Chapter 15 of The Ruling Passion is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of The Ruling Passion is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“That lighthouse!” said he, “what good will it be for us? We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night. But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote. We know the way. What?
Chapter 15 of The Ruling Passion is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground
From this reading “But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.”
plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent
From this reading “But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.”
a tower with a light that gives warning of shoals to passing ships
From this reading ““That lighthouse!” said he, “what good will it be for us?”
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading “We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.”
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading “But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.”
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading “But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.”
(of soil) soft and watery
From this reading “But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.”
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading “We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.”
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.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “That lighthouse!” said he, “what good will it be for us?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.
rid of obstructions
From this reading We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.
droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground
From this reading But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “That lighthouse!” said he, “what good will it be for us?
plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent
From this reading But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “That lighthouse!” said he, “what good will it be for us?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “That lighthouse!” said he, “what good will it be for us?
where you live at a particular time
From this reading But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “That lighthouse!” said he, “what good will it be for us?
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.
a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
From this reading But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.
a tower with a light that gives warning of shoals to passing ships
From this reading “That lighthouse!” said he, “what good will it be for us?
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “That lighthouse!” said he, “what good will it be for us?
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.
(of soil) soft and watery
From this reading But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “That lighthouse!” said he, “what good will it be for us?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “That lighthouse!” said he, “what good will it be for us?
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “That lighthouse!” said he, “what good will it be for us?
at the time that
From this reading We know the way in and out when it makes clear weather, by day or by night.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “That lighthouse!” said he, “what good will it be for us?
in the company of; together with
From this reading But when the sky gets swampy, when it makes fog, then we stay with ourselves at home, or we run into La Trinite, or Pentecote.
Chapter 15 of The Ruling Passion by Henry Van Dyke holds 196 sentences, grouped into 40 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 15 holds 196 sentences of The Ruling Passion, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of The Ruling Passion by Henry Van Dyke exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 196 sentences, grouped into 40 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 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.
Common questions about reading The Ruling Passion by Henry Van Dyke on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3398 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1048 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1048, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 283 minutes of reading across 680 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Ruling Passion section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Ruling Passion to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Ruling Passion, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
