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The Main Chance
The Main Chance

Chapter XXXVI

Chapter 36 of The Main Chance is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Main Chance
Context Illustration Reading 1/15 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.
He had lost the first real friend he had ever had, and his days were once more empty of light and cheer.
His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.
His memory sought its old ruts again; the hardship and failure of his years in Wyoming were like fresh wounds.
He talked to no one except Bishop Delafield, who had reasoned him out of his self-indictment for Warry's death.
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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 Main Chance

Chapter XXXVI

Chapter 36 of The Main Chance is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.
Line 2
He had lost the first real friend he had ever had, and his days were once more empty of light and cheer.
/hiː hæd lɔːst ðə fɜːrst riːl frend hiː hæd ˈevər hæd ənd hɪz deɪz wɜːr wʌns mɔːr ˈempti ʌv laɪt ənd tʃɪr/
Line 3
His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.
Line 4
His memory sought its old ruts again; the hardship and failure of his years in Wyoming were like fresh wounds.
/hɪz ˈmem.ər.i sɔːt ɪts oʊld rʌts əˈɡen ðə ˈhɑːrdʃɪp ənd ˈfeɪljər ʌv hɪz jɪrz ɪn ˌwaɪˈoʊmɪŋ wɜːr laɪk freʃ wuːndz/
Line 5
He talked to no one except Bishop Delafield, who had reasoned him out of his self-indictment for Warry's death.

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.

engrossed adjective US /ɪnˈɡroʊst/

giving or marked by complete attention to

From this reading “His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.”

hardship noun US /ˈhɑːrdʃɪp/

a state of misfortune or affliction

From this reading “His memory sought its old ruts again; the hardship and failure of his years in Wyoming were like fresh wounds.”

heartache noun US /ˈhɑːrteɪk/

intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)

From this reading “OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.”

loneliness noun US /ˈloʊnlinəs/

the state of being alone in solitary isolation

From this reading “OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.”

photographs noun US /ˈfoʊtəɡræfs/

plural of “photograph” — a representation of a person or scene in the form of a print or transparent slide or in digital format

From this reading “OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.”

reasoned adjective US /ˈriːzənd/

logically valid

From this reading “He talked to no one except Bishop Delafield, who had reasoned him out of his self-indictment for Warry's death.”

ruts noun US /rʌts/

plural of “rut” — a groove or furrow (especially one in soft earth caused by wheels)

From this reading “His memory sought its old ruts again; the hardship and failure of his years in Wyoming were like fresh wounds.”

Wyoming noun US /ˌwaɪˈoʊmɪŋ/

a state in the western United States; mountainous in the west and north with the Great Plains in the east

From this reading “His memory sought its old ruts again; the hardship and failure of his years in Wyoming were like fresh wounds.”

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.

once more adverb + adjective

anew

In this reading “He had lost the first real friend he had ever had, and his days were once more empty of light and cheer.”

came into verb + particle counted as “come into”

obtain, especially accidentally

In this reading “OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.”

All words in this reading · 76

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

BishopnounUS /ˈbɪʃəp/

a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of Christ

From this reading He talked to no one except Bishop Delafield, who had reasoned him out of his self-indictment for Warry's death.

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

cheerverbUS /tʃɪr/

give encouragement to

From this reading He had lost the first real friend he had ever had, and his days were once more empty of light and cheer.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading He talked to no one except Bishop Delafield, who had reasoned him out of his self-indictment for Warry's death.

Delafield

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

From this reading He talked to no one except Bishop Delafield, who had reasoned him out of his self-indictment for Warry's death.

discussedverbUS /dɪˈskʌst/

past form of “discuss” — to consider or examine in speech or writing

From this reading His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.

emptyverbUS /ˈempti/

make void or empty of contents

From this reading He had lost the first real friend he had ever had, and his days were once more empty of light and cheer.

engrossedadjectiveUS /ɪnˈɡroʊst/

giving or marked by complete attention to

From this reading His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading He had lost the first real friend he had ever had, and his days were once more empty of light and cheer.

exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/

apart from; not including

From this reading He talked to no one except Bishop Delafield, who had reasoned him out of his self-indictment for Warry's death.

failedverbUS /feɪld/

past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.

failurenounUS /ˈfeɪljər/

an act that fails

From this reading His memory sought its old ruts again; the hardship and failure of his years in Wyoming were like fresh wounds.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading He had lost the first real friend he had ever had, and his days were once more empty of light and cheer.

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He talked to no one except Bishop Delafield, who had reasoned him out of his self-indictment for Warry's death.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.

freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading His memory sought its old ruts again; the hardship and failure of his years in Wyoming were like fresh wounds.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading He had lost the first real friend he had ever had, and his days were once more empty of light and cheer.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

happinessnounUS /ˈhæpinəs/

state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy

From this reading His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.

hardshipnounUS /ˈhɑːrdʃɪp/

a state of misfortune or affliction

From this reading His memory sought its old ruts again; the hardship and failure of his years in Wyoming were like fresh wounds.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

heartachenounUS /ˈhɑːrteɪk/

intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.

JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading He had lost the first real friend he had ever had, and his days were once more empty of light and cheer.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading His memory sought its old ruts again; the hardship and failure of his years in Wyoming were like fresh wounds.

lonelinessnounUS /ˈloʊnlinəs/

the state of being alone in solitary isolation

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading He had lost the first real friend he had ever had, and his days were once more empty of light and cheer.

memorynounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading His memory sought its old ruts again; the hardship and failure of his years in Wyoming were like fresh wounds.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading He had lost the first real friend he had ever had, and his days were once more empty of light and cheer.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading He talked to no one except Bishop Delafield, who had reasoned him out of his self-indictment for Warry's death.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He had lost the first real friend he had ever had, and his days were once more empty of light and cheer.

OLDadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading He had lost the first real friend he had ever had, and his days were once more empty of light and cheer.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He talked to no one except Bishop Delafield, who had reasoned him out of his self-indictment for Warry's death.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading He talked to no one except Bishop Delafield, who had reasoned him out of his self-indictment for Warry's death.

perplexities

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

From this reading His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.

PHOTOGRAPHSnounUS /ˈfoʊtəɡræfs/

plural of “photograph” — a representation of a person or scene in the form of a print or transparent slide or in digital format

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

Raridan

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

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading He had lost the first real friend he had ever had, and his days were once more empty of light and cheer.

reasonedadjectiveUS /ˈriːzənd/

logically valid

From this reading He talked to no one except Bishop Delafield, who had reasoned him out of his self-indictment for Warry's death.

rutsnounUS /rʌts/

plural of “rut” — a groove or furrow (especially one in soft earth caused by wheels)

From this reading His memory sought its old ruts again; the hardship and failure of his years in Wyoming were like fresh wounds.

Saxton

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

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

self-indictment

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

From this reading He talked to no one except Bishop Delafield, who had reasoned him out of his self-indictment for Warry's death.

soughtadjectiveUS /sɔːt/

that is looked for

From this reading His memory sought its old ruts again; the hardship and failure of his years in Wyoming were like fresh wounds.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.

talkedverbUS /tɔːkt/

past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading He talked to no one except Bishop Delafield, who had reasoned him out of his self-indictment for Warry's death.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.

Warry

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

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

Warry's

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

From this reading He talked to no one except Bishop Delafield, who had reasoned him out of his self-indictment for Warry's death.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading He had lost the first real friend he had ever had, and his days were once more empty of light and cheer.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading OLD PHOTOGRAPHS In the days that followed, John Saxton knew again the heartache and loneliness which he had known before Warry Raridan came into his life.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading He talked to no one except Bishop Delafield, who had reasoned him out of his self-indictment for Warry's death.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading His work still engrossed him, but it failed to bring him the happiness which he had found in it when he and Warry discussed its perplexities together.

woundsnounUS /wuːndz/

plural of “wound” — an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)

From this reading His memory sought its old ruts again; the hardship and failure of his years in Wyoming were like fresh wounds.

WyomingnounUS /ˌwaɪˈoʊmɪŋ/

a state in the western United States; mountainous in the west and north with the Great Plains in the east

From this reading His memory sought its old ruts again; the hardship and failure of his years in Wyoming were like fresh wounds.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading His memory sought its old ruts again; the hardship and failure of his years in Wyoming were like fresh wounds.

Chapter 36 of The Main Chance by Meredith Nicholson holds 79 sentences, grouped into 16 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 36 of The Main Chance contain?

Chapter 36 holds 79 sentences of The Main Chance, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 36 of The Main Chance by Meredith Nicholson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 79 sentences, grouped into 16 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 36 of The Main Chance?

Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 16 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 36 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 36 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 Main Chance

Common questions about reading The Main Chance by Meredith Nicholson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Main Chance?

Yes. All 6280 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37190 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Main Chance is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37190, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Main Chance take to read?

About 523 minutes of reading across 1256 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Main Chance section by section

How to work through The Main Chance section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Main Chance to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Main Chance

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Main Chance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Press
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Main Chance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Braunworth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Main Chance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bookbinders
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Main Chance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Printers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Main Chance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.