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Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900)
Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900)

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900)
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ON THE RHONE, BELOW VIENNA.
I salute you, my darling.
Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.
I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.
And we've lost another hour--two of them, I guess--since, by an error.
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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.

Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900)

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ON THE RHONE, BELOW VIENNA.
/ɑːn ðə roʊn bɪˈloʊ viˈenə/
Line 2
I salute you, my darling.
/aɪ səˈluːt juː maɪ ˈdɑːrlɪŋ/
Line 3
Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.
/jɔːr ˈteləɡræm riːtʃt miː ɪn ˈlaɪənz læst naɪt ənd wɑːz ˈveri ˈplezənt nuːz ˌɪnˈdiːd/
Line 4
I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.
Line 5
And we've lost another hour--two of them, I guess--since, by an error.

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.

delayed adjective US /dɪˈleɪd/

not as far along as normal in development

From this reading “I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.”

error noun US /ˈerər/

a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading “And we've lost another hour--two of them, I guess--since, by an error.”

Lyons noun US /ˈlaɪənz/

a city in east-central France on the Rhone River; a principal producer of silk and rayon

From this reading “Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.”

rhone noun US /roʊn/

a major French river; flows into the Mediterranean near Marseilles

From this reading “ON THE RHONE, BELOW VIENNA.”

salute verb US /səˈluːt/

propose a toast to

From this reading “I salute you, my darling.”

shaved adjective US /ʃeɪvd/

having the beard or hair cut off close to the skin

From this reading “I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.”

telegram noun US /ˈteləɡræm/

a message transmitted by telegraph

From this reading “Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.”

vienna noun US /viˈenə/

the capital and largest city of Austria; located on the Danube in northeastern Austria; was the home of Beethoven and Brahms and Haydn and Mozart and Schubert and Strauss

From this reading “ON THE RHONE, BELOW VIENNA.”

All words in this reading · 53

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.

10.30

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

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

8

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

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading And we've lost another hour--two of them, I guess--since, by an error.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

BELOWprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading ON THE RHONE, BELOW VIENNA.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading And we've lost another hour--two of them, I guess--since, by an error.

darlingnounUS /ˈdɑːrlɪŋ/

a special loved one

From this reading I salute you, my darling.

delayedadjectiveUS /dɪˈleɪd/

not as far along as normal in development

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

didn't

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

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

errornounUS /ˈerər/

a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading And we've lost another hour--two of them, I guess--since, by an error.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

guessverbUS /ɡes/

expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading And we've lost another hour--two of them, I guess--since, by an error.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I salute you, my darling.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

LyonsnounUS /ˈlaɪənz/

a city in east-central France on the Rhone River; a principal producer of silk and rayon

From this reading Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I salute you, my darling.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

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

From this reading Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And we've lost another hour--two of them, I guess--since, by an error.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading ON THE RHONE, BELOW VIENNA.

pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.

reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.

RHONEnounUS /roʊn/

a major French river; flows into the Mediterranean near Marseilles

From this reading ON THE RHONE, BELOW VIENNA.

sailverbUS /seɪl/

traverse or travel on (a body of water)

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

saluteverbUS /səˈluːt/

propose a toast to

From this reading I salute you, my darling.

shavedadjectiveUS /ʃeɪvd/

having the beard or hair cut off close to the skin

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading And we've lost another hour--two of them, I guess--since, by an error.

telegramnounUS /ˈteləɡræm/

a message transmitted by telegraph

From this reading Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading ON THE RHONE, BELOW VIENNA.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading And we've lost another hour--two of them, I guess--since, by an error.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading And we've lost another hour--two of them, I guess--since, by an error.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.

VIENNAnounUS /viˈenə/

the capital and largest city of Austria; located on the Danube in northeastern Austria; was the home of Beethoven and Brahms and Haydn and Mozart and Schubert and Strauss

From this reading ON THE RHONE, BELOW VIENNA.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading I was up and shaved before 8 this morning, but we got delayed and didn't sail from Lyons till 10.30--an hour and a half lost.

we've

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

From this reading And we've lost another hour--two of them, I guess--since, by an error.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I salute you, my darling.

YourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Your telegram reached me in Lyons last night and was very pleasant news indeed.

Chapter 10 of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) by Mark Twain holds 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 10 of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) contain?

Chapter 10 holds 172 sentences of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900), unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 10 of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900)?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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 — Volume 4 (1886-1900)

Common questions about reading Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900)?

Yes. All 4330 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3196 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3196, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) take to read?

About 360 minutes of reading across 866 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) section by section

How to work through Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) 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 — Volume 4 (1886-1900)

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Volume
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Letters
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clemens's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Romance
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.