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The Conquest of Canaan
The Conquest of Canaan

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Conquest of Canaan is here in full — 177 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Conquest of Canaan
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Why, cert'nly," she answered, smiling.
"That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"
Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.
"You mustn't make any mistakes," he said, rising stiffly with fatigue.
"Not ME!
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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.

The Conquest of Canaan

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Conquest of Canaan is here in full — 177 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Why, cert'nly," she answered, smiling.
Line 2
"That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"
Line 3
Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.
Line 4
"You mustn't make any mistakes," he said, rising stiffly with fatigue.
Line 5
"Not ME!
/nɑːt miː/

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.

beamed verb US /biːmd/

past form of “beam” — smile radiantly; express joy through one's facial expression

From this reading “Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.”

burden noun US /ˈbɜːrdən/

an onerous or difficult concern

From this reading “Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.”

fatigue noun US /fəˈtiːɡ/

temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work

From this reading “"You mustn't make any mistakes," he said, rising stiffly with fatigue.”

irresponsibility noun US /ˌɪrəspɑːnsəˈbɪləti/

a form of untrustworthiness; the trait of lacking a sense of responsibility and not feeling accountable for your actions

From this reading “Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.”

mistakes noun US /mɪˈsteɪks/

plural of “mistake” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading “"You mustn't make any mistakes," he said, rising stiffly with fatigue.”

Nashville's noun US /ˈnæʃvɪlz/

possessive form of “nashville” — capital of the state of Tennessee; located in the north central part of the state on the Cumberland River; known for country music

From this reading “"That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"”

renewed adjective US /rɪˈnuːd/

restored to a new condition

From this reading “Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.”

stiffly adverb US /ˈstɪfli/

in a stiff manner

From this reading “"You mustn't make any mistakes," he said, rising stiffly with fatigue.”

All words in this reading · 52

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading "That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading "Why, cert'nly," she answered, smiling.

anxiousadjectiveUS /ˈæŋkʃəs/

eagerly desirous

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading "You mustn't make any mistakes," he said, rising stiffly with fatigue.

beamedverbUS /biːmd/

past form of “beam” — smile radiantly; express joy through one's facial expression

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

burdennounUS /ˈbɜːrdən/

an onerous or difficult concern

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

cert'nly

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

From this reading "Why, cert'nly," she answered, smiling.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading "That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"

eyenounUS /aɪ/

the organ of sight

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

fatiguenounUS /fəˈtiːɡ/

temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work

From this reading "You mustn't make any mistakes," he said, rising stiffly with fatigue.

Fear's

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

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading "That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "You mustn't make any mistakes," he said, rising stiffly with fatigue.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"

irresponsibilitynounUS /ˌɪrəspɑːnsəˈbɪləti/

a form of untrustworthiness; the trait of lacking a sense of responsibility and not feeling accountable for your actions

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

Joe

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

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading "That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading "You mustn't make any mistakes," he said, rising stiffly with fatigue.

markedadjectiveUS /mɑːrkt/

strongly marked; easily noticeable

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

MEpronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Not ME!

mistakesnounUS /mɪˈsteɪks/

plural of “mistake” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading "You mustn't make any mistakes," he said, rising stiffly with fatigue.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

mustn't

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

From this reading "You mustn't make any mistakes," he said, rising stiffly with fatigue.

Nashville'snounUS /ˈnæʃvɪlz/

possessive form of “nashville” — capital of the state of Tennessee; located in the north central part of the state on the Cumberland River; known for country music

From this reading "That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "Not ME!

perfectadjectiveUS /pərˈfekt/

being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

personnounUS /ˈpɜːrsən/

a human being

From this reading "That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"

reliefnounUS /rɪˈliːf/

the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

renewedadjectiveUS /rɪˈnuːd/

restored to a new condition

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

risingadjectiveUS /ˈraɪzɪŋ/

advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status

From this reading "You mustn't make any mistakes," he said, rising stiffly with fatigue.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "You mustn't make any mistakes," he said, rising stiffly with fatigue.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Why, cert'nly," she answered, smiling.

smilingnounUS /ˈsmaɪlɪŋ/

a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

From this reading "Why, cert'nly," she answered, smiling.

stifflyadverbUS /ˈstɪfli/

in a stiff manner

From this reading "You mustn't make any mistakes," he said, rising stiffly with fatigue.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading "That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"

vapidlyadverb

in a vapid manner

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

vurry

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

From this reading "That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading "That Nashville's the vurry last person I ever want to see again--the fresh thing!"

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading "Why, cert'nly," she answered, smiling.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Mrs. Fear's burden had fallen; her relief was perfect and she beamed vapidly; but Joe marked her renewed irresponsibility with an anxious eye.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You mustn't make any mistakes," he said, rising stiffly with fatigue.

Chapter 17 of The Conquest of Canaan by Booth Tarkington holds 177 sentences, grouped into 36 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 17 of The Conquest of Canaan contain?

Chapter 17 holds 177 sentences of The Conquest of Canaan, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Conquest of Canaan by Booth Tarkington exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 177 sentences, grouped into 36 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 17 of The Conquest of Canaan?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 17 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Conquest of Canaan

Common questions about reading The Conquest of Canaan by Booth Tarkington on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Conquest of Canaan?

Yes. All 4782 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #483 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Conquest of Canaan is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #483, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Conquest of Canaan take to read?

About 398 minutes of reading across 957 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Conquest of Canaan section by section

How to work through The Conquest of Canaan section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of The Conquest of Canaan to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Conquest of Canaan

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Conquest of Canaan, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fallen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Conquest of Canaan; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Steadily
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Conquest of Canaan; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Throughout
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Conquest of Canaan; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Still
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Conquest of Canaan; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.