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Little By Little
Little By Little

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Little By Little is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Oliver Optic • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Little By Little
Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PAUL GOES ON A CRUISE IN THE FLYAWAY.
"There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.
"Who was he?"
"He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.
"Charles Morrison, Chestnut Street, third house from the depot," said Paul, reading the paper.
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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.

Little By Little

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Little By Little is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PAUL GOES ON A CRUISE IN THE FLYAWAY.
Line 2
"There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.
/ðer hæz bɪn ə ˈdʒentəlmən hiːr tuː siː juː sed ˈmɪsɪz ˈdʌŋkən wen pɔːl went tuː ðə haʊs/
Line 3
"Who was he?"
/huː wɑːz hiː/
Line 4
"He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.
/hiː left hɪz neɪm ənd ˈrezɪdəns ɑːn ə piːs ʌv ˈpeɪpər ənd wɑːnts juː tuː kɔːl ənd siː hɪm ðɪs ˈiːvnɪŋ rɪˈplaɪd ˈmɪsɪz ˈdʌŋkən ˈhændɪŋ hɪm ðə ˈædres ʌv ðə ˈdʒentəlmən/
Line 5
"Charles Morrison, Chestnut Street, third house from the depot," said Paul, reading the paper.
/tʃɑːrlz ˈmɔːrɪsən ˈtʃesnʌt striːt θɜːrd haʊs frʌm ðə ˈdiːpoʊ sed pɔːl ˈriːdɪŋ ðə ˈpeɪpər/

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.

Chestnut adjective US /ˈtʃesnʌt/

(of hair or feathers) of a golden brown to reddish brown color

From this reading “"Charles Morrison, Chestnut Street, third house from the depot," said Paul, reading the paper.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cruise verb US /kruːz/

drive around aimlessly but ostentatiously and at leisure

From this reading “PAUL GOES ON A CRUISE IN THE FLYAWAY.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
depot noun US /ˈdiːpoʊ/

station where transport vehicles load or unload passengers or goods

From this reading “"Charles Morrison, Chestnut Street, third house from the depot," said Paul, reading the paper.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Duncan noun US /ˈdʌŋkən/

United States dancer and pioneer of modern dance (1878-1927)

From this reading “"There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
handing verb US /ˈhændɪŋ/

-ing form of “hand” — place into the hands or custody of

From this reading “"He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Morrison noun US /ˈmɔːrɪsən/

United States rock singer (1943-1971)

From this reading “"Charles Morrison, Chestnut Street, third house from the depot," said Paul, reading the paper.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
paul noun US /pɔːl/

United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading “PAUL GOES ON A CRUISE IN THE FLYAWAY.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
residence noun US /ˈrezɪdəns/

any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading “"He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 49

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 PAUL GOES ON A CRUISE IN THE FLYAWAY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
addressverbUS /ˈædres/

speak to

From this reading "He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading "There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading "He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CharlesnounUS /tʃɑːrlz/

King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)

From this reading "Charles Morrison, Chestnut Street, third house from the depot," said Paul, reading the paper.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ChestnutadjectiveUS /ˈtʃesnʌt/

(of hair or feathers) of a golden brown to reddish brown color

From this reading "Charles Morrison, Chestnut Street, third house from the depot," said Paul, reading the paper.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CRUISEverbUS /kruːz/

drive around aimlessly but ostentatiously and at leisure

From this reading PAUL GOES ON A CRUISE IN THE FLYAWAY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
depotnounUS /ˈdiːpoʊ/

station where transport vehicles load or unload passengers or goods

From this reading "Charles Morrison, Chestnut Street, third house from the depot," said Paul, reading the paper.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DuncannounUS /ˈdʌŋkən/

United States dancer and pioneer of modern dance (1878-1927)

From this reading "There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading "He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FLYAWAYadjective

guided by whim and fancy

From this reading PAUL GOES ON A CRUISE IN THE FLYAWAY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "Charles Morrison, Chestnut Street, third house from the depot," said Paul, reading the paper.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
gentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading "There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GOESnounUS /ɡoʊz/

plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

From this reading PAUL GOES ON A CRUISE IN THE FLYAWAY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
handingverbUS /ˈhændɪŋ/

-ing form of “hand” — place into the hands or custody of

From this reading "He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading "There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Who was he?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading "He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading "There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading PAUL GOES ON A CRUISE IN THE FLYAWAY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading "He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MorrisonnounUS /ˈmɔːrɪsən/

United States rock singer (1943-1971)

From this reading "Charles Morrison, Chestnut Street, third house from the depot," said Paul, reading the paper.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading "There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading "He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading PAUL GOES ON A CRUISE IN THE FLYAWAY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading "He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PAULnounUS /pɔːl/

United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading PAUL GOES ON A CRUISE IN THE FLYAWAY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
piecenounUS /piːs/

a separate part of a whole

From this reading "He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
readingnounUS /ˈriːdɪŋ/

the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message

From this reading "Charles Morrison, Chestnut Street, third house from the depot," said Paul, reading the paper.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading "He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
residencenounUS /ˈrezɪdəns/

any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading "He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StreetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading "Charles Morrison, Chestnut Street, third house from the depot," said Paul, reading the paper.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading PAUL GOES ON A CRUISE IN THE FLYAWAY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thirdnounUS /θɜːrd/

one of three equal parts of a divisible whole

From this reading "Charles Morrison, Chestnut Street, third house from the depot," said Paul, reading the paper.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wantsnounUS /wɑːnts/

plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty

From this reading "He left his name and residence on a piece of paper, and wants you to call and see him this evening," replied Mrs. Duncan, handing him the address of the gentleman.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "Who was he?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "Who was he?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "There has been a gentleman here to see you," said Mrs. Duncan, when Paul went to the house.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 15 of Little By Little by Oliver Optic holds 145 sentences, grouped into 29 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 15 of Little By Little contain?

Chapter 15 holds 145 sentences of Little By Little, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Little By Little by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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 15 of Little By Little?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Little By Little

Common questions about reading Little By Little by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Little By Little?

Yes. All 2543 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22365 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Little By Little is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #22365, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Little By Little take to read?

About 211 minutes of reading across 509 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Little By Little section by section

How to work through Little By Little section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of Little By Little 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 Little By Little

Words and structures a reader meets early in Little By Little, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Uncle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little By Little; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Presenting
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little By Little; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Young
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little By Little; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Friends
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little By Little; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.