Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
To Have and to Hold
To Have and to Hold

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of To Have and to Hold is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for To Have and to Hold
Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.
She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.
Beyond her was a row of milkmaid beauties, red of cheek, free of eye, deep-bosomed, and beribboned like Maypoles.
I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!
As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.
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.

To Have and to Hold

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of To Have and to Hold is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.
Line 2
She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.
/ʃiː sæt sʌm ten fiːt frʌm miː ɪn ðə ˈkɔːrnər ənd soʊ ɪn ðə ˈʃæd.oʊ ʌv ə tɔːl pjuː/
Line 3
Beyond her was a row of milkmaid beauties, red of cheek, free of eye, deep-bosomed, and beribboned like Maypoles.
Line 4
I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!
Line 5
As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

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.

amidst preposition US /əˈmɪdst/

in the middle of; surrounded by

From this reading “I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!”

beads noun US /biːdz/

several beads threaded together on a string

From this reading “I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!”

beauties noun US /ˈbjuːtiz/

plural of “beauty” — the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading “Beyond her was a row of milkmaid beauties, red of cheek, free of eye, deep-bosomed, and beribboned like Maypoles.”

pearl noun US /pɜːrl/

a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel

From this reading “I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!”

peonies noun US /ˈpiːəniz/

plural of “peony” — any of numerous plants widely cultivated for their showy single or double red or pink or white flowers

From this reading “I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!”

pew noun US /pjuː/

long bench with backs; used in church by the congregation

From this reading “She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.”

poppies noun US /ˈpɑːpiz/

plural of “poppy” — annual or biennial or perennial herbs having showy flowers

From this reading “I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!”

thanksgiving noun US /ˌθæŋksˈɡɪvɪŋ/

fourth Thursday in November in the United States; second Monday in October in Canada; commemorates a feast held in 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag

From this reading “THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.”

All words in this reading · 78

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 She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

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 I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

amidstprepositionUS /əˈmɪdst/

in the middle of; surrounded by

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

amongstprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋst/

surrounded by; in the company of

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.

angernounUS /ˈæŋɡər/

a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

beadsnounUS /biːdz/

several beads threaded together on a string

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

beautiesnounUS /ˈbjuːtiz/

plural of “beauty” — the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading Beyond her was a row of milkmaid beauties, red of cheek, free of eye, deep-bosomed, and beribboned like Maypoles.

beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

beribboned

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

From this reading Beyond her was a row of milkmaid beauties, red of cheek, free of eye, deep-bosomed, and beribboned like Maypoles.

BeyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

From this reading Beyond her was a row of milkmaid beauties, red of cheek, free of eye, deep-bosomed, and beribboned like Maypoles.

blowzed

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

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

cheeknounUS /tʃiːk/

either side of the face below the eyes

From this reading Beyond her was a row of milkmaid beauties, red of cheek, free of eye, deep-bosomed, and beribboned like Maypoles.

cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.

deep-bosomed

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

From this reading Beyond her was a row of milkmaid beauties, red of cheek, free of eye, deep-bosomed, and beribboned like Maypoles.

determinationnounUS /dɪˌtɜːrməˈneɪʃən/

the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

eyenounUS /aɪ/

the organ of sight

From this reading Beyond her was a row of milkmaid beauties, red of cheek, free of eye, deep-bosomed, and beribboned like Maypoles.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

facenounUS /feɪs/

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

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.

finallyadverbUS /ˈfaɪnəli/

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

freeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading Beyond her was a row of milkmaid beauties, red of cheek, free of eye, deep-bosomed, and beribboned like Maypoles.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.

gazedverbUS /ɡeɪzd/

past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

glassnounUS /ɡlæs/

a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

gracenounUS /ɡreɪs/

(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Beyond her was a row of milkmaid beauties, red of cheek, free of eye, deep-bosomed, and beribboned like Maypoles.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

Maypoles

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

From this reading Beyond her was a row of milkmaid beauties, red of cheek, free of eye, deep-bosomed, and beribboned like Maypoles.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.

milkmaidnoun

a woman who works in a dairy

From this reading Beyond her was a row of milkmaid beauties, red of cheek, free of eye, deep-bosomed, and beribboned like Maypoles.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

nonparella

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

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.

pearlnounUS /pɜːrl/

a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

peoniesnounUS /ˈpiːəniz/

plural of “peony” — any of numerous plants widely cultivated for their showy single or double red or pink or white flowers

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

Perdita

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

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

pewnounUS /pjuː/

long bench with backs; used in church by the congregation

From this reading She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.

poppiesnounUS /ˈpɑːpiz/

plural of “poppy” — annual or biennial or perennial herbs having showy flowers

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

praisenounUS /preɪz/

an expression of approval and commendation

From this reading THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.

pridenounUS /praɪd/

a feeling of self-respect and personal worth

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading Beyond her was a row of milkmaid beauties, red of cheek, free of eye, deep-bosomed, and beribboned like Maypoles.

ringverbUS /rɪŋ/

sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

rosenounUS /roʊz/

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

rownounUS /roʊ/

an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line

From this reading Beyond her was a row of milkmaid beauties, red of cheek, free of eye, deep-bosomed, and beribboned like Maypoles.

rustics

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

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading I looked again, and saw--and see--a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies, a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of all grace and beauty!

servicenounUS /ˈsɜːrvəs/

work done by one person or group that benefits another

From this reading THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.

shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.

shamenounUS /ʃeɪm/

a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.

talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.

tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a tall pew.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

thanksgivingnounUS /ˌθæŋksˈɡɪvɪŋ/

fourth Thursday in November in the United States; second Monday in October in Canada; commemorates a feast held in 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag

From this reading THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.

well-nighadverb

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

From this reading THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I first saw her.

witnounUS /wɪt/

a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than grace and beauty in that wonderful face,--found pride, wit, fire, determination, finally shame and anger.

Chapter 3 of To Have and to Hold by Mary Johnston holds 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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 3 of To Have and to Hold contain?

Chapter 3 holds 152 sentences of To Have and to Hold, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of To Have and to Hold by Mary Johnston exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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 3 of To Have and to Hold?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 To Have and to Hold

Common questions about reading To Have and to Hold by Mary Johnston on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of To Have and to Hold?

Yes. All 6788 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2807 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of To Have and to Hold is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2807, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does To Have and to Hold take to read?

About 565 minutes of reading across 1358 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read To Have and to Hold section by section

How to work through To Have and to Hold section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of To Have and to Hold 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 To Have and to Hold

Words and structures a reader meets early in To Have and to Hold, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Being
A word that appears in the opening chapter of To Have and to Hold; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Doorstep
A word that appears in the opening chapter of To Have and to Hold; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Awhile
A word that appears in the opening chapter of To Have and to Hold; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Evening
A word that appears in the opening chapter of To Have and to Hold; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.