Chapter 9 of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 1 is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 1 is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_Braemar_ [_August_ 25, 1881]. MY DEAR HENLEY,—Of course I am a rogue. Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold. Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers. They are coming.
Chapter 9 of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 1 is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/77 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
the month following July and preceding September
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading “Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold.”
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading “Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.”
exceedingly bad
From this reading “Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold.”
a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry
From this reading “Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.”
no person; not anyone
From this reading “Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.”
To recall to mind.
From this reading “Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold.”
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading “MY DEAR HENLEY,—Of course I am a rogue.”
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.
as might be expected
In this reading “MY DEAR HENLEY,—Of course I am a rogue.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Braemar_ [_August_ 25, 1881].
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Braemar_ [_August_ 25, 1881].
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading MY DEAR HENLEY,—Of course I am a rogue.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading MY DEAR HENLEY,—Of course I am a rogue.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They are coming.
the month following July and preceding September
From this reading _Braemar_ [_August_ 25, 1881].
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Braemar_ [_August_ 25, 1881].
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading They are coming.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading MY DEAR HENLEY,—Of course I am a rogue.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
dearly loved
From this reading MY DEAR HENLEY,—Of course I am a rogue.
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MY DEAR HENLEY,—Of course I am a rogue.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
exceedingly bad
From this reading Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold.
a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading MY DEAR HENLEY,—Of course I am a rogue.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading MY DEAR HENLEY,—Of course I am a rogue.
no person; not anyone
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading MY DEAR HENLEY,—Of course I am a rogue.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
To recall to mind.
From this reading Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold.
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading MY DEAR HENLEY,—Of course I am a rogue.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They are coming.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Now, I’m better, I think; and see here—nobody, not you, nor Lang, nor the devil, will hurry me with our crawlers.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Why, Lord, it’s known, man; but you should remember I have had a horrid cold.
Chapter 9 of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 1 by Robert Louis Stevenson holds 389 sentences, grouped into 78 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.
Chapter 9 holds 389 sentences of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 1, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 1 by Robert Louis Stevenson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 389 sentences, grouped into 78 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.
Work through the 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 78 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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.
Common questions about reading The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 1 by Robert Louis Stevenson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5587 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #622 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #622, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 465 minutes of reading across 1118 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 1 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 1 to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
