Chapter 3 of Special Messenger is here in full — 432 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Special Messenger is here in full — 432 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Siege batteries, General--on the march." His mutilated mouth relaxed into a grin. "They seem to be allfired sure of us. What are they saying down below?" "They talk of being in Washington by the fifteenth, sir."
Chapter 3 of Special Messenger is here in full — 432 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
plural of “battery” — group of guns or missile launchers operated together at one place
From this reading “"Siege batteries, General--on the march."”
coming next after the fourteenth and just before the sixteenth in position
From this reading “"They talk of being in Washington by the fifteenth, sir."”
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading “His mutilated mouth relaxed into a grin.”
march in a procession
From this reading “"Siege batteries, General--on the march."”
having a part of the body crippled or disabled
From this reading “His mutilated mouth relaxed into a grin.”
without strain or anxiety
From this reading “His mutilated mouth relaxed into a grin.”
the action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified place and isolates it while continuing to attack
From this reading “"Siege batteries, General--on the march."”
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 “"They talk of being in Washington by the fifteenth, sir."”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading His mutilated mouth relaxed into a grin.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "They seem to be allfired sure of us.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading What are they saying down below?"
plural of “battery” — group of guns or missile launchers operated together at one place
From this reading "Siege batteries, General--on the march."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "They seem to be allfired sure of us.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading "They talk of being in Washington by the fifteenth, sir."
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading What are they saying down below?"
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "They talk of being in Washington by the fifteenth, sir."
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading What are they saying down below?"
coming next after the fourteenth and just before the sixteenth in position
From this reading "They talk of being in Washington by the fifteenth, sir."
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading "Siege batteries, General--on the march."
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading His mutilated mouth relaxed into a grin.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His mutilated mouth relaxed into a grin.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "They talk of being in Washington by the fifteenth, sir."
moving to the inside of something
From this reading His mutilated mouth relaxed into a grin.
march in a procession
From this reading "Siege batteries, General--on the march."
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading His mutilated mouth relaxed into a grin.
having a part of the body crippled or disabled
From this reading His mutilated mouth relaxed into a grin.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "They seem to be allfired sure of us.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Siege batteries, General--on the march."
without strain or anxiety
From this reading His mutilated mouth relaxed into a grin.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading What are they saying down below?"
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading "They seem to be allfired sure of us.
the action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified place and isolates it while continuing to attack
From this reading "Siege batteries, General--on the march."
term of address for a man
From this reading "They talk of being in Washington by the fifteenth, sir."
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "They seem to be allfired sure of us.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading "They talk of being in Washington by the fifteenth, sir."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Siege batteries, General--on the march."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "They seem to be allfired sure of us.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "They seem to be allfired sure of us.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "They seem to be allfired sure of us.
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 "They talk of being in Washington by the fifteenth, sir."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What are they saying down below?"
Chapter 3 of Special Messenger by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers holds 432 sentences, grouped into 87 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 3 holds 432 sentences of Special Messenger, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Special Messenger by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 432 sentences, grouped into 87 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Special Messenger by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2938 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24071 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24071, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 244 minutes of reading across 588 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Special Messenger section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of Special Messenger to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Special Messenger, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
