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Life on the Mississippi
Life on the Mississippi

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of Life on the Mississippi is here in full — 277 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Life on the Mississippi
Context Illustration Reading 1/55 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.
Of course I suffered some surprises, along at first, before I had become adjusted to the changed state of things.
I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.
When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.
You say to yourself, 'How can a little girl be a grandmother.'
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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 XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of Life on the Mississippi is here in full — 277 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/55 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.
Line 2
Of course I suffered some surprises, along at first, before I had become adjusted to the changed state of things.
Line 3
I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.
Line 4
When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.
Line 5
You say to yourself, 'How can a little girl be a grandmother.'

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.

Mind noun US /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading “I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.”

All words in this reading · 104

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 A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

about

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

adjusted

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

From this reading Of course I suffered some surprises, along at first, before I had become adjusted to the changed state of things.

again

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

all

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

along

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

From this reading Of course I suffered some surprises, along at first, before I had become adjusted to the changed state of things.

and

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

are

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

as

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

at

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

From this reading Of course I suffered some surprises, along at first, before I had become adjusted to the changed state of things.

be

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

From this reading I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.

become

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

From this reading Of course I suffered some surprises, along at first, before I had become adjusted to the changed state of things.

bed

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

been

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

before

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

From this reading Of course I suffered some surprises, along at first, before I had become adjusted to the changed state of things.

boy

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

but

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

can

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

From this reading You say to yourself, 'How can a little girl be a grandmother.'

changed

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

From this reading Of course I suffered some surprises, along at first, before I had become adjusted to the changed state of things.

contrary

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

course

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

From this reading Of course I suffered some surprises, along at first, before I had become adjusted to the changed state of things.

daughters

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

From this reading I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.

days

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

did

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

From this reading I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.

dreams

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

DURING

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

every

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

faces

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

fifty

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

first

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

From this reading Of course I suffered some surprises, along at first, before I had become adjusted to the changed state of things.

for

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

girl

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

grand-daughters

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

From this reading I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.

grandmother

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

had

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

have

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

From this reading I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.

How

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

From this reading You say to yourself, 'How can a little girl be a grandmother.'

hundred

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

I

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

if

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

impossible

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

impression

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

in

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

is

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

it

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

knew

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

ladies

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

From this reading I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.

little

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

looked

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

meantime

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

met

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

From this reading I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.

morning

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

my

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

night

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

not

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

From this reading I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.

nothing

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

now

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

Of

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

From this reading Of course I suffered some surprises, along at first, before I had become adjusted to the changed state of things.

old

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

on

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

Other

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

out

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

From this reading I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.

person

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

say

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

From this reading You say to yourself, 'How can a little girl be a grandmother.'

seeing

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

seem

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

From this reading I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.

seems

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

she

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

some

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

From this reading Of course I suffered some surprises, along at first, before I had become adjusted to the changed state of things.

sometimes

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

From this reading I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.

state

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

From this reading Of course I suffered some surprises, along at first, before I had become adjusted to the changed state of things.

stay

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

stranger

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

suffered

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

From this reading Of course I suffered some surprises, along at first, before I had become adjusted to the changed state of things.

surprises

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

From this reading Of course I suffered some surprises, along at first, before I had become adjusted to the changed state of things.

surprising

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

that

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

the

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

their

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

From this reading I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.

there

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

they

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

Things

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

those

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

three

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

times

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

to

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

told

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

town

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

turned

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

From this reading I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.

up

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

Vendetta

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

was

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

went

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

were

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

When

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

who

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

From this reading I met young ladies who did not seem to have changed at all; but they turned out to be the daughters of the young ladies I had in mind--sometimes their grand-daughters.

whom

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

with

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

woke

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

years

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

you

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

From this reading When you are told that a stranger of fifty is a grandmother, there is nothing surprising about it; but if, on the contrary, she is a person whom you knew as a little girl, it seems impossible.

young

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

From this reading A Vendetta and Other Things DURING my three days' stay in the town, I woke up every morning with the impression that I was a boy--for in my dreams the faces were all young again, and looked as they had looked in the old times--but I went to bed a hundred years old, every night--for meantime I had been seeing those faces as they are now.

yourself

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

From this reading You say to yourself, 'How can a little girl be a grandmother.'

Chapter 20 of Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain holds 277 sentences, grouped into 56 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 20 of Life on the Mississippi contain?

Chapter 20 holds 277 sentences of Life on the Mississippi, unabridged, divided into 56 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 277 sentences, grouped into 56 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 20 of Life on the Mississippi?

Work through the 56 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 56 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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.