The Children's Pilgrimage

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of The Children's Pilgrimage is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By L. T. Meade • Curated US English Learning Edition

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"A LETTER."

Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

But whether it so happened that the French relation had no heart to be moved, whether he was weary of an uncongenial subject, or was ill, and so unable to reply--whatever the reason, good Mr. Danvers never got any answer to his letter.

Meanwhile Cecile and Maurice went to school by day, and sometimes also by night.

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Chapter XVIII Reading 1/17

The Children's Pilgrimage L. T. Meade

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of The Children's Pilgrimage is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

"A LETTER." Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin. He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart. But whether it so happened that the French relation had no heart to be moved, whether he was weary of an uncongenial subject, or was ill, and so unable to reply--whatever the reason, good Mr. Danvers never got any answer to his letter. Meanwhile Cecile and Maurice went to school by day, and sometimes also by night.

The Children's Pilgrimage

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of The Children's Pilgrimage is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

"A LETTER."

/ə ˈletər/

Line 2

Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

Line 3

He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

/hiː roʊt ə pəˈθetɪk ənd ˈpaʊərfəl əˈpiːl tuː ðɪs mæn dɪˈskraɪbɪŋ ðə ˈdestətuːt ˈtʃɪldrən ɪn tɜːrmz ðæt maɪt wel muːv hɪz hɑːrt/

Line 4

Line 5

Meanwhile Cecile and Maurice went to school by day, and sometimes also by night.

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.

appeal verb US /əˈpiːl/

take a court case to a higher court for review

From this reading “He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.”

describing verb US /dɪˈskraɪbɪŋ/

-ing form of “describe” — give a description of

From this reading “He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.”

destitute adjective US /ˈdestətuːt/

poor enough to need help from others

From this reading “He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.”

Meanwhile adverb US /ˈmiːnwaɪl/

at the same time but in another place

From this reading “Meanwhile Cecile and Maurice went to school by day, and sometimes also by night.”

pathetic adjective US /pəˈθetɪk/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading “He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.”

post verb US /poʊst/

affix in a public place or for public notice

From this reading “Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.”

powerful adjective US /ˈpaʊərfəl/

having great power or force or potency or effect

From this reading “He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.”

relation noun US /riˈleɪʃən/

an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together

From this reading “But whether it so happened that the French relation had no heart to be moved, whether he was weary of an uncongenial subject, or was ill, and so unable to reply--whatever the reason, good Mr. Danvers never got any answer to his letter.”

All words in this reading · 68

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 "A LETTER."

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading Meanwhile Cecile and Maurice went to school by day, and sometimes also by night.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading But whether it so happened that the French relation had no heart to be moved, whether he was weary of an uncongenial subject, or was ill, and so unable to reply--whatever the reason, good Mr. Danvers never got any answer to his letter.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

appealverbUS /əˈpiːl/

take a court case to a higher court for review

From this reading He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

Cecile

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

From this reading Meanwhile Cecile and Maurice went to school by day, and sometimes also by night.

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

cousinnounUS /ˈkʌzən/

the child of your aunt or uncle

From this reading Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

Danvers

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

From this reading Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Meanwhile Cecile and Maurice went to school by day, and sometimes also by night.

describingverbUS /dɪˈskraɪbɪŋ/

-ing form of “describe” — give a description of

From this reading He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

destituteadjectiveUS /ˈdestətuːt/

poor enough to need help from others

From this reading He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

FrenchnounUS /frentʃ/

the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France

From this reading Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

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

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

illadjectiveUS /ɪl/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

LETTERnounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading "A LETTER."

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

Maurice

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

From this reading Meanwhile Cecile and Maurice went to school by day, and sometimes also by night.

MeanwhileadverbUS /ˈmiːnwaɪl/

at the same time but in another place

From this reading Meanwhile Cecile and Maurice went to school by day, and sometimes also by night.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

moveverbUS /muːv/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

movedadjectiveUS /muːvd/

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

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

From this reading Meanwhile Cecile and Maurice went to school by day, and sometimes also by night.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

patheticadjectiveUS /pəˈθetɪk/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

postverbUS /poʊst/

affix in a public place or for public notice

From this reading Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

powerfuladjectiveUS /ˈpaʊərfəl/

having great power or force or potency or effect

From this reading He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

relationnounUS /riˈleɪʃən/

an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together

replynounUS /rɪˈplaɪ/

a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

schoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading Meanwhile Cecile and Maurice went to school by day, and sometimes also by night.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

sometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading Meanwhile Cecile and Maurice went to school by day, and sometimes also by night.

subjectnounUS /səbˈdʒekt/

the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

termsnounUS /tɜːrmz/

status with respect to the relations between people or groups

From this reading He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

unableadjectiveUS /əˈneɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how

uncongenialadjective

not suitable to your tastes or needs

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

wearyverbUS /ˈwɪri/

exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading He wrote a pathetic and powerful appeal to this man, describing the destitute children in terms that might well move his heart.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Meanwhile Cecile and Maurice went to school by day, and sometimes also by night.

whateverdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

wroteverbUS /roʊt/

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading Mr. Danvers was as good as his word and wrote by the next post to the French cousin.

Chapter 18 of The Children's Pilgrimage by L. T. Meade holds 86 sentences, grouped into 18 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 The Children's Pilgrimage contain?

Chapter 18 holds 86 sentences of The Children's Pilgrimage, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The Children's Pilgrimage by L. T. Meade exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 86 sentences, grouped into 18 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 The Children's Pilgrimage?

Work through the 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 18 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.

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Yes. All 4916 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6899 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #6899, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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Vocabulary met early in The Children's Pilgrimage

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Children's Pilgrimage, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Three: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Children's Pilgrimage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Poorest: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Children's Pilgrimage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

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