The brother clerks

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The brother clerks is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mary Ashley Townsend • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The brother clerks

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Backward we turn life's varied page, To note the changes written there.

On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

Mr. Pratt (or Colonel Pratt, as he was more generally called) had married quite early in life, and having inherited a large fortune from his father, sought out for himself and bride a home suited to their wealth and station.

His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter II Reading 1/13

The brother clerks Mary Ashley Townsend

Chapter II

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The brother clerks is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Backward we turn life's varied page, To note the changes written there. On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder. All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner. Mr. Pratt (or Colonel Pratt, as he was more generally called) had married quite early in life, and having inherited a large fortune from his father, sought out for himself and bride a home suited to their wealth and station. His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

The brother clerks

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The brother clerks is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Backward we turn life's varied page, To note the changes written there.

/ˈbækwərd wiː tɜːrn laɪfs ˈverid peɪdʒ tuː noʊt ðə ˈtʃeɪndʒəz ˈrɪtən ðer/

Line 2

On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

Line 3

All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

/ɔːl ðæt welθ kʊd baɪ wɑːz ˈlævɪʃt əˈpɑːn ðə ˈeləɡənt haʊs ənd ɡraʊndz tuː ˈɡrætəfaɪ ðə teɪst ʌv ðə ˈoʊnər/

Line 4

Line 5

His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

/hɪz waɪf wɑːz ə ˈwʊmən ʌv ɡreɪt ˈpɜːrsɪnəl ˈbjuːti ʌv moʊst enˈɡeɪdʒɪŋ ənd ˈɡreɪsfəl ˈmænərz ənd dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃt ɪn hɜːr oʊn ˈsɜːrkəl fɔːr hɜːr swiːt ənd ˌʌnəbˈtruːsɪv ˈpaɪəti/

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.

counties noun US /ˈkaʊntiz/

plural of “county” — (United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government

From this reading “On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.”

engaging adjective US /enˈɡeɪdʒɪŋ/

attracting or delighting

From this reading “His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.”

gratify verb US /ˈɡrætəfaɪ/

make happy or satisfied

From this reading “All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.”

Hudson noun US /ˈhʌdsən/

a New York river; flows southward into New York Bay; explored by Henry Hudson early in the 17th century

From this reading “On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.”

lavished verb US /ˈlævɪʃt/

past form of “lavish” — expend profusely; also used with abstract nouns

From this reading “All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.”

life's noun US /laɪfs/

possessive form of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading “Backward we turn life's varied page, To note the changes written there.”

piety noun US /ˈpaɪəti/

righteousness by virtue of being pious

From this reading “His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.”

unobtrusive adjective US /ˌʌnəbˈtruːsɪv/

not obtrusive or undesirably noticeable

From this reading “His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.”

All words in this reading · 89

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 Mr. Pratt (or Colonel Pratt, as he was more generally called) had married quite early in life, and having inherited a large fortune from his father, sought out for himself and bride a home suited to their wealth and station.

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 All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

ArthurnounUS /ˈɑːrθər/

elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

From this reading On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

BackwardadverbUS /ˈbækwərd/

at or to or toward the back or rear

From this reading Backward we turn life's varied page, To note the changes written there.

banksnounUS /bæŋks/

English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)

From this reading On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

bridenounUS /braɪd/

a woman who has recently been married

buyverbUS /baɪ/

obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction

From this reading All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

changesnounUS /ˈtʃeɪndʒəz/

plural of “change” — an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another

From this reading Backward we turn life's varied page, To note the changes written there.

circlenounUS /ˈsɜːrkəl/

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 His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

ColonelnounUS /ˈkɜːrnəl/

a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

countiesnounUS /ˈkaʊntiz/

plural of “county” — (United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government

From this reading On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

distinguishedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃt/

(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation

From this reading His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

dwellingnounUS /ˈdwelɪŋ/

housing that someone is living in

From this reading On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

eldernounUS /ˈeldər/

a person who is older than you are

From this reading On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

elegantadjectiveUS /ˈeləɡənt/

refined and tasteful in appearance or behavior or style

From this reading All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

engagingadjectiveUS /enˈɡeɪdʒɪŋ/

attracting or delighting

From this reading His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

generallyadverbUS /ˈdʒenərəli/

usually; as a rule

gracefuladjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪsfəl/

characterized by beauty of movement, style, form, or execution

From this reading His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

gratifyverbUS /ˈɡrætəfaɪ/

make happy or satisfied

From this reading All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

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

From this reading His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

groundsnounUS /ɡraʊndz/

your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

From this reading All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

handsomeadjectiveUS /ˈhænsəm/

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

From this reading On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

housenounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

HudsonnounUS /ˈhʌdsən/

a New York river; flows southward into New York Bay; explored by Henry Hudson early in the 17th century

From this reading On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

inheritedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈherətɪd/

occurring among members of a family usually by heredity

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

lavishedverbUS /ˈlævɪʃt/

past form of “lavish” — expend profusely; also used with abstract nouns

From this reading All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

life'snounUS /laɪfs/

possessive form of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Backward we turn life's varied page, To note the changes written there.

mannersnounUS /ˈmænərz/

social deportment

From this reading His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

marriedadjectiveUS /ˈmerid/

joined in matrimony

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

New-York

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

From this reading On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

notenounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading Backward we turn life's varied page, To note the changes written there.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

oldestadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldəst/

superlative of “old” — (used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

ownernounUS /ˈoʊnər/

(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business

From this reading All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

pagenounUS /peɪdʒ/

one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading Backward we turn life's varied page, To note the changes written there.

personaladjectiveUS /ˈpɜːrsɪnəl/

concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality

From this reading His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

pietynounUS /ˈpaɪəti/

righteousness by virtue of being pious

From this reading His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

Pratt

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

From this reading On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

settledadjectiveUS /ˈsetəld/

established or decided beyond dispute or doubt

From this reading On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

soughtadjectiveUS /sɔːt/

that is looked for

stationnounUS /ˈsteɪʃən/

a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading On the banks of the Hudson, in one of the oldest settled counties of New-York, stood the handsome dwelling of Arthur Pratt, the elder.

suitedadjectiveUS /ˈsuːtɪd/

meant or adapted for an occasion or use

sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

tasteverbUS /teɪst/

To perceive flavor through the mouth.

From this reading All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Backward we turn life's varied page, To note the changes written there.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Backward we turn life's varied page, To note the changes written there.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Backward we turn life's varied page, To note the changes written there.

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading Backward we turn life's varied page, To note the changes written there.

unobtrusiveadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəbˈtruːsɪv/

not obtrusive or undesirably noticeable

From this reading His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

variedadjectiveUS /ˈverid/

characterized by variety

From this reading Backward we turn life's varied page, To note the changes written there.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Backward we turn life's varied page, To note the changes written there.

wealthnounUS /welθ/

the state of being rich and affluent; having a plentiful supply of material goods and money

From this reading All that wealth could buy was lavished upon the elegant house and grounds, to gratify the taste of the owner.

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading His wife was a woman of great personal beauty, of most engaging and graceful manners, and distinguished in her own circle for her sweet and unobtrusive piety.

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading Backward we turn life's varied page, To note the changes written there.

Chapter 2 of The brother clerks by Mary Ashley Townsend holds 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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 2 of The brother clerks contain?

Chapter 2 holds 66 sentences of The brother clerks, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The brother clerks by Mary Ashley Townsend exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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 2 of The brother clerks?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 brother clerks

Common questions about reading The brother clerks by Mary Ashley Townsend on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The brother clerks?

Yes. All 4436 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18958 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #18958, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 369 minutes of reading across 888 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The brother clerks

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

Stranger: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The brother clerks; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shall: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The brother clerks; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Greeting: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The brother clerks; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Meeting: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The brother clerks; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter II · Chapter 2

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