Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Life on the Mississippi
Life on the Mississippi

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Life on the Mississippi is here in full — 329 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Life on the Mississippi
Context Illustration Reading 1/65 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.
I said-- 'But you used to look sad and oldish; you don't now.
Where did you get all this youth and bubbling cheerfulness?
Give me the address.'
He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'
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.

Life on the Mississippi

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Life on the Mississippi is here in full — 329 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/65 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.
Line 2
I said-- 'But you used to look sad and oldish; you don't now.
Line 3
Where did you get all this youth and bubbling cheerfulness?
Line 4
Give me the address.'
Line 5
He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

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.

Same adjective US /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading “The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.”

All words in this reading · 76

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.

a

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

ABOUT

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

address

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

From this reading Give me the address.'

all

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

From this reading Where did you get all this youth and bubbling cheerfulness?

and

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

Art

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

B

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

blithely

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

bubbling

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

From this reading Where did you get all this youth and bubbling cheerfulness?

But

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

From this reading I said-- 'But you used to look sad and oldish; you don't now.

cheerfulness

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

From this reading Where did you get all this youth and bubbling cheerfulness?

chuckled

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

chuckling

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

circlet

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

crown

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

did

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

From this reading Where did you get all this youth and bubbling cheerfulness?

don't

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

From this reading I said-- 'But you used to look sad and oldish; you don't now.

encountered

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

followed

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

for

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

get

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

From this reading Where did you get all this youth and bubbling cheerfulness?

Give

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

From this reading Give me the address.'

had

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

He

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

his

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

I

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

in

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

Inhumation

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

into

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

it

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

its

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

J

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

lettered

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

like

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

look

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

From this reading I said-- 'But you used to look sad and oldish; you don't now.

man

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

me

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

From this reading Give me the address.'

not

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

notched

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

now

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

From this reading I said-- 'But you used to look sad and oldish; you don't now.

of

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

off

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

oldish

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

From this reading I said-- 'But you used to look sad and oldish; you don't now.

on

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

or

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

paper

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

pasted

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

pink

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

pointed

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

read

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

sad

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

From this reading I said-- 'But you used to look sad and oldish; you don't now.

said

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

From this reading I said-- 'But you used to look sad and oldish; you don't now.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

seen

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

seven

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

shining

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

six

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

something

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

street

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

talk

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

The

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

this

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

tile

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

time

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

to

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

From this reading I said-- 'But you used to look sad and oldish; you don't now.

took

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

Undertaker

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

used

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

From this reading I said-- 'But you used to look sad and oldish; you don't now.

went

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

Where

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

From this reading Where did you get all this youth and bubbling cheerfulness?

while

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

whom

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

with

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

From this reading He chuckled blithely, took off his shining tile, pointed to a notched pink circlet of paper pasted into its crown, with something lettered on it, and went on chuckling while I read, 'J. B----, _Undertaker_.'

years

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

From this reading The Art of Inhumation ABOUT the same time, I encountered a man in the street, whom I had not seen for six or seven years; and something like this talk followed.

you

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

From this reading I said-- 'But you used to look sad and oldish; you don't now.

youth

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

From this reading Where did you get all this youth and bubbling cheerfulness?

Chapter 16 of Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain holds 329 sentences, grouped into 66 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 16 of Life on the Mississippi contain?

Chapter 16 holds 329 sentences of Life on the Mississippi, unabridged, divided into 66 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 329 sentences, grouped into 66 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 16 of Life on the Mississippi?

Work through the 66 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 66 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 Life on the Mississippi

Common questions about reading Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Life on the Mississippi?

Yes. All 6352 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #245 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Life on the Mississippi is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #245, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Life on the Mississippi take to read?

About 529 minutes of reading across 1271 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Life on the Mississippi section by section

How to work through Life on the Mississippi section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of Life on the Mississippi 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 Life on the Mississippi

Words and structures a reader meets early in Life on the Mississippi, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chimney
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life on the Mississippi; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Panorama
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life on the Mississippi; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Undying
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life on the Mississippi; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Peboan
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life on the Mississippi; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.