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Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise
Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise is here in full — 338 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By David Graham Phillips • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise
Context Illustration Reading 1/67 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.
Out of the bitterness of experience he used to say, "A young optimist is a young fool.
An old optimist is an old ass.
A fool may learn, an ass can't."
And again, "An optimist steams through the fog, taking it for granted everything's all right.
0:00 / 0:00
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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.

Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise is here in full — 338 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/67 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.
Line 2
Out of the bitterness of experience he used to say, "A young optimist is a young fool.
/aʊt ʌv ðə ˈbɪtərnəs ʌv ɪkˈspɪriəns hiː juːzd tuː seɪ ə jʌŋ ˈɑːptəmɪst ɪz ə jʌŋ fuːl/
Line 3
An old optimist is an old ass.
/æn oʊld ˈɑːptəmɪst ɪz æn oʊld æs/
Line 4
A fool may learn, an ass can't."
Line 5
And again, "An optimist steams through the fog, taking it for granted everything's all right.

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.

actively adverb US /ˈæktɪvli/

in an active manner

From this reading “BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ass noun US /æs/

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading “An old optimist is an old ass.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fog noun US /fɑːɡ/

droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground

From this reading “And again, "An optimist steams through the fog, taking it for granted everything's all right.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intelligently adverb US /ˌɪnˈtelɪdʒəntli/

in an intelligent manner

From this reading “BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
optimism noun US /ˈɑːptəmɪzəm/

the optimistic feeling that all is going to turn out well

From this reading “BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
optimist noun US /ˈɑːptəmɪst/

a person disposed to take a favorable view of things

From this reading “Out of the bitterness of experience he used to say, "A young optimist is a young fool.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
steams noun US /stiːmz/

plural of “steam” — water at boiling temperature diffused in the atmosphere

From this reading “And again, "An optimist steams through the fog, taking it for granted everything's all right.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
talents noun US /ˈtælənts/

plural of “talent” — natural abilities or qualities

From this reading “BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 56

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 Out of the bitterness of experience he used to say, "A young optimist is a young fool.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
activelyadverbUS /ˈæktɪvli/

in an active manner

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading And again, "An optimist steams through the fog, taking it for granted everything's all right.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading And again, "An optimist steams through the fog, taking it for granted everything's all right.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
AndeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading An old optimist is an old ass.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
assnounUS /æs/

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading An old optimist is an old ass.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bitternessnounUS /ˈbɪtərnəs/

a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will

From this reading Out of the bitterness of experience he used to say, "A young optimist is a young fool.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BURLINGHAM

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

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

Pending verification
can't

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

From this reading A fool may learn, an ass can't."

Pending verification
careernounUS /kərˈɪr/

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
energynounUS /ˈenərdʒi/

(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
everything's

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

From this reading And again, "An optimist steams through the fog, taking it for granted everything's all right.

Pending verification
experienceverbUS /ɪkˈspɪriəns/

undergo or live through a difficult experience

From this reading Out of the bitterness of experience he used to say, "A young optimist is a young fool.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fognounUS /fɑːɡ/

droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground

From this reading And again, "An optimist steams through the fog, taking it for granted everything's all right.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
foolnounUS /fuːl/

a person who lacks good judgment

From this reading Out of the bitterness of experience he used to say, "A young optimist is a young fool.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And again, "An optimist steams through the fog, taking it for granted everything's all right.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
grantedadjectiveUS /ˈɡræntəd/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading And again, "An optimist steams through the fog, taking it for granted everything's all right.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Out of the bitterness of experience he used to say, "A young optimist is a young fool.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
intelligentlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtelɪdʒəntli/

in an intelligent manner

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Out of the bitterness of experience he used to say, "A young optimist is a young fool.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading And again, "An optimist steams through the fog, taking it for granted everything's all right.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
learnverbUS /lɜːrn/

gain knowledge or skills

From this reading A fool may learn, an ass can't."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading A fool may learn, an ass can't."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading An old optimist is an old ass.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
optimismnounUS /ˈɑːptəmɪzəm/

the optimistic feeling that all is going to turn out well

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
optimistnounUS /ˈɑːptəmɪst/

a person disposed to take a favorable view of things

From this reading Out of the bitterness of experience he used to say, "A young optimist is a young fool.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
originaladjectiveUS /ərˈɪdʒənəl/

preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OutadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Out of the bitterness of experience he used to say, "A young optimist is a young fool.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading And again, "An optimist steams through the fog, taking it for granted everything's all right.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading Out of the bitterness of experience he used to say, "A young optimist is a young fool.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shipwrecked

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

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

Pending verification
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
spitenounUS /spaɪt/

feeling a need to see others suffer

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
steamsnounUS /stiːmz/

plural of “steam” — water at boiling temperature diffused in the atmosphere

From this reading And again, "An optimist steams through the fog, taking it for granted everything's all right.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stocknounUS /stɑːk/

the capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares entitling holders to an ownership interest

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading And again, "An optimist steams through the fog, taking it for granted everything's all right.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
talentsnounUS /ˈtælənts/

plural of “talent” — natural abilities or qualities

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading And again, "An optimist steams through the fog, taking it for granted everything's all right.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading BURLINGHAM had lived too long, too actively, and too intelligently to have left any of his large, original stock of the optimism that had so often shipwrecked his career in spite of his talents and his energy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading Out of the bitterness of experience he used to say, "A young optimist is a young fool.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Out of the bitterness of experience he used to say, "A young optimist is a young fool.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 12 of Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise by David Graham Phillips holds 338 sentences, grouped into 68 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 12 of Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise contain?

Chapter 12 holds 338 sentences of Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise, unabridged, divided into 68 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise by David Graham Phillips exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 338 sentences, grouped into 68 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 12 of Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise?

Work through the 68 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 68 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise

Common questions about reading Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise by David Graham Phillips on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise?

Yes. All 22914 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #450 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #450, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 4583 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise

Words and structures a reader meets early in Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Child's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nurse
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Upstairs
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sitting-room
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.