Chapter 17 of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck is here in full — 99 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck is here in full — 99 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MR. DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look. Open before him were letters. One was post-marked London, and ran as follows: "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
Chapter 17 of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck is here in full — 99 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading “DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.”
United States dancer and pioneer of modern dance (1878-1927)
From this reading “DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.”
third-person singular of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading “One was post-marked London, and ran as follows:”
a large city in northwestern England; its port is the country's major outlet for industrial exports
From this reading “"MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.”
an established line of travel or access
From this reading “"MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.”
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading “"MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.”
make shorter than originally intended; reduce or retrench in length or duration
From this reading “"MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.”
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading “DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading One was post-marked London, and ran as follows:
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading One was post-marked London, and ran as follows:
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Open before him were letters.
dearly loved
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
recognizable; marked
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.
United States dancer and pioneer of modern dance (1878-1927)
From this reading DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.
half the width of an em
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
third-person singular of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading One was post-marked London, and ran as follows:
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Open before him were letters.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.
go away from a place
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
the literary culture
From this reading Open before him were letters.
a large city in northwestern England; its port is the country's major outlet for industrial exports
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading One was post-marked London, and ran as follows:
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.
a form of address for a man
From this reading MR.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One was post-marked London, and ran as follows:
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Open before him were letters.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One was post-marked London, and ran as follows:
a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)
From this reading DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading One was post-marked London, and ran as follows:
an established line of travel or access
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
make shorter than originally intended; reduce or retrench in length or duration
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
term of address for a man
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading One was post-marked London, and ran as follows:
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Open before him were letters.
in the company of; together with
From this reading DUNCAN'S SECRET About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look.
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading "MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York.
Chapter 17 of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 99 sentences, grouped into 20 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.
Chapter 17 holds 99 sentences of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 99 sentences, grouped into 20 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.
Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 20 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #5417, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 337 minutes of reading across 811 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck to begin.
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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
