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The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2
The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2 is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
R. L. S.
TO MRS.
R. L. STEVENSON _Kalawao_, _Molokai_ [_May_ 1889].
DEAR FANNY,—I had a lovely sail up.
Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2 is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
R. L. S.
/ɑːr el es/
Line 2
TO MRS.
/tuː ˈmɪsɪz/
Line 3
R. L. STEVENSON _Kalawao_, _Molokai_ [_May_ 1889].
Line 4
DEAR FANNY,—I had a lovely sail up.
Line 5
Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

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.

accent noun US /əkˈsent/

distinctive manner of oral expression

From this reading “Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.”

fanny noun US /ˈfæni/

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading “DEAR FANNY,—I had a lovely sail up.”

Highland noun US /ˈhaɪlənd/

elevated (e.g., mountainous) land

From this reading “Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.”

Lowland noun US /ˈloʊlænd/

low level country

From this reading “Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.”

Molokai noun US /ˈmɑːləkaɪ/

an island of central Hawaii (between Maui and Oahu)

sail verb US /seɪl/

traverse or travel on (a body of water)

From this reading “DEAR FANNY,—I had a lovely sail up.”

States noun US /steɪts/

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading “Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.”

stevenson noun US /ˈstiːvənsən/

Scottish author (1850-1894)

From this reading “R. L. STEVENSON _Kalawao_, _Molokai_ [_May_ 1889].”

All words in this reading · 46

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.

1889

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

From this reading R. L. STEVENSON _Kalawao_, _Molokai_ [_May_ 1889].

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading DEAR FANNY,—I had a lovely sail up.

accentnounUS /əkˈsent/

distinctive manner of oral expression

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

bornadjectiveUS /bɔːrn/

brought into existence

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

Cameron

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

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

CaptainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

companynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

DEARadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading DEAR FANNY,—I had a lovely sail up.

FANNYnounUS /ˈfæni/

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading DEAR FANNY,—I had a lovely sail up.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

Gilfillan

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

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading DEAR FANNY,—I had a lovely sail up.

HighlandnounUS /ˈhaɪlənd/

elevated (e.g., mountainous) land

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading DEAR FANNY,—I had a lovely sail up.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

Kalawao

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

From this reading R. L. STEVENSON _Kalawao_, _Molokai_ [_May_ 1889].

LnounUS /el/

a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)

From this reading R. L. S.

lovelyadjectiveUS /ˈlʌvli/

appealing to the emotions as well as the eye

From this reading DEAR FANNY,—I had a lovely sail up.

LowlandnounUS /ˈloʊlænd/

low level country

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading R. L. STEVENSON _Kalawao_, _Molokai_ [_May_ 1889].

MolokainounUS /ˈmɑːləkaɪ/

an island of central Hawaii (between Maui and Oahu)

From this reading R. L. STEVENSON _Kalawao_, _Molokai_ [_May_ 1889].

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

MRSnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading TO MRS.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

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

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

RnounUS /ɑːr/

a unit of radiation exposure; the dose of ionizing radiation that will produce 1 electrostatic unit of electricity in 1 cc of dry air

From this reading R. L. S.

SnounUS /es/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading R. L. S.

sailverbUS /seɪl/

traverse or travel on (a body of water)

From this reading DEAR FANNY,—I had a lovely sail up.

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

StatesnounUS /steɪts/

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

STEVENSONnounUS /ˈstiːvənsən/

Scottish author (1850-1894)

From this reading R. L. STEVENSON _Kalawao_, _Molokai_ [_May_ 1889].

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

strongadjectiveUS /strɔːŋ/

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading TO MRS.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading DEAR FANNY,—I had a lovely sail up.

victualsnoun

a stock or supply of foods

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

warmadjectiveUS /wɔːrm/

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Captain Cameron and Mr. Gilfillan, both born in the States, yet the first still with a strong Highland, and the second still with a strong Lowland accent, were good company; the night was warm, the victuals plain but good.

Chapter 14 of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2 by Robert Louis Stevenson holds 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2 contain?

Chapter 14 holds 149 sentences of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2 by Robert Louis Stevenson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2

Common questions about reading The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2 by Robert Louis Stevenson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2?

Yes. All 5116 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #637 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #637, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2 take to read?

About 426 minutes of reading across 1024 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2 section by section

How to work through The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Seventh
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edition
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Published
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.