Stella Maris

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of Stella Maris is here in full — 386 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By William John Locke • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

He looked older than his years.

Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.

There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

To do so is a gift; and it was denied to John Risca.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XI Reading 1/77

Stella Maris

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of Stella Maris is here in full — 386 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/77 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

Line 2

He looked older than his years.

/hiː lʊkt ˈoʊldər ðæn hɪz jɪrz/

Line 3

Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.

/ˈræɡəd striːks ʌv ɡreɪ əˈpɪrd ɪn hɪz blæk her ənd ðə laɪnz ˈdiːpənd ɑːn hɪz ˈhevi braʊ/

Line 4

There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

/ðer ɑːr sʌm men huː noʊ ˈmætər wʌt ðer ˈsɜːrkəmstænsəz meɪ biː ˈnevər teɪk ðemˈselvz ˈhæpəli/

Line 5

To do so is a gift; and it was denied to John Risca.

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.

deepened verb US /ˈdiːpənd/

past form of “deepen” — make more intense, stronger, or more marked

From this reading “Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.”

denied verb US /dɪˈnaɪd/

inflected form of “deny” — declare untrue; contradict

From this reading “To do so is a gift; and it was denied to John Risca.”

elderly adjective US /ˈeldərli/

advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)

From this reading “JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.”

normal adjective US /ˈnɔːrməl/

conforming with or constituting a norm or standard or level or type or social norm; not abnormal

From this reading “JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.”

Ragged adjective US /ˈræɡəd/

being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn

From this reading “Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.”

root noun US /ruːt/

(botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground

From this reading “JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.”

streaks noun US /striːks/

plural of “streak” — an unbroken series of events

From this reading “Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.”

withered adjective US /ˈwɪðərd/

lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness

From this reading “JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

black hair adjective + noun

In this reading “Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.”

elderly man adjective + noun

In this reading “JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.”

heavy brow adjective + noun

In this reading “Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.”

at the root preposition + article + noun counted as “at … root”

In this reading “JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.”

looked older verb + adjective counted as “look older”

In this reading “He looked older than his years.”

appeared in verb + particle counted as “appear in”

In this reading “Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.”

some men adjective + noun

In this reading “There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.”

All words in this reading · 65

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 JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

blackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.

brownounUS /braʊ/

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.

circumstancesnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəmstænsəz/

your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

From this reading There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

deepenedverbUS /ˈdiːpənd/

past form of “deepen” — make more intense, stronger, or more marked

From this reading Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.

deniedverbUS /dɪˈnaɪd/

inflected form of “deny” — declare untrue; contradict

From this reading To do so is a gift; and it was denied to John Risca.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading To do so is a gift; and it was denied to John Risca.

elderlyadjectiveUS /ˈeldərli/

advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

giftnounUS /ɡɪft/

something acquired without compensation

From this reading To do so is a gift; and it was denied to John Risca.

graynounUS /ɡreɪ/

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.

hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.

happilyadverbUS /ˈhæpəli/

in a joyous manner

From this reading There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He looked older than his years.

heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He looked older than his years.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading To do so is a gift; and it was denied to John Risca.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading To do so is a gift; and it was denied to John Risca.

JOHNnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

linesnounUS /laɪnz/

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading He looked older than his years.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

man'snounUS /mænz/

possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

normaladjectiveUS /ˈnɔːrməl/

conforming with or constituting a norm or standard or level or type or social norm; not abnormal

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

olderadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldər/

advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)

From this reading He looked older than his years.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.

RaggedadjectiveUS /ˈræɡəd/

being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn

From this reading Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.

regardedverbUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

RISCA

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

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

rootnounUS /ruːt/

(botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading To do so is a gift; and it was denied to John Risca.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

streaksnounUS /striːks/

plural of “streak” — an unbroken series of events

From this reading Ragged streaks of gray appeared in his black hair, and the lines deepened on his heavy brow.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading He looked older than his years.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

thirty-fouradjective

being four more than thirty

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To do so is a gift; and it was denied to John Risca.

twentynounUS /ˈtwenti/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

wardnounUS /wɔːrd/

a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading To do so is a gift; and it was denied to John Risca.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading There are some men who, no matter what their circumstances may be, never take themselves happily.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

witheredadjectiveUS /ˈwɪðərd/

lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness

From this reading JOHN RISCA, at thirty-four, with a ward of twenty, and with the normal hope of a man's life withered at the root, regarded himself as an elderly man.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading He looked older than his years.

Chapter 11 of Stella Maris by William John Locke holds 386 sentences, grouped into 78 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 11 of Stella Maris contain?

Chapter 11 holds 386 sentences of Stella Maris, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of Stella Maris by William John Locke exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 386 sentences, grouped into 78 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 11 of Stella Maris?

Work through the 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 78 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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.

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Is this the complete text of Stella Maris?

Yes. All 7372 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53994 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #53994, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Stella Maris take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1475 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Stella Maris

Words and structures a reader meets early in Stella Maris, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Stella: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stella Maris; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Maris--star: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stella Maris; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Christened: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stella Maris; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Inoffensive: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stella Maris; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XI

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