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The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3
The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3 is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By R. H. (Robert Henry) Newell • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.
WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan.
28th, 1863.
The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.
She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3 is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.
/rɪˈfɜːrɪŋ tuː ˈwɑːʃɪŋtən ˈsɪti ənd ðə ˈprezɪdənts ˈmesədʒ ənd ˈɡɪvɪŋ ðə ˈsʌðərn kənˈfedərəsiz ˈveri ˈriːzənəbəl piːs ˌprɑːpəˈzɪʃən/
Line 2
WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan.
Line 3
28th, 1863.
Line 4
The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.
Line 5
She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

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.

bracket noun US /ˈbrækɪt/

a category falling within certain defined limits

From this reading “She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
confederacy's noun US /kənˈfedərəsiz/

possessive form of “confederacy” — the southern states that seceded from the United States in 1861

From this reading “REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Congress noun US /ˈkɑːŋɡrəs/

the legislature of the United States government

From this reading “The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Jan noun US /dʒæn/

the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice

From this reading “WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Potomac noun US /pəˈtoʊmək/

a river in the east central United States; rises in West Virginia in the Appalachian Mountains and flows eastward, forming the boundary between Maryland and Virginia, to the Chesapeake Bay

From this reading “She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
president's noun US /ˈprezɪdənts/

possessive form of “president” — an executive officer of a firm or corporation

From this reading “REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
referring verb US /rɪˈfɜːrɪŋ/

inflected form of “refer” — make reference to

From this reading “REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
surveys noun US /sərˈveɪz/

plural of “survey” — a detailed critical inspection

From this reading “She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

young man adjective + noun

a teenager or a young adult male

In this reading “The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.”

130,774 times in 225,867 chapters
in the mirror preposition + article + noun counted as “in … mirror”

In this reading “She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"”

3,657 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 51

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.

1863

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

From this reading 28th, 1863.

Pending verification
28th

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

From this reading 28th, 1863.

Pending verification
adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bracketnounUS /ˈbrækɪt/

a category falling within certain defined limits

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
CnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CITYnounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CONFEDERACY'SnounUS /kənˈfedərəsiz/

possessive form of “confederacy” — the southern states that seceded from the United States in 1861

From this reading REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CongressnounUS /ˈkɑːŋɡrəs/

the legislature of the United States government

From this reading The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desertedadjectiveUS /dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/

forsaken by owner or inhabitants

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
flamenounUS /fleɪm/

A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

Velmora curated lexicon
gasnounUS /ɡæs/

the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GIVINGnounUS /ˈɡɪvɪŋ/

the act of giving

From this reading REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

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

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JannounUS /dʒæn/

the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice

From this reading WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
maidennounUS /ˈmeɪdən/

an unmarried girl (especially a virgin)

From this reading The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MESSAGEnounUS /ˈmesədʒ/

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mirrornounUS /ˈmɪrər/

polished surface that forms images by reflecting light

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PEACEnounUS /piːs/

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
plighted

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

From this reading The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.

Pending verification
PotomacnounUS /pəˈtoʊmək/

a river in the east central United States; rises in West Virginia in the Appalachian Mountains and flows eastward, forming the boundary between Maryland and Virginia, to the Chesapeake Bay

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PRESIDENT'SnounUS /ˈprezɪdənts/

possessive form of “president” — an executive officer of a firm or corporation

From this reading REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PROPOSITIONnounUS /ˌprɑːpəˈzɪʃən/

(logic) a statement that affirms or denies something and is either true or false

From this reading REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
REASONABLEadjectiveUS /ˈriːzənəbəl/

showing reason or sound judgment

From this reading REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
REFERRINGverbUS /rɪˈfɜːrɪŋ/

inflected form of “refer” — make reference to

From this reading REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
SOUTHERNadjectiveUS /ˈsʌðərn/

in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
surveysnounUS /sərˈveɪz/

plural of “survey” — a detailed critical inspection

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
VERYadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WASHINGTONnounUS /ˈwɑːʃɪŋtən/

the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791

From this reading REFERRING TO WASHINGTON CITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, AND GIVING THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY'S VERY REASONABLE PEACE PROPOSITION.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Where's

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

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

Pending verification
whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading She surveys herself in the mirror of the Potomac, and says she: "Where's my Congress, without whom I am like a gas bracket deserted by its old flame?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading The city of Washington, my boy, without her Congress, is like a maiden without her plighted young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 11 of The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3 by R. H. (Robert Henry) Newell holds 140 sentences, grouped into 28 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 11 of The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3 contain?

Chapter 11 holds 140 sentences of The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3 by R. H. (Robert Henry) Newell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 140 sentences, grouped into 28 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 11 of The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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 Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3

Common questions about reading The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3 by R. H. (Robert Henry) Newell on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3?

Yes. All 2888 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31823 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #31823, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3 take to read?

About 240 minutes of reading across 578 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3 section by section

How to work through The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3 to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Comprised
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Three
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Volumes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Uniformly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.