Chapter 5 of The Entailed Hat is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter V
Chapter 5 of The Entailed Hat is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE CUSTISES RUINED. Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship. "Mother," she said, "is that father coming, yonder? No, it is not his driver." "Why, Vesta!" exclaimed Mrs. Custis, "that is old Milburn's man."
Chapter 5 of The Entailed Hat is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 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 “blind” — people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group
From this reading “Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.”
savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type
From this reading “Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.”
the operator of a motor vehicle
From this reading “No, it is not his driver."”
a state of misfortune or affliction
From this reading “Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.”
destroyed physically or morally
From this reading “THE CUSTISES RUINED.”
a cooperative unit (especially in sports)
From this reading “Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.”
(Roman mythology) goddess of the hearth and its fire whose flame was tended by vestal virgins; counterpart of Greek Hestia
From this reading “Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.”
plural of “wheel” — a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)
From this reading “Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.”
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 Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
plural of “blind” — people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
a natural or artificial enclosed space
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE CUSTISES RUINED.
increase twofold
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
the operator of a motor vehicle
From this reading No, it is not his driver."
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "Why, Vesta!" exclaimed Mrs. Custis, "that is old Milburn's man."
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading "Mother," she said, "is that father coming, yonder?
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
a state of misfortune or affliction
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading No, it is not his driver."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Mother," she said, "is that father coming, yonder?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading No, it is not his driver."
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "Why, Vesta!" exclaimed Mrs. Custis, "that is old Milburn's man."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why, Vesta!" exclaimed Mrs. Custis, "that is old Milburn's man."
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading "Mother," she said, "is that father coming, yonder?
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading "Why, Vesta!" exclaimed Mrs. Custis, "that is old Milburn's man."
not any; not one
From this reading No, it is not his driver."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading No, it is not his driver."
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "Why, Vesta!" exclaimed Mrs. Custis, "that is old Milburn's man."
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
destroyed physically or morally
From this reading THE CUSTISES RUINED.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Mother," she said, "is that father coming, yonder?
cut with a saw
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Mother," she said, "is that father coming, yonder?
a cooperative unit (especially in sports)
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Mother," she said, "is that father coming, yonder?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE CUSTISES RUINED.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
(Roman mythology) goddess of the hearth and its fire whose flame was tended by vestal virgins; counterpart of Greek Hestia
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
plural of “wheel” — a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)
From this reading Vesta Custis, dressing in her chamber, heard early wheels upon the morning air, and looking through the blinds saw a double team coming up the road from Hardship.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, Vesta!" exclaimed Mrs. Custis, "that is old Milburn's man."
distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)
From this reading "Mother," she said, "is that father coming, yonder?
Chapter 5 of The Entailed Hat by George Alfred Townsend holds 176 sentences, grouped into 36 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 5 holds 176 sentences of The Entailed Hat, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The Entailed Hat by George Alfred Townsend exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 176 sentences, grouped into 36 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 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 36 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 5 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 The Entailed Hat by George Alfred Townsend on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9133 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19146 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #19146, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1827 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Entailed Hat section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Entailed Hat 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 The Entailed Hat, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
