged in civil administration

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

politicsnounUS /ˈpɑːlətɪks/

social relations involving intrigue to gain authority or power

From this reading In those days it had been a power in politics too.

powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading In those days it had been a power in politics too.

productnounUS /ˈprɑːdəkt/

commodities offered for sale

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

publicnounUS /ˈpʌblɪk/

people in general considered as a whole

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

rarelyadverbUS /ˈrerli/

not often

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

sectionnounUS /ˈsekʃən/

a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Tyre had seen better days.

senatorships

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

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

shrewdadjectiveUS /ʃruːd/

marked by practical hardheaded intelligence

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

sonsnounUS /sʌnz/

plural of “son” — a male human offspring

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

speakerships

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

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

stagenounUS /steɪdʒ/

any distinct time period in a sequence of events

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

stalwart-tongued

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

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

standardadjectiveUS /ˈstændərd/

conforming to or constituting a standard of measurement or value; or of the usual or regularized or accepted kind

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

starchnounUS /stɑːrtʃ/

a complex carbohydrate found chiefly in seeds, fruits, tubers, roots and stem pith of plants, notably in corn, potatoes, wheat, and rice

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

StatenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

strongadjectiveUS /strɔːŋ/

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

supposedadjectiveUS /səˈpoʊzd/

required or under orders

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

tallestadjectiveUS /ˈtɔːlɪst/

superlative of “tall” — great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

tavernsnounUS /ˈtævərnz/

plural of “tavern” — a building with a bar that is licensed to sell alcoholic drinks

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading In those days it had been a power in politics too.

thrivingadjectiveUS /ˈθraɪvɪŋ/

very lively and profitable

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading In those days it had been a power in politics too.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

turningnounUS /ˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

TyrenounUS /taɪr/

a port in southern Lebanon on the Mediterranean Sea; formerly a major Phoenician seaport famous for silks

From this reading Tyre had seen better days.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

vacantadjectiveUS /ˈveɪkənt/

void of intelligence or thought

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

veritableadjectiveUS /ˈverɪtəbəl/

often used as intensifiers

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

villagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

waresnounUS /werz/

plural of “ware” — articles of the same kind or material; usually used in combination: “silverware”, “software”

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The old court-house which frowned now upon the village green, elbowing the more modern brick jail out of public sight, was supposed to have echoed in its time about the tallest eloquence that any court-house in the State had heard.

WashingtonnounUS /ˈwɑːʃɪŋtən/

the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

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 From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading From Tyre had come to Albany, and Washington as well, a whole cluster of strong, shrewd, stalwart-tongued politicians, who forced their way to speakerships, and judgeships, and even senatorships, like veritable sons of Anak.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading In the noble old time of stage coaches it had been a thriving, almost bustling place, with mills turning out wares celebrated through all the section, with a starch factory which literally gave the name of the town to its product as a standard of excellence, and with taverns which were rarely left with a vacant room more than a day at a time.

Chapter 23 of Seth's Brother's Wife by Harold Frederic holds 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 23 of Seth's Brother's Wife contain?

Chapter 23 holds 120 sentences of Seth's Brother's Wife, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of Seth's Brother's Wife by Harold Frederic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 23 of Seth's Brother's Wife?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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 Seth's Brother's Wife

Common questions about reading Seth's Brother's Wife by Harold Frederic on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Seth's Brother's Wife?

Yes. All 5296 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54987 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Seth's Brother's Wife is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #54987, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Seth's Brother's Wife take to read?

About 441 minutes of reading across 1060 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Seth's Brother's Wife section by section

How to work through Seth's Brother's Wife section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 35 chapters of Seth's Brother's Wife 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 Seth's Brother's Wife

Words and structures a reader meets early in Seth's Brother's Wife, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Flare-up
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Seth's Brother's Wife; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Haouse
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Seth's Brother's Wife; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Guess
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Seth's Brother's Wife; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Alvira
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Seth's Brother's Wife; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.