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The Allen House
The Allen House

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Allen House is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/22 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.
And I also noticed that she rode alone more frequently than she had been accustomed to do.
Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.
Now, the cases were exceptional.
I also noticed a gathering shade of trouble on her face.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Allen House

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Allen House is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.
/ˈɔːlmoʊst ˈdeɪli waɪl ðə ˈplezənt fɔːl ˈweðər ˈlæstəd dɪd aɪ miːt ðə ˈhænsəm ˈkærɪdʒ ʌv ˈmɪsɪz ˈduːi bʌt aɪ ˈnoʊtəst ðæt ʃiː went les θruː ðə taʊn ənd ˈɔːfənər aʊt ˈɪntuː ðə ˈkʌntri/
Line 2
And I also noticed that she rode alone more frequently than she had been accustomed to do.
/ənd aɪ ˈɔːlsoʊ ˈnoʊtəst ðæt ʃiː roʊd əˈloʊn mɔːr ˈfriːkwəntli ðæn ʃiː hæd bɪn əˈkʌstəmd tuː duː/
Line 3
Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.
/ˈfɔːrmərli wʌn ˈfæʃənəbəl frend ɔːr əˈnʌðər huː felt ɪt tuː biː æn ˈɑːnər tuː sɪt ɪn ðə ˈkærɪdʒ ʌv ˈmɪsɪz ˈduːi wɑːz ˈdʒenərəli tuː biː siːn ɪn hɜːr ˈkʌmpəniː wen ʃiː went əˈbrɔːd/
Line 4
Now, the cases were exceptional.
/naʊ ðə ˈkeɪsəz wɜːr ɪkˈsepʃənəl/
Line 5
I also noticed a gathering shade of trouble on her face.
/aɪ ˈɔːlsoʊ ˈnoʊtəst ə ˈɡæðərɪŋ ʃeɪd ʌv ˈtrʌbəl ɑːn hɜːr feɪs/

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.

Dewey noun US /ˈduːi/

United States librarian who founded the decimal system of classification (1851-1931)

From this reading “Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.”

exceptional adjective US /ɪkˈsepʃənəl/

far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree

From this reading “Now, the cases were exceptional.”

fashionable adjective US /ˈfæʃənəbəl/

being or in accordance with current social fashions

From this reading “Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.”

Formerly adverb US /ˈfɔːrmərli/

at a previous time

From this reading “Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.”

frequently adverb US /ˈfriːkwəntli/

many times at short intervals

From this reading “And I also noticed that she rode alone more frequently than she had been accustomed to do.”

gathering noun US /ˈɡæðərɪŋ/

a group of persons together in one place

From this reading “I also noticed a gathering shade of trouble on her face.”

lasted verb US /ˈlæstəd/

past form of “last” — persist for a specified period of time

From this reading “Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.”

oftener adverb US /ˈɔːfənər/

more often or more frequently

From this reading “Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 I also noticed a gathering shade of trouble on her face.

abroadadverbUS /əˈbrɔːd/

to or in a foreign country

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

accustomedadjectiveUS /əˈkʌstəmd/

commonly used or practiced; usual

From this reading And I also noticed that she rode alone more frequently than she had been accustomed to do.

AlmostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

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

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading And I also noticed that she rode alone more frequently than she had been accustomed to do.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading And I also noticed that she rode alone more frequently than she had been accustomed to do.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading And I also noticed that she rode alone more frequently than she had been accustomed to do.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

carriagenounUS /ˈkærɪdʒ/

a railcar where passengers ride

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

casesnounUS /ˈkeɪsəz/

plural of “case” — an occurrence of something

From this reading Now, the cases were exceptional.

companynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

dailyadverbUS /ˈdeɪli/

every day; without missing a day

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

DeweynounUS /ˈduːi/

United States librarian who founded the decimal system of classification (1851-1931)

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading And I also noticed that she rode alone more frequently than she had been accustomed to do.

exceptionaladjectiveUS /ɪkˈsepʃənəl/

far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree

From this reading Now, the cases were exceptional.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading I also noticed a gathering shade of trouble on her face.

fallverbUS /fɔːl/

descend in free fall under the influence of gravity

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

fashionableadjectiveUS /ˈfæʃənəbəl/

being or in accordance with current social fashions

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

FormerlyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrmərli/

at a previous time

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

frequentlyadverbUS /ˈfriːkwəntli/

many times at short intervals

From this reading And I also noticed that she rode alone more frequently than she had been accustomed to do.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

gatheringnounUS /ˈɡæðərɪŋ/

a group of persons together in one place

From this reading I also noticed a gathering shade of trouble on her face.

generallyadverbUS /ˈdʒenərəli/

usually; as a rule

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading And I also noticed that she rode alone more frequently than she had been accustomed to do.

handsomeadjectiveUS /ˈhænsəm/

pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

honornounUS /ˈɑːnər/

a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

lastedverbUS /ˈlæstəd/

past form of “last” — persist for a specified period of time

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading And I also noticed that she rode alone more frequently than she had been accustomed to do.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

noticedadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəst/

being perceived or observed

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading Now, the cases were exceptional.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

ofteneradverbUS /ˈɔːfənər/

more often or more frequently

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I also noticed a gathering shade of trouble on her face.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

rodeverbUS /roʊd/

inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading And I also noticed that she rode alone more frequently than she had been accustomed to do.

seenverbUS /siːn/

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

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

shadenounUS /ʃeɪd/

relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body

From this reading I also noticed a gathering shade of trouble on her face.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

sitverbUS /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading And I also noticed that she rode alone more frequently than she had been accustomed to do.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And I also noticed that she rode alone more frequently than she had been accustomed to do.

townnounUS /taʊn/

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

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading I also noticed a gathering shade of trouble on her face.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

weathernounUS /ˈweðər/

the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Now, the cases were exceptional.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading Almost daily, while the pleasant fall weather lasted, did I meet the handsome carriage of Mrs. Dewey; but I noticed that she went less through the town, and oftener out into the country.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Formerly, one fashionable friend or another, who felt it to be an honor to sit in the carriage of Mrs. Dewey, was generally to be seen in her company when she went abroad.

Chapter 20 of The Allen House by T. S. (Timothy Shay) Arthur holds 110 sentences, grouped into 22 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 20 of The Allen House contain?

Chapter 20 holds 110 sentences of The Allen House, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Allen House by T. S. (Timothy Shay) Arthur exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 110 sentences, grouped into 22 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 20 of The Allen House?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 The Allen House

Common questions about reading The Allen House by T. S. (Timothy Shay) Arthur on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Allen House?

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Project Gutenberg eBook #4588, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Allen House take to read?

About 372 minutes of reading across 894 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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  1. Open a chapter

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Vocabulary met early in The Allen House

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Allen House, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Poured
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Allen House; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Torrents
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Allen House; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Third
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Allen House; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Since
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Allen House; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.