The Ralstons

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Ralstons is here in full — 376 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.

Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

New York is a city of many flags, and the eye is accustomed to attach meaning to their position.

And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.

He had done well with his money, and every one said so.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter XV Reading 1/75

The Ralstons F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Ralstons is here in full — 376 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere. Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted. New York is a city of many flags, and the eye is accustomed to attach meaning to their position. And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone. He had done well with his money, and every one said so.

The Ralstons

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Ralstons is here in full — 376 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/75 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.

Line 2

Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

Line 3

New York is a city of many flags, and the eye is accustomed to attach meaning to their position.

/nuː jɔːrk ɪz ə ˈsɪti ʌv ˈmeni flæɡz ənd ðə aɪ ɪz əˈkʌstəmd tuː əˈtætʃ ˈmiːnɪŋ tuː ðer pəˈzɪʃən/

Line 4

And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.

/ənd ˈpiːpəl spoʊk wɪð rɪˈspekt ʌv ðə ded mæn wɪtʃ ˈrerli ˈhæpənz wen ðə ˈveri rɪtʃ ɑːr ˈsʌdənli ɡɔːn/

Line 5

He had done well with his money, and every one said so.

/hiː hæd dʌn wel wɪð hɪz ˈmʌni ənd ˈevəri wʌn sed soʊ/

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.

attach verb US /əˈtætʃ/

cause to be attached

From this reading “New York is a city of many flags, and the eye is accustomed to attach meaning to their position.”

flags noun US /flæɡz/

plural of “flag” — emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design

From this reading “New York is a city of many flags, and the eye is accustomed to attach meaning to their position.”

happens verb US /ˈhæpənz/

third-person singular of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading “And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.”

mourning noun US /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

state of sorrow over the death or departure of a loved one

From this reading “Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.”

outward adjective US /ˈaʊtwərd/

relating to physical reality rather than with thoughts or the mind

From this reading “Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.”

profound adjective US /proʊˈfaʊnd/

showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth

From this reading “The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.”

rarely adverb US /ˈrerli/

not often

From this reading “And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.”

token noun US /ˈtoʊkən/

an individual instance of a type of symbol

From this reading “Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.”

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.

profound impression adjective + noun

In this reading “The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.”

dead man adjective + noun

In this reading “And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.”

put on verb + particle

put clothing on one's body

In this reading “Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.”

with respect preposition + noun

In this reading “And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.

accustomedadjectiveUS /əˈkʌstəmd/

commonly used or practiced; usual

From this reading New York is a city of many flags, and the eye is accustomed to attach meaning to their position.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.

attachverbUS /əˈtætʃ/

cause to be attached

From this reading New York is a city of many flags, and the eye is accustomed to attach meaning to their position.

belongedverbUS /bɪˈlɔːŋd/

past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

buildingnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋ/

a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading He had done well with his money, and every one said so.

EvenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

everywhereadverbUS /ˈevriwer/

to or in any or all places

From this reading The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.

eyenounUS /aɪ/

the organ of sight

From this reading New York is a city of many flags, and the eye is accustomed to attach meaning to their position.

flagnounUS /flæɡ/

emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

flagsnounUS /flæɡz/

plural of “flag” — emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design

From this reading New York is a city of many flags, and the eye is accustomed to attach meaning to their position.

flyingadjectiveUS /ˈflaɪɪŋ/

moving swiftly

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

half-masted

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

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

happensverbUS /ˈhæpənz/

third-person singular of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had done well with his money, and every one said so.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He had done well with his money, and every one said so.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

impressionnounUS /ˌɪmˈpreʃən/

a vague idea in which some confidence is placed

From this reading The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading New York is a city of many flags, and the eye is accustomed to attach meaning to their position.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

Lauderdale

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

From this reading The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

meaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading New York is a city of many flags, and the eye is accustomed to attach meaning to their position.

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading He had done well with his money, and every one said so.

mourningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

state of sorrow over the death or departure of a loved one

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

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

From this reading New York is a city of many flags, and the eye is accustomed to attach meaning to their position.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He had done well with his money, and every one said so.

outwardadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtwərd/

relating to physical reality rather than with thoughts or the mind

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.

positionnounUS /pəˈzɪʃən/

the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading New York is a city of many flags, and the eye is accustomed to attach meaning to their position.

producedverbUS /prəˈduːst/

past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield

From this reading The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.

profoundadjectiveUS /proʊˈfaʊnd/

showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth

From this reading The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

rarelyadverbUS /ˈrerli/

not often

From this reading And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.

respectnounUS /rɪˈspekt/

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.

richadjectiveUS /rɪtʃ/

possessing material wealth

From this reading And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.

RobertnounUS /ˈrɑːbərt/

United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)

From this reading The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading He had done well with his money, and every one said so.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He had done well with his money, and every one said so.

spokenounUS /spoʊk/

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

From this reading And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading New York is a city of many flags, and the eye is accustomed to attach meaning to their position.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

tokennounUS /ˈtoʊkən/

an individual instance of a type of symbol

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The death of Robert Lauderdale was the news of the day, and produced a profound impression everywhere.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading He had done well with his money, and every one said so.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Even the city put on, here and there, an outward token of mourning, for on every building of the many which had belonged to him, the flag, if it were flying, was half-masted.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading And people spoke with respect of the dead man, which rarely happens when the very rich are suddenly gone.

YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading New York is a city of many flags, and the eye is accustomed to attach meaning to their position.

Chapter 15 of The Ralstons by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford holds 376 sentences, grouped into 76 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 15 of The Ralstons contain?

Chapter 15 holds 376 sentences of The Ralstons, unabridged, divided into 76 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Ralstons by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 376 sentences, grouped into 76 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 15 of The Ralstons?

Work through the 76 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 76 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Ralstons

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Is this the complete text of The Ralstons?

Yes. All 10169 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #49954 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Ralstons is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #49954, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Ralstons take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2034 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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

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Vocabulary met early in The Ralstons

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

Alexander: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ralstons; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lauderdale: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ralstons; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Junior: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ralstons; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Exercised: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ralstons; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XV

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