The Missing Bride

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Missing Bride is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth • Curated US English Learning Edition

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LUCKENOUGH.

Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

That the founder of Luckenough was Alexander Kalouga, a Polish soldier of fortune, some time in the service of Cecilius Calvert, Baron of Baltimore, first Lord Proprietary of Maryland.

This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter I Reading 1/28

The Missing Bride Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth

Chapter I

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Missing Bride is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

LUCKENOUGH. Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough. The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this: That the founder of Luckenough was Alexander Kalouga, a Polish soldier of fortune, some time in the service of Cecilius Calvert, Baron of Baltimore, first Lord Proprietary of Maryland. This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

The Missing Bride

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Missing Bride is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

LUCKENOUGH.

Line 2

Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

Line 3

The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

Line 4

That the founder of Luckenough was Alexander Kalouga, a Polish soldier of fortune, some time in the service of Cecilius Calvert, Baron of Baltimore, first Lord Proprietary of Maryland.

Line 5

This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

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.

Baltimore noun US /ˈbɔːltəmɔːr/

the largest city in Maryland; a major seaport and industrial center

From this reading “That the founder of Luckenough was Alexander Kalouga, a Polish soldier of fortune, some time in the service of Cecilius Calvert, Baron of Baltimore, first Lord Proprietary of Maryland.”

emigration noun US /ˌeməˈɡreɪʃən/

migration from a place (especially migration from your native country in order to settle in another)

From this reading “This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.”

founder noun US /ˈfaʊndər/

inflammation of the laminated tissue that attaches the hoof to the foot of a horse

manor noun US /ˈmænər/

the mansion of a lord or wealthy person

From this reading “Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.”

Maryland noun US /ˈmerələnd/

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

primeval adjective US /praɪˈmiːvəl/

having existed from the beginning; in an earliest or original stage or state

From this reading “Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.”

Proprietary noun US /prəˈpraɪəteri/

an unincorporated business owned by a single person who is responsible for its liabilities and entitled to its profits

vicissitudes noun US /vɪˈsɪsɪtuːdz/

plural of “vicissitude” — a variation in circumstances or fortune at different times in your life or in the development of something

All words in this reading · 74

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 That the founder of Luckenough was Alexander Kalouga, a Polish soldier of fortune, some time in the service of Cecilius Calvert, Baron of Baltimore, first Lord Proprietary of Maryland.

adventureverbUS /ædˈventʃər/

take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

AlexandernounUS /ˌæləɡˈzændər/

European herb somewhat resembling celery widely naturalized in Britain coastal regions and often cultivated as a potherb

ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/

Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

assertverbUS /əˈsɜːrt/

state categorically

From this reading The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

BaltimorenounUS /ˈbɔːltəmɔːr/

the largest city in Maryland; a major seaport and industrial center

BaronnounUS /ˈbærən/

a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

brieflyadverbUS /ˈbriːfli/

for a short time

From this reading The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

Calvert

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

Cecilius

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

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

DeepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

emigrationnounUS /ˌeməˈɡreɪʃən/

migration from a place (especially migration from your native country in order to settle in another)

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

finaladjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəl/

occurring at or forming an end or termination

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

forestnounUS /ˈfɔːrəst/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

foundernounUS /ˈfaʊndər/

inflammation of the laminated tissue that attaches the hoof to the foot of a horse

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

Kalouga

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

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

LUCKENOUGH

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

From this reading LUCKENOUGH.

lyingnounUS /ˈlaɪɪŋ/

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

manornounUS /ˈmænər/

the mansion of a lord or wealthy person

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

Mary'snounUS /ˈmeriz/

possessive form of “mary” — the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

MarylandnounUS /ˈmerələnd/

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

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

neighborhoodnounUS /ˈneɪbərhʊd/

a surrounding or nearby region

From this reading The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

originnounUS /ˈɔːrədʒən/

the place where something begins, where it springs into being

From this reading The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

Patuxent

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

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

PolishnounUS /ˈpɑːlɪʃ/

the property of being smooth and shiny

previousadjectiveUS /ˈpriːviəs/

just preceding something else in time or order

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

primevaladjectiveUS /praɪˈmiːvəl/

having existed from the beginning; in an earliest or original stage or state

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

ProprietarynounUS /prəˈpraɪəteri/

an unincorporated business owned by a single person who is responsible for its liabilities and entitled to its profits

quaintadjectiveUS /kweɪnt/

strange in an interesting or pleasing way

From this reading The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

RiversnounUS /ˈrɪvərz/

plural of “river” — a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

romancenounUS /roʊˈmæns/

a relationship between two lovers

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

servicenounUS /ˈsɜːrvəs/

work done by one person or group that benefits another

soldiernounUS /ˈsoʊldʒər/

an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

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

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

standsnounUS /stændz/

plural of “stand” — a support or foundation

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

traditionsnounUS /trəˈdɪʃənz/

plural of “tradition” — an inherited pattern of thought or action

From this reading The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

unmusicaladjective

lacking interest in or talent for music

From this reading The traditions of the neighborhood assert the origin of the manor and its quaint, happy and not unmusical name to have been--briefly this:

vicissitudesnounUS /vɪˈsɪsɪtuːdz/

plural of “vicissitude” — a variation in circumstances or fortune at different times in your life or in the development of something

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

Wicomico

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

From this reading Deep in the primeval forest of St. Mary's, lying between the Patuxent and the Wicomico Rivers, stands the ancient manor house of Luckenough.

wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

WorldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading This man had, previous to his final emigration to the New World, passed through a life of the most wonderful vicissitudes--wonderful even for those days of romance and adventure.

Chapter 1 of The Missing Bride by Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth holds 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 1 of The Missing Bride contain?

Chapter 1 holds 141 sentences of The Missing Bride, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Missing Bride by Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 1 of The Missing Bride?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Missing Bride

Common questions about reading The Missing Bride by Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Missing Bride?

Yes. All 5700 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14382 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Missing Bride is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #14382, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Missing Bride take to read?

About 475 minutes of reading across 1140 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Missing Bride section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 37 chapters of The Missing Bride to begin.
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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Missing Bride

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

Luckenough: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Missing Bride; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Primeval: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Missing Bride; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Forest: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Missing Bride; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mary's: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Missing Bride; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I · Chapter 1

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Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Missing Bride

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Vocabulary met early in The Missing Bride