Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910)
Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910)

Chapter XXXVII · Chapter 37

Chapter 37 of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) is here in full — 370 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910)
Context Illustration Reading 1/74 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.
I have inquired, and find that Mitsikuri does not arrive here until to-morrow night.
I shall watch out, and telephone again, for I greatly want to see him.
Always Yours, MARK.
P. S.--Nov, 4.
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.

Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910)

Chapter XXXVII · Chapter 37

Chapter 37 of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) is here in full — 370 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/74 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.
Line 2
I have inquired, and find that Mitsikuri does not arrive here until to-morrow night.
Line 3
I shall watch out, and telephone again, for I greatly want to see him.
/aɪ ʃæl wɑːtʃ aʊt ənd ˈteləfoʊn əˈɡen fɔːr aɪ ˈɡreɪtli wɑːnt tuː siː hɪm/
Line 4
Always Yours, MARK.
/ˈɔːlweɪz jʊrz mɑːrk/
Line 5
P. S.--Nov, 4.

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.

apology noun US /əˈpɑːlədʒiː/

an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone

From this reading “I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.”

arrive verb US /ərˈaɪv/

reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading “I have inquired, and find that Mitsikuri does not arrive here until to-morrow night.”

greatly adverb US /ˈɡreɪtli/

to an extraordinary extent or degree

From this reading “I shall watch out, and telephone again, for I greatly want to see him.”

guff noun US /ɡʌf/

unacceptable behavior (especially ludicrously false statements)

From this reading “I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.”

inquired verb US /ˌɪnˈkwaɪərd/

past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from

From this reading “I have inquired, and find that Mitsikuri does not arrive here until to-morrow night.”

mark verb US /mɑːrk/

attach a tag or label to

From this reading “Always Yours, MARK.”

Nov noun US /noʊv/

the month following October and preceding December

From this reading “P. S.--Nov, 4.”

telephone noun US /ˈteləfoʊn/

electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds

From this reading “I shall watch out, and telephone again, for I greatly want to see him.”

All words in this reading · 50

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.

4

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

From this reading P. S.--Nov, 4.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading I shall watch out, and telephone again, for I greatly want to see him.

AlwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading Always Yours, MARK.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

apologynounUS /əˈpɑːlədʒiː/

an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

arriveverbUS /ərˈaɪv/

reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading I have inquired, and find that Mitsikuri does not arrive here until to-morrow night.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading I have inquired, and find that Mitsikuri does not arrive here until to-morrow night.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading I have inquired, and find that Mitsikuri does not arrive here until to-morrow night.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

greatlyadverbUS /ˈɡreɪtli/

to an extraordinary extent or degree

From this reading I shall watch out, and telephone again, for I greatly want to see him.

guffnounUS /ɡʌf/

unacceptable behavior (especially ludicrously false statements)

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I have inquired, and find that Mitsikuri does not arrive here until to-morrow night.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

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

From this reading I have inquired, and find that Mitsikuri does not arrive here until to-morrow night.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading I shall watch out, and telephone again, for I greatly want to see him.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

inquiredverbUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪərd/

past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from

From this reading I have inquired, and find that Mitsikuri does not arrive here until to-morrow night.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

MARKverbUS /mɑːrk/

attach a tag or label to

From this reading Always Yours, MARK.

Mitsikuri

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

From this reading I have inquired, and find that Mitsikuri does not arrive here until to-morrow night.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading I have inquired, and find that Mitsikuri does not arrive here until to-morrow night.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I have inquired, and find that Mitsikuri does not arrive here until to-morrow night.

NovnounUS /noʊv/

the month following October and preceding December

From this reading P. S.--Nov, 4.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading I shall watch out, and telephone again, for I greatly want to see him.

PnounUS /piː/

a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms

From this reading P. S.--Nov, 4.

propitiationnoun

the act of placating and overcoming distrust and animosity

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

reproaches

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

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

SnounUS /es/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading P. S.--Nov, 4.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading I shall watch out, and telephone again, for I greatly want to see him.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading I shall watch out, and telephone again, for I greatly want to see him.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

telephonenounUS /ˈteləfoʊn/

electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds

From this reading I shall watch out, and telephone again, for I greatly want to see him.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I have inquired, and find that Mitsikuri does not arrive here until to-morrow night.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

to-morrow

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

From this reading I have inquired, and find that Mitsikuri does not arrive here until to-morrow night.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading I have inquired, and find that Mitsikuri does not arrive here until to-morrow night.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading I shall watch out, and telephone again, for I greatly want to see him.

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading I shall watch out, and telephone again, for I greatly want to see him.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

won't

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

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I know I ought to hand you some guff, now, as propitiation and apology for these reproaches, but on the whole I believe I won't.

YourspronounUS /jʊrz/

the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to

From this reading Always Yours, MARK.

Chapter 37 of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) by Mark Twain holds 370 sentences, grouped into 74 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 37 of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) contain?

Chapter 37 holds 370 sentences of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910), unabridged, divided into 74 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 37 of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 370 sentences, grouped into 74 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 37 of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910)?

Work through the 74 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 74 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 37 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 37 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 Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910)

Common questions about reading Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910)?

Yes. All 14985 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3199 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3199, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2997 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) section by section

How to work through Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) 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 Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910)

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Twain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nowhere
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Human
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Being
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.