Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

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

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

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

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

a relation that provides the foundation for something

From this reading The two cows and the horse were sold, and in every way possible the household was placed on a more economical basis.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The hospitalities of her table, once so well known throughout the circle of her friends, must be curtailed, and the spare bedroom must be less frequently occupied.

a room used primarily for sleeping

From this reading The hospitalities of her table, once so well known throughout the circle of her friends, must be curtailed, and the spare bedroom must be less frequently occupied.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point

From this reading The hospitalities of her table, once so well known throughout the circle of her friends, must be curtailed, and the spare bedroom must be less frequently occupied.

a steep high face of rock

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

possessive form of “cliff” — a steep high face of rock

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age

From this reading The two cows and the horse were sold, and in every way possible the household was placed on a more economical basis.

past form of “curtail” — place restrictions on

From this reading The hospitalities of her table, once so well known throughout the circle of her friends, must be curtailed, and the spare bedroom must be less frequently occupied.

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

using the minimum of time or resources necessary for effectiveness

From this reading The two cows and the horse were sold, and in every way possible the household was placed on a more economical basis.

a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading The two cows and the horse were sold, and in every way possible the household was placed on a more economical basis.

considered likely or probable to happen or arrive

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

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

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

set up or found

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

many times at short intervals

From this reading The hospitalities of her table, once so well known throughout the circle of her friends, must be curtailed, and the spare bedroom must be less frequently occupied.

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading The hospitalities of her table, once so well known throughout the circle of her friends, must be curtailed, and the spare bedroom must be less frequently occupied.

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

piety by virtue of being a godly person

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

destroyed or killed

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

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

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

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

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

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

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

where you live at a particular time

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading The two cows and the horse were sold, and in every way possible the household was placed on a more economical basis.

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

From this reading The hospitalities of her table, once so well known throughout the circle of her friends, must be curtailed, and the spare bedroom must be less frequently occupied.

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

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

a social unit living together

From this reading The two cows and the horse were sold, and in every way possible the household was placed on a more economical basis.

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

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

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

the financial gain (earned or unearned) accruing over a given period of time

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

past form of “invest” — make an investment

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

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

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

apprehended with certainty

From this reading The hospitalities of her table, once so well known throughout the circle of her friends, must be curtailed, and the spare bedroom must be less frequently occupied.

indicating the most important performer or role

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading The hospitalities of her table, once so well known throughout the circle of her friends, must be curtailed, and the spare bedroom must be less frequently occupied.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

a state in New England

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

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

From this reading The two cows and the horse were sold, and in every way possible the household was placed on a more economical basis.

a form of address for a man

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading The hospitalities of her table, once so well known throughout the circle of her friends, must be curtailed, and the spare bedroom must be less frequently occupied.

clean or organized

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

absolutely essential

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

immediately following in time or order

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

held or filled or in use

From this reading The hospitalities of her table, once so well known throughout the circle of her friends, must be curtailed, and the spare bedroom must be less frequently occupied.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

on one occasion

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading The two cows and the horse were sold, and in every way possible the household was placed on a more economical basis.

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

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

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

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

capable of happening or existing

From this reading The two cows and the horse were sold, and in every way possible the household was placed on a more economical basis.

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

concerned with religion or religious purposes

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

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

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

plural of “shutter” — a mechanical device on a camera that opens and closes to control the time of a photographic exposure

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

small or little relative to something else

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The hospitalities of her table, once so well known throughout the circle of her friends, must be curtailed, and the spare bedroom must be less frequently occupied.

disposed of to a purchaser

From this reading The two cows and the horse were sold, and in every way possible the household was placed on a more economical basis.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

refrain from harming

From this reading The hospitalities of her table, once so well known throughout the circle of her friends, must be curtailed, and the spare bedroom must be less frequently occupied.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading The hospitalities of her table, once so well known throughout the circle of her friends, must be curtailed, and the spare bedroom must be less frequently occupied.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

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

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

in every part of a place, or for the whole of a period

From this reading The hospitalities of her table, once so well known throughout the circle of her friends, must be curtailed, and the spare bedroom must be less frequently occupied.

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

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

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

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

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

From this reading The two cows and the horse were sold, and in every way possible the household was placed on a more economical basis.

the chief port and second largest city of Chile; located on a wide harbor in central Chile

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

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

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading The two cows and the horse were sold, and in every way possible the household was placed on a more economical basis.

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

(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 The hospitalities of her table, once so well known throughout the circle of her friends, must be curtailed, and the spare bedroom must be less frequently occupied.

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

From this reading The two cows and the horse were sold, and in every way possible the household was placed on a more economical basis.

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

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

a Caucasian

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

which person or people

From this reading Mrs. Cliff's husband had been the leading merchant in Plainton, and having saved some money, he had invested it in an enterprise of a friend who had gone into business in Valparaiso.

a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried

From this reading On Mr. Cliff's death his widow had found herself with an income smaller than she had expected, and that it was necessary to change in a degree her style of living.

in the company of; together with

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.

a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading "HOME, SWEET HOME" On the high-street of the little town of Plainton, Maine, stood the neat white house of Mrs. Cliff, with its green shutters, its porchless front door, its pretty bit of flower-garden at the front and side, and its neat back yard, sacred once a week to that virtue which is next to godliness.