Chapter 1 of The Lost Despatch is here in full — 5 sentences across 1 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Lost Despatch is here in full — 5 sentences across 1 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Love rules the court, the camp, the grove And men below, and saints above." SIR WALTER SCOTT. "As Lloyd bent forward ... he received a crashing blow on the temple" _Frontispiece_ "'You? Nancy!' The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
Chapter 1 of The Lost Despatch is here in full — 5 sentences across 1 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/1 · 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.
informal intensifiers
From this reading “"As Lloyd bent forward ... he received a crashing blow on the temple" _Frontispiece_ "'You?”
a small growth of trees without underbrush
From this reading “"Love rules the court, the camp, the grove And men below, and saints above."”
lacking decisiveness of character; unable to act or decide quickly or firmly
From this reading “The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278”
an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity
From this reading “The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278”
United States comic actor in silent films; he used physical danger as a source of comedy (1893-1971)
From this reading “"As Lloyd bent forward ... he received a crashing blow on the temple" _Frontispiece_ "'You?”
a city in northeastern France in Lorraine
From this reading “Nancy!'”
plural of “rule” — a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading “"Love rules the court, the camp, the grove And men below, and saints above."”
plural of “saint” — a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization
From this reading “"Love rules the court, the camp, the grove And men below, and saints above."”
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 The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "As Lloyd bent forward ... he received a crashing blow on the temple" _Frontispiece_ "'You?
higher than, or over, something
From this reading "Love rules the court, the camp, the grove And men below, and saints above."
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Love rules the court, the camp, the grove And men below, and saints above."
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "As Lloyd bent forward ... he received a crashing blow on the temple" _Frontispiece_ "'You?
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading "Love rules the court, the camp, the grove And men below, and saints above."
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading "As Lloyd bent forward ... he received a crashing blow on the temple" _Frontispiece_ "'You?
exhale hard
From this reading "As Lloyd bent forward ... he received a crashing blow on the temple" _Frontispiece_ "'You?
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading "Love rules the court, the camp, the grove And men below, and saints above."
an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading "Love rules the court, the camp, the grove And men below, and saints above."
informal intensifiers
From this reading "As Lloyd bent forward ... he received a crashing blow on the temple" _Frontispiece_ "'You?
placed crosswise
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
at or to or toward the front
From this reading "As Lloyd bent forward ... he received a crashing blow on the temple" _Frontispiece_ "'You?
an ornamental facade
From this reading "As Lloyd bent forward ... he received a crashing blow on the temple" _Frontispiece_ "'You?
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
a small growth of trees without underbrush
From this reading "Love rules the court, the camp, the grove And men below, and saints above."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "As Lloyd bent forward ... he received a crashing blow on the temple" _Frontispiece_ "'You?
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
lacking decisiveness of character; unable to act or decide quickly or firmly
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
in an incredulous manner
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
United States comic actor in silent films; he used physical danger as a source of comedy (1893-1971)
From this reading "As Lloyd bent forward ... he received a crashing blow on the temple" _Frontispiece_ "'You?
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading "Love rules the court, the camp, the grove And men below, and saints above."
the force of workers available
From this reading "Love rules the court, the camp, the grove And men below, and saints above."
a city in northeastern France in Lorraine
From this reading Nancy!'
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "As Lloyd bent forward ... he received a crashing blow on the temple" _Frontispiece_ "'You?
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading "As Lloyd bent forward ... he received a crashing blow on the temple" _Frontispiece_ "'You?
plural of “rule” — a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading "Love rules the court, the camp, the grove And men below, and saints above."
plural of “saint” — a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization
From this reading "Love rules the court, the camp, the grove And men below, and saints above."
award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999)
From this reading SIR WALTER SCOTT.
term of address for a man
From this reading SIR WALTER SCOTT.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading "As Lloyd bent forward ... he received a crashing blow on the temple" _Frontispiece_ "'You?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Love rules the court, the camp, the grove And men below, and saints above."
the starting point for a new state or experience
From this reading The doctor gazed incredulously" 68 "'I--I--am afraid he is dead'" 116 "Another interruption stopped her ... A hesitating step crossed the threshold" 278
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading SIR WALTER SCOTT.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "As Lloyd bent forward ... he received a crashing blow on the temple" _Frontispiece_ "'You?
Chapter 1 of The Lost Despatch by Natalie Sumner Lincoln holds 5 sentences, grouped into 1 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 1 holds 5 sentences of The Lost Despatch, unabridged, divided into 1 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Lost Despatch by Natalie Sumner Lincoln exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 5 sentences, grouped into 1 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 1 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 1 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Lost Despatch by Natalie Sumner Lincoln on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4137 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24204 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24204, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 344 minutes of reading across 828 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Lost Despatch section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Lost Despatch 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 Lost Despatch, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
