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The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today
The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today is here in full — 333 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/66 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.
Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.
On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.
Philip saw from the window that a gentleman had put her upon the car just as it was starting.
In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, Now you can't sit there.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today is here in full — 333 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/66 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.
Line 2
Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.
Line 3
On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.
Line 4
Philip saw from the window that a gentleman had put her upon the car just as it was starting.
/ˈfɪləp sɔː frʌm ðə ˈwɪndoʊ ðæt ə ˈdʒentəlmən hæd pʊt hɜːr əˈpɑːn ðə kɑːr dʒʌst æz ɪt wɑːz ˈstɑːrtɪŋ/
Line 5
In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.

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.

commissioned adjective US /kəˈmɪʃənd/

(of military officers) holding by virtue of a commission a rank of second lieutenant or ensign or above

From this reading “Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.”

conductor noun US /kənˈdʌktər/

the person who leads a musical group

From this reading “In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.”

Pennsylvania noun US /ˌpensəlˈveɪnjə/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading “Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.”

roughly adverb US /ˈrʌfli/

(of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct

From this reading “In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.”

Sterling adjective US /ˈstɜːrlɪŋ/

highest in quality

From this reading “Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.”

timidly adverb US /ˈtɪmədli/

in a shy or timid or bashful manner

From this reading “On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.”

tract noun US /trækt/

an extended area of land

From this reading “Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.”

unoccupied adjective US /əˈnɑːkjəpaɪd/

not held or filled or in use

From this reading “On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.”

All words in this reading · 72

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 On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

Bolton

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

From this reading Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.

can't

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

From this reading In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.

carnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

commissionedadjectiveUS /kəˈmɪʃənd/

(of military officers) holding by virtue of a commission a rank of second lieutenant or ensign or above

From this reading Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.

conductornounUS /kənˈdʌktər/

the person who leads a musical group

From this reading In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

drawing-room

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

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

examineverbUS /ɪɡˈzæmɪn/

consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning

From this reading Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.

explanationnounUS /ˌekspləˈneɪʃən/

a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.

From this reading In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Philip saw from the window that a gentleman had put her upon the car just as it was starting.

gentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading Philip saw from the window that a gentleman had put her upon the car just as it was starting.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Philip saw from the window that a gentleman had put her upon the car just as it was starting.

hesitatinglyadverb

with hesitation; in a hesitant manner

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.

Iliumnoun

an ancient city in Asia Minor that was the site of the Trojan War

From this reading Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Philip saw from the window that a gentleman had put her upon the car just as it was starting.

journeyverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrni/

undertake a journey or trip

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Philip saw from the window that a gentleman had put her upon the car just as it was starting.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

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

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

momentsnounUS /ˈmoʊmənts/

plural of “moment” — a particular point in time

From this reading In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.

nearestadverbUS /ˈnɪrəst/

(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance

From this reading Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.

PennsylvanianounUS /ˌpensəlˈveɪnjə/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.

PhilipnounUS /ˈfɪləp/

Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)

From this reading Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Philip saw from the window that a gentleman had put her upon the car just as it was starting.

railwaynounUS /ˈreɪlweɪ/

line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight

From this reading Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.

roughlyadverbUS /ˈrʌfli/

(of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct

From this reading In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Philip saw from the window that a gentleman had put her upon the car just as it was starting.

sitverbUS /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.

startingadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtɪŋ/

(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear

From this reading Philip saw from the window that a gentleman had put her upon the car just as it was starting.

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.

stationnounUS /ˈsteɪʃən/

a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose

From this reading Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.

SterlingadjectiveUS /ˈstɜːrlɪŋ/

highest in quality

From this reading Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.

timidlyadverbUS /ˈtɪmədli/

in a shy or timid or bashful manner

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

tractnounUS /trækt/

an extended area of land

From this reading Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.

trainverbUS /treɪn/

create by training and teaching

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

unoccupiedadjectiveUS /əˈnɑːkjəpaɪd/

not held or filled or in use

From this reading On the last day of the journey as the railway train Philip was on was leaving a large city, a lady timidly entered the drawing-room car, and hesitatingly took a chair that was at the moment unoccupied.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Philip saw from the window that a gentleman had put her upon the car just as it was starting.

waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Philip Sterling was on his way to Ilium, in the state of Pennsylvania.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.

wildadjectiveUS /waɪld/

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading Ilium was the railway station nearest to the tract of wild land which Mr. Bolton had commissioned him to examine.

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading Philip saw from the window that a gentleman had put her upon the car just as it was starting.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading In a few moments the conductor entered, and without waiting an explanation, said roughly to the lady, “Now you can't sit there.

Chapter 14 of The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today by Mark Twain holds 333 sentences, grouped into 67 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 14 of The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today contain?

Chapter 14 holds 333 sentences of The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today, unabridged, divided into 67 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 333 sentences, grouped into 67 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 14 of The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today?

Work through the 67 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 67 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 Gilded Age: A Tale of Today

Common questions about reading The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 8560 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3178 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #3178, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 1712 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Squire
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hawkins
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pyramid
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Large
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.