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Our Mr. Wrenn
Our Mr. Wrenn

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Our Mr. Wrenn is here in full — 111 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Our Mr. Wrenn
Context Illustration Reading 1/22 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.
They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.
Mr. Wrenn laid her hand against his cheek with infinite content.
He was outlining the situation at the office.
The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Our Mr. Wrenn

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Our Mr. Wrenn is here in full — 111 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.
Line 2
They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.
Line 3
Mr. Wrenn laid her hand against his cheek with infinite content.
Line 4
He was outlining the situation at the office.
/hiː wɑːz ˈaʊtlaɪnɪŋ ðə ˌsɪtʃuːˈeɪʃən æt ðə ˈɔːfɪs/
Line 5
The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.

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.

appoint verb US /əˈpɔɪnt/

create and charge with a task or function

From this reading “The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.”

assistant noun US /əˈsɪstənt/

a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

From this reading “The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.”

flock noun US /flɑːk/

a church congregation guided by a pastor

From this reading “TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.”

games noun US /ɡeɪmz/

plural of “game” — a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading “They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.”

manager noun US /ˈmænədʒər/

someone who controls resources and expenditures

From this reading “The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.”

Mortimer noun US /ˈmɔːrtɪmər/

English nobleman who deposed Edward II and was executed by Edward III (1287-1330)

From this reading “The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.”

November noun US /noʊˈvembər/

the month following October and preceding December

From this reading “TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.”

outlining verb US /ˈaʊtlaɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “outline” — describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of

From this reading “He was outlining the situation at the office.”

All words in this reading · 67

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.

1911

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

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Mr. Wrenn laid her hand against his cheek with infinite content.

amiableadjectiveUS /ˈeɪmiəbəl/

disposed to please

From this reading They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

appointverbUS /əˈpɔɪnt/

create and charge with a task or function

From this reading The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.

Arty's

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

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

assistantnounUS /əˈsɪstənt/

a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

From this reading The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.

chancedverbUS /tʃænst/

past form of “chance” — be the case by chance

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

cheeknounUS /tʃiːk/

either side of the face below the eyes

From this reading Mr. Wrenn laid her hand against his cheek with infinite content.

contentnounUS /ˈkɑːntent/

(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something

From this reading Mr. Wrenn laid her hand against his cheek with infinite content.

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

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

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.

finishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪnɪʃt/

(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state

From this reading They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.

flocknounUS /flɑːk/

a church congregation guided by a pastor

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

gamesnounUS /ɡeɪmz/

plural of “game” — a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.

Guilfogle

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

From this reading The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading Mr. Wrenn laid her hand against his cheek with infinite content.

HAPPYadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was outlining the situation at the office.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Mr. Wrenn laid her hand against his cheek with infinite content.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Mr. Wrenn laid her hand against his cheek with infinite content.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

From this reading They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.

increasedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkriːst/

made greater in size or amount or degree

From this reading The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.

infiniteadjectiveUS /ˈɪnfənət/

having no limits or boundaries in time or space or extent or magnitude

From this reading Mr. Wrenn laid her hand against his cheek with infinite content.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

laidadjectiveUS /leɪd/

set down according to a plan

From this reading Mr. Wrenn laid her hand against his cheek with infinite content.

managernounUS /ˈmænədʒər/

someone who controls resources and expenditures

From this reading The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.

MortimernounUS /ˈmɔːrtɪmər/

English nobleman who deposed Edward II and was executed by Edward III (1287-1330)

From this reading The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

Nelly

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

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

NovembernounUS /noʊˈvembər/

the month following October and preceding December

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

officenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading He was outlining the situation at the office.

oil-stove

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

From this reading They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

outliningverbUS /ˈaʊtlaɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “outline” — describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of

From this reading He was outlining the situation at the office.

pinochlenoun

a card game played with a pack of forty-eight cards (two of each suit for high cards); play resembles whist

From this reading They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.

RnounUS /ɑːr/

a unit of radiation exposure; the dose of ionizing radiation that will produce 1 electrostatic unit of electricity in 1 cc of dry air

From this reading The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.

Rabin

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

From this reading The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.

SHOREnounUS /ʃɔːr/

the land along the edge of a body of water

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

situationnounUS /ˌsɪtʃuːˈeɪʃən/

the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time

From this reading He was outlining the situation at the office.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He was outlining the situation at the office.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.

traveling-salesman

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

From this reading The business had so increased that Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the manager, had told Rabin, the head traveling-salesman, that he was going to appoint an assistant manager.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.

UponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was outlining the situation at the office.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading They had finished two hot games of pinochle, and sat with their feet on a small amiable oil-stove.

Wrenn

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

From this reading TO A HAPPY SHORE Upon an evening of November, 1911, it chanced that of Mrs. Arty’s flock only Nelly and Mr. Wrenn were at home.

Chapter 18 of Our Mr. Wrenn by Sinclair Lewis holds 111 sentences, grouped into 23 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 18 of Our Mr. Wrenn contain?

Chapter 18 holds 111 sentences of Our Mr. Wrenn, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of Our Mr. Wrenn by Sinclair Lewis exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 111 sentences, grouped into 23 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 18 of Our Mr. Wrenn?

Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 23 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 Our Mr. Wrenn

Common questions about reading Our Mr. Wrenn by Sinclair Lewis on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Our Mr. Wrenn?

Yes. All 5266 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4961 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Our Mr. Wrenn is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4961, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Our Mr. Wrenn take to read?

About 438 minutes of reading across 1054 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Our Mr. Wrenn section by section

How to work through Our Mr. Wrenn section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of Our Mr. Wrenn to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in Our Mr. Wrenn

Words and structures a reader meets early in Our Mr. Wrenn, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Souvenir
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Our Mr. Wrenn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Company
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Our Mr. Wrenn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Building
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Our Mr. Wrenn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Working
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Our Mr. Wrenn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.