Chapter 16 of The Seeker is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of The Seeker is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A FEW LETTERS (From Bernal Linford to the Reverend Allan Delcher.) _Dear Grandfather:_ The college year soon ends; also my course. I think you hoped I wouldn't want again to talk of those matters. But it isn't so. I am primed and waiting, and even you, old man, must listen to reason.
Chapter 16 of The Seeker is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/33 · 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.
the body of faculty and students of a college
From this reading “_Dear Grandfather:_ The college year soon ends; also my course.”
plural of “end” — either extremity of something that has length
From this reading “_Dear Grandfather:_ The college year soon ends; also my course.”
the father of your father or mother
From this reading “_Dear Grandfather:_ The college year soon ends; also my course.”
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading “I think you hoped I wouldn't want again to talk of those matters.”
hear with intention
From this reading “I am primed and waiting, and even you, old man, must listen to reason.”
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading “I think you hoped I wouldn't want again to talk of those matters.”
(usually followed by “to” or “for”) on the point of or strongly disposed
From this reading “I am primed and waiting, and even you, old man, must listen to reason.”
a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church
From this reading “A FEW LETTERS (From Bernal Linford to the Reverend Allan Delcher.)”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A FEW LETTERS (From Bernal Linford to the Reverend Allan Delcher.)
anew
From this reading I think you hoped I wouldn't want again to talk of those matters.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A FEW LETTERS (From Bernal Linford to the Reverend Allan Delcher.)
in addition
From this reading _Dear Grandfather:_ The college year soon ends; also my course.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am primed and waiting, and even you, old man, must listen to reason.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I am primed and waiting, and even you, old man, must listen to reason.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A FEW LETTERS (From Bernal Linford to the Reverend Allan Delcher.)
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it isn't so.
the body of faculty and students of a college
From this reading _Dear Grandfather:_ The college year soon ends; also my course.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading _Dear Grandfather:_ The college year soon ends; also my course.
dearly loved
From this reading _Dear Grandfather:_ The college year soon ends; also my course.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A FEW LETTERS (From Bernal Linford to the Reverend Allan Delcher.)
plural of “end” — either extremity of something that has length
From this reading _Dear Grandfather:_ The college year soon ends; also my course.
divisible by two
From this reading I am primed and waiting, and even you, old man, must listen to reason.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A FEW LETTERS (From Bernal Linford to the Reverend Allan Delcher.)
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A FEW LETTERS (From Bernal Linford to the Reverend Allan Delcher.)
the father of your father or mother
From this reading _Dear Grandfather:_ The college year soon ends; also my course.
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading I think you hoped I wouldn't want again to talk of those matters.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I think you hoped I wouldn't want again to talk of those matters.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But it isn't so.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But it isn't so.
the literary culture
From this reading A FEW LETTERS (From Bernal Linford to the Reverend Allan Delcher.)
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A FEW LETTERS (From Bernal Linford to the Reverend Allan Delcher.)
hear with intention
From this reading I am primed and waiting, and even you, old man, must listen to reason.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I am primed and waiting, and even you, old man, must listen to reason.
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading I think you hoped I wouldn't want again to talk of those matters.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading I am primed and waiting, and even you, old man, must listen to reason.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading _Dear Grandfather:_ The college year soon ends; also my course.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I think you hoped I wouldn't want again to talk of those matters.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading I am primed and waiting, and even you, old man, must listen to reason.
(usually followed by “to” or “for”) on the point of or strongly disposed
From this reading I am primed and waiting, and even you, old man, must listen to reason.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading I am primed and waiting, and even you, old man, must listen to reason.
a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church
From this reading A FEW LETTERS (From Bernal Linford to the Reverend Allan Delcher.)
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But it isn't so.
in the near future
From this reading _Dear Grandfather:_ The college year soon ends; also my course.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading I think you hoped I wouldn't want again to talk of those matters.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A FEW LETTERS (From Bernal Linford to the Reverend Allan Delcher.)
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I think you hoped I wouldn't want again to talk of those matters.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading I think you hoped I wouldn't want again to talk of those matters.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A FEW LETTERS (From Bernal Linford to the Reverend Allan Delcher.)
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading I am primed and waiting, and even you, old man, must listen to reason.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading I think you hoped I wouldn't want again to talk of those matters.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I think you hoped I wouldn't want again to talk of those matters.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading _Dear Grandfather:_ The college year soon ends; also my course.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I think you hoped I wouldn't want again to talk of those matters.
Chapter 16 of The Seeker by Harry Leon Wilson holds 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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.
Chapter 16 holds 168 sentences of The Seeker, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of The Seeker by Harry Leon Wilson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 34 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 16 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 Seeker by Harry Leon Wilson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4129 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15797 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #15797, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 344 minutes of reading across 826 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Seeker section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 37 chapters of The Seeker 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 Seeker, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
