Chapter XX
***** To Mrs. Clemens, in Hartford: QUINCY, ILL. May 17, '82. Livy darling, I am desperately homesick. But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910)
Chapter XX
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
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***** To
Mrs.
Clemens,
in
Hartford:
QUINCY,
ILL.
May
17,
'82.
Livy
darling,
I
am
desperately
homesick.
But
I
have
promised
Osgood,
and
must
stick
it
out;
otherwise
I
would
take
the
train
at
once
and
break
for
home.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Line 1
***** To
Mrs.
Clemens,
in
Hartford:
Line 2
QUINCY,
ILL.
Line 3
May
17,
'82.
Line 4
Livy
darling,
I
am
desperately
homesick.
Line 5
But
I
have
promised
Osgood,
and
must
stick
it
out;
otherwise
I
would
take
the
train
at
once
and
break
for
home.
Learner Dictionary
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
Have
auxiliary verb
US /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.”
May
modal verb
US /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading “May 17, '82.”
Must
modal verb
US /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.”
Once
noun
US /once/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.”
Take
noun
US /take/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.”
Would
modal verb
US /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.”
All words in this reading · 35
Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
17
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading May 17, '82.
82
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From this reading May 17, '82.
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading Livy darling, I am desperately homesick.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
break
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
Clemens
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ***** To Mrs. Clemens, in Hartford:
darling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Livy darling, I am desperately homesick.
desperately
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Livy darling, I am desperately homesick.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
Hartford
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ***** To Mrs. Clemens, in Hartford:
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
home
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
homesick
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Livy darling, I am desperately homesick.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Livy darling, I am desperately homesick.
ILL
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading QUINCY, ILL.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading ***** To Mrs. Clemens, in Hartford:
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
Livy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Livy darling, I am desperately homesick.
Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading May 17, '82.
Mrs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ***** To Mrs. Clemens, in Hartford:
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
once
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
Osgood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
otherwise
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
promised
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
QUINCY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading QUINCY, ILL.
stick
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
takenounUS /take/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
ToparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ***** To Mrs. Clemens, in Hartford:
train
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But I have promised Osgood, and must stick it out; otherwise I would take the train at once and break for home.