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The Southerner: A Romance of the Real Lincoln
The Southerner: A Romance of the Real Lincoln

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of The Southerner: A Romance of the Real Lincoln is here in full — 348 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Southerner: A Romance of the Real Lincoln
Context Illustration Reading 1/69 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:
"DEAR LITTLE SWEETHEART: "The President has just called General McClellan again to the chief command.
His act vindicates my loyalty.
Our quarrel is too absurd.
Life is too short, dear, for this--it's only long enough for love.
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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.

The Southerner: A Romance of the Real Lincoln

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of The Southerner: A Romance of the Real Lincoln is here in full — 348 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/69 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:
Line 2
"DEAR LITTLE SWEETHEART: "The President has just called General McClellan again to the chief command.
Line 3
His act vindicates my loyalty.
/hɪz ækt ˈvɪndɪkeɪts maɪ ˈlɔɪəlti/
Line 4
Our quarrel is too absurd.
/ˈaʊər ˈkwɔːrəl ɪz tuː əbˈsɜːrd/
Line 5
Life is too short, dear, for this--it's only long enough for love.

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.

absurd adjective US /əbˈsɜːrd/

inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense

From this reading “Our quarrel is too absurd.”

amazement noun US /əˈmeɪzmənt/

the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising

From this reading “THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:”

day's noun US /deɪz/

possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading “THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:”

increasing adjective US /ˌɪnˈkriːsɪŋ/

becoming greater or larger

From this reading “THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:”

loyalty noun US /ˈlɔɪəlti/

the quality of being loyal

From this reading “His act vindicates my loyalty.”

sweetheart noun US /ˈswiːthɑːrt/

a person loved by another person

From this reading “"DEAR LITTLE SWEETHEART: "The President has just called General McClellan again to the chief command.”

Vaughan's noun US /vɔːnz/

possessive form of “vaughan” — United States jazz singer noted for her complex bebop phrasing and scat singing (1924-1990)

From this reading “THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:”

vindicates verb US /ˈvɪndɪkeɪts/

third-person singular of “vindicate” — show to be right by providing justification or proof

From this reading “His act vindicates my loyalty.”

All words in this reading · 51

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.

absurdadjectiveUS /əbˈsɜːrd/

inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense

From this reading Our quarrel is too absurd.

actverbUS /ækt/

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading His act vindicates my loyalty.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading "DEAR LITTLE SWEETHEART: "The President has just called General McClellan again to the chief command.

amazementnounUS /əˈmeɪzmənt/

the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

Betty

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

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading "DEAR LITTLE SWEETHEART: "The President has just called General McClellan again to the chief command.

chiefnounUS /tʃiːf/

a person who is in charge

From this reading "DEAR LITTLE SWEETHEART: "The President has just called General McClellan again to the chief command.

commandnounUS /kəˈmænd/

an authoritative direction or instruction to do something

From this reading "DEAR LITTLE SWEETHEART: "The President has just called General McClellan again to the chief command.

DAY'SnounUS /deɪz/

possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

DEARadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading "DEAR LITTLE SWEETHEART: "The President has just called General McClellan again to the chief command.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading Life is too short, dear, for this--it's only long enough for love.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Life is too short, dear, for this--it's only long enough for love.

GeneraladjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəl/

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading "DEAR LITTLE SWEETHEART: "The President has just called General McClellan again to the chief command.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading "DEAR LITTLE SWEETHEART: "The President has just called General McClellan again to the chief command.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading His act vindicates my loyalty.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

increasingadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkriːsɪŋ/

becoming greater or larger

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Our quarrel is too absurd.

it's

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

From this reading Life is too short, dear, for this--it's only long enough for love.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading "DEAR LITTLE SWEETHEART: "The President has just called General McClellan again to the chief command.

LifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Life is too short, dear, for this--it's only long enough for love.

LITTLEadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading "DEAR LITTLE SWEETHEART: "The President has just called General McClellan again to the chief command.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Life is too short, dear, for this--it's only long enough for love.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Life is too short, dear, for this--it's only long enough for love.

loyaltynounUS /ˈlɔɪəlti/

the quality of being loyal

From this reading His act vindicates my loyalty.

McClellan

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

From this reading "DEAR LITTLE SWEETHEART: "The President has just called General McClellan again to the chief command.

messagenounUS /ˈmesədʒ/

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading His act vindicates my loyalty.

notenounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Life is too short, dear, for this--it's only long enough for love.

OurdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Our quarrel is too absurd.

PresidentnounUS /ˈprezədent/

an executive officer of a firm or corporation

From this reading "DEAR LITTLE SWEETHEART: "The President has just called General McClellan again to the chief command.

quarrelnounUS /ˈkwɔːrəl/

an angry dispute

From this reading Our quarrel is too absurd.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading Life is too short, dear, for this--it's only long enough for love.

staringadjectiveUS /ˈsterɪŋ/

(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

SWEETHEARTnounUS /ˈswiːthɑːrt/

a person loved by another person

From this reading "DEAR LITTLE SWEETHEART: "The President has just called General McClellan again to the chief command.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Life is too short, dear, for this--it's only long enough for love.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "DEAR LITTLE SWEETHEART: "The President has just called General McClellan again to the chief command.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Our quarrel is too absurd.

Vaughan'snounUS /vɔːnz/

possessive form of “vaughan” — United States jazz singer noted for her complex bebop phrasing and scat singing (1924-1990)

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

vindicatesverbUS /ˈvɪndɪkeɪts/

third-person singular of “vindicate” — show to be right by providing justification or proof

From this reading His act vindicates my loyalty.

WinternounUS /ˈwɪntər/

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

WORKverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading THE DAY'S WORK Betty Winter held John Vaughan's note in her hand staring at its message with increasing amazement:

Chapter 18 of The Southerner: A Romance of the Real Lincoln by Thomas, Jr. Dixon holds 348 sentences, grouped into 70 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 18 of The Southerner: A Romance of the Real Lincoln contain?

Chapter 18 holds 348 sentences of The Southerner: A Romance of the Real Lincoln, unabridged, divided into 70 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The Southerner: A Romance of the Real Lincoln by Thomas, Jr. Dixon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 348 sentences, grouped into 70 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 18 of The Southerner: A Romance of the Real Lincoln?

Work through the 70 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 70 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 Southerner: A Romance of the Real Lincoln

Common questions about reading The Southerner: A Romance of the Real Lincoln by Thomas, Jr. Dixon on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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

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Vocabulary met early in The Southerner: A Romance of the Real Lincoln

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Southerner: A Romance of the Real Lincoln, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The Southerner: A Romance of the Real Lincoln, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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