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The Courage of Marge O'Doone
The Courage of Marge O'Doone

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Courage of Marge O'Doone is here in full — 274 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By James Oliver Curwood • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Courage of Marge O'Doone
Context Illustration Reading 7/54 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
He was about fifty.
The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.
It was the hand of a man who had lived his life in struggling with the wilderness.
And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.
He was not a large man.
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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 Courage of Marge O'Doone

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Courage of Marge O'Doone is here in full — 274 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 7/54 · 5 reading units · Lines 31–35

Line 1
He was about fifty.
/hiː wɑːz əˈbaʊt ˈfɪfti/
Line 2
The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.
Line 3
It was the hand of a man who had lived his life in struggling with the wilderness.
/ɪt wɑːz ðə hænd ʌv ə mæn huː hæd lɪvd hɪz laɪf ɪn ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ wɪð ðə ˈwɪldərnəs/
Line 4
And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.
Line 5
He was not a large man.
/hiː wɑːz nɑːt ə lɑːrdʒ mæn/

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.

blizzard noun US /ˈblɪzərd/

a storm with widespread snowfall accompanied by strong winds

From this reading “And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
coloured adjective US /ˈkʌlərd/

having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination

From this reading “And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
knotted adjective US /ˈnɑːtɪd/

tied with a knot

From this reading “The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
myriad noun US /ˈmɪriəd/

a large indefinite number

From this reading “And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
northern adjective US /ˈnɔːrðərn/

in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading “And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
struggling adjective US /ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ/

engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity

From this reading “It was the hand of a man who had lived his life in struggling with the wilderness.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toughened adjective US /ˈtʌfənd/

physically toughened

From this reading “And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wilderness noun US /ˈwɪldərnəs/

(politics) a state of disfavor

From this reading “It was the hand of a man who had lived his life in struggling with the wilderness.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

under the strain preposition + article + noun counted as “under … strain”

In this reading “And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.”

701 times in 426,212 chapters
about fifty preposition + noun

In this reading “He was about fifty.”

4,203 times in 426,212 chapters
for a moment preposition + article + noun counted as “for … moment”

temporarily

In this reading “The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.”

130,343 times in 426,212 chapters

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 The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading He was about fifty.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
blizzardnounUS /ˈblɪzərd/

a storm with widespread snowfall accompanied by strong winds

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cobwebbed

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

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

Pending verification
colouredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərd/

having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DavidnounUS /ˈdeɪvɪd/

patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)

From this reading The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fiftynounUS /ˈfɪfti/

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five

From this reading He was about fifty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It was the hand of a man who had lived his life in struggling with the wilderness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was about fifty.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading It was the hand of a man who had lived his life in struggling with the wilderness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was the hand of a man who had lived his life in struggling with the wilderness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was the hand of a man who had lived his life in struggling with the wilderness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
kneenounUS /niː/

hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella

From this reading The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
knottedadjectiveUS /ˈnɑːtɪd/

tied with a knot

From this reading The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

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

From this reading He was not a large man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading It was the hand of a man who had lived his life in struggling with the wilderness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
linesnounUS /laɪnz/

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

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
livedverbUS /lɪvd/

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

From this reading It was the hand of a man who had lived his life in struggling with the wilderness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading It was the hand of a man who had lived his life in struggling with the wilderness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
myriadnounUS /ˈmɪriəd/

a large indefinite number

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
northernadjectiveUS /ˈnɔːrðərn/

in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He was not a large man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was the hand of a man who had lived his life in struggling with the wilderness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Raine's

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

From this reading The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.

Pending verification
rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
restedadjectiveUS /ˈrestəd/

not tired; refreshed as by sleeping or relaxing

From this reading The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spentadjectiveUS /spent/

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spokenounUS /spoʊk/

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strainnounUS /streɪn/

(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strugglingadjectiveUS /ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ/

engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity

From this reading It was the hand of a man who had lived his life in struggling with the wilderness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tanninnoun

any of various complex phenolic substances of plant origin; used in tanning and in medicine

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.

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 The hand that rested for a moment on David Raine's knee was red and knotted.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toughenedadjectiveUS /ˈtʌfənd/

physically toughened

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was about fifty.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading It was the hand of a man who had lived his life in struggling with the wilderness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/

(politics) a state of disfavor

From this reading It was the hand of a man who had lived his life in struggling with the wilderness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading It was the hand of a man who had lived his life in struggling with the wilderness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading And the face, too, was of such a man; a face coloured and toughened by the tannin of wind and blizzard and hot northern sun, with eyes cobwebbed about by a myriad of fine lines that spoke of years spent under the strain of those things.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of The Courage of Marge O'Doone by James Oliver Curwood holds 274 sentences, grouped into 55 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 1 of The Courage of Marge O'Doone contain?

Chapter 1 holds 274 sentences of The Courage of Marge O'Doone, unabridged, divided into 55 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Courage of Marge O'Doone by James Oliver Curwood exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 274 sentences, grouped into 55 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 1 of The Courage of Marge O'Doone?

Work through the 55 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 55 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Courage of Marge O'Doone

Common questions about reading The Courage of Marge O'Doone by James Oliver Curwood on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Courage of Marge O'Doone?

Yes. All 5920 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17745 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Courage of Marge O'Doone is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #17745, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 493 minutes of reading across 1184 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through The Courage of Marge O'Doone section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The Courage of Marge O'Doone

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Courage of Marge O'Doone, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Stood
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Courage of Marge O'Doone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bleak
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Courage of Marge O'Doone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Spruce
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Courage of Marge O'Doone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Forest
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Courage of Marge O'Doone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.