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The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas
The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas is here in full — 320 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas
Context Illustration Reading 1/64 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."
It matters not how far the feet may wander, If He says, "Go, and leave to Me the rest."
--ALBERT MACY.
I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.
Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas is here in full — 320 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/64 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."
/bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ əˈɡen ɪt ˈmætərz nɑːt wʌt fruːt ðə hænd meɪ ˈɡæðər ɪf ɡɑːd əˈpruːvz ənd sez ðɪs ɪz ðə best/
Line 2
It matters not how far the feet may wander, If He says, "Go, and leave to Me the rest."
Line 3
--ALBERT MACY.
Line 4
I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.
/aɪ stʊd ɪn ðə ˈɑːɡəst ˈtwaɪlaɪt baɪ ðə ˈreɪlweɪ ˈsteɪʃən ɪn ðə ˈlɪtəl frənˈtɪr taʊn ʌv səˈliːnə wer ðə ˈjuːnjən pəˈsɪfɪk treɪn hæd əˈbændənd miː tuː maɪ feɪt/
Line 5
Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.

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.

albert noun US /ˈælbərt/

prince consort of Queen Victoria of England (1819-1861)

From this reading “--ALBERT MACY.”

approves verb US /əˈpruːvz/

third-person singular of “approve” — give sanction to

From this reading “BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."”

frontier noun US /frənˈtɪr/

a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country

From this reading “I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.”

limitless adjective US /ˈlɪmətləs/

without limits in extent or size or quantity

From this reading “Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.”

Northwest noun US /ˌnɔːrˈθwest/

the northwestern region of the United States

From this reading “Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.”

Pacific noun US /pəˈsɪfɪk/

the largest ocean in the world

From this reading “I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.”

Salina noun US /səˈliːnə/

a town in central Kansas

From this reading “I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.”

wander verb US /ˈwɑːndər/

move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

From this reading “It matters not how far the feet may wander, If He says, "Go, and leave to Me the rest."”

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.

railway station noun + noun

terminal where trains load or unload passengers or goods

In this reading “I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.”

frontier town noun + noun

In this reading “I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.”

suddenly realized adverb + adjective

In this reading “Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.”

at the edge preposition + article + noun counted as “at … edge”

In this reading “Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.”

stood in verb + particle

In this reading “I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

abandonedadjectiveUS /əˈbændənd/

forsaken by owner or inhabitants

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

AGAINadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

ALBERTnounUS /ˈælbərt/

prince consort of Queen Victoria of England (1819-1861)

From this reading --ALBERT MACY.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

approvesverbUS /əˈpruːvz/

third-person singular of “approve” — give sanction to

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.

AugustnounUS /ˈɑːɡəst/

the month following July and preceding September

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

BEGINNINGnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.

edgenounUS /edʒ/

the boundary of a surface

From this reading Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading It matters not how far the feet may wander, If He says, "Go, and leave to Me the rest."

fatenounUS /feɪt/

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading It matters not how far the feet may wander, If He says, "Go, and leave to Me the rest."

frontiernounUS /frənˈtɪr/

a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

fruitnounUS /fruːt/

the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

gatherverbUS /ˈɡæðər/

assemble or get together

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

GoverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading It matters not how far the feet may wander, If He says, "Go, and leave to Me the rest."

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading It matters not how far the feet may wander, If He says, "Go, and leave to Me the rest."

how

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

From this reading It matters not how far the feet may wander, If He says, "Go, and leave to Me the rest."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading It matters not how far the feet may wander, If He says, "Go, and leave to Me the rest."

limitlessadjectiveUS /ˈlɪmətləs/

without limits in extent or size or quantity

From this reading Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

MACY

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

From this reading --ALBERT MACY.

mattersnounUS /ˈmætərz/

plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

MepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It matters not how far the feet may wander, If He says, "Go, and leave to Me the rest."

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

NorthwestnounUS /ˌnɔːrˈθwest/

the northwestern region of the United States

From this reading Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

PacificnounUS /pəˈsɪfɪk/

the largest ocean in the world

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

railwaynounUS /ˈreɪlweɪ/

line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

realizedadjectiveUS /ˈriːəlaɪzd/

successfully completed or brought to an end

From this reading Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading It matters not how far the feet may wander, If He says, "Go, and leave to Me the rest."

SalinanounUS /səˈliːnə/

a town in central Kansas

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

stationnounUS /ˈsteɪʃən/

a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It matters not how far the feet may wander, If He says, "Go, and leave to Me the rest."

towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

trainverbUS /treɪn/

create by training and teaching

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

TurningnounUS /ˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course

From this reading Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.

twilightnounUS /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/

the time of day immediately following sunset

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

UnionnounUS /ˈjuːnjən/

an organization of employees formed to bargain with the employer

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

unmappedadjective

(of unknown regions) not yet surveyed or investigated

From this reading Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.

wanderverbUS /ˈwɑːndər/

move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

From this reading It matters not how far the feet may wander, If He says, "Go, and leave to Me the rest."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Turning toward the unmapped, limitless Northwest, I suddenly realized that I was at the edge of the earth now.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading BEGINNING AGAIN It matters not what fruit the hand may gather, If God approves, and says, "This is the best."

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading I stood in the August twilight by the railway station in the little frontier town of Salina, where the Union Pacific train had abandoned me to my fate.

Chapter 17 of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas by Margaret Hill McCarter holds 320 sentences, grouped into 64 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 17 of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas contain?

Chapter 17 holds 320 sentences of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas, unabridged, divided into 64 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas by Margaret Hill McCarter exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 320 sentences, grouped into 64 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 17 of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas?

Work through the 64 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 64 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas

Common questions about reading The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas by Margaret Hill McCarter on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas?

Yes. All 9129 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31524 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #31524, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1826 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas section by section

How to work through The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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Vocabulary met early in The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cottonwood's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cuddy's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Price of the Prairie: A Story of Kansas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.