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Vailima Letters Being Correspondence

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Vailima Letters Being Correspondence is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Robert Louis Stevenson • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Vailima Letters
Being Correspondence

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

_March_ 9_th_.

MY DEAR S. C.,—Take it not amiss if this is a wretched letter.

I am eaten up with business.

Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

All the time _David Balfour_ is skelping along.

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 1/24

Vailima Letters Being Correspondence

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Vailima Letters Being Correspondence is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

_March_ 9_th_.

Line 2

MY DEAR S. C.,—Take it not amiss if this is a wretched letter.

Line 3

I am eaten up with business.

Line 4

Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

Line 5

All the time _David Balfour_ is skelping along.

All words in this reading · 59

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.

9

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

From this reading _March_ 9_th_.

a

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

From this reading MY DEAR S. C.,—Take it not amiss if this is a wretched letter.

about

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

All

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

From this reading All the time _David Balfour_ is skelping along.

along

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

From this reading All the time _David Balfour_ is skelping along.

am

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

From this reading I am eaten up with business.

amiss

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

From this reading MY DEAR S. C.,—Take it not amiss if this is a wretched letter.

and

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

Balfour

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

From this reading All the time _David Balfour_ is skelping along.

begging

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

business

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

From this reading I am eaten up with business.

by

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

C

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

From this reading MY DEAR S. C.,—Take it not amiss if this is a wretched letter.

chiefs

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

come

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

David

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

From this reading All the time _David Balfour_ is skelping along.

day

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

DEAR

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

From this reading MY DEAR S. C.,—Take it not amiss if this is a wretched letter.

deputation

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

eaten

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

From this reading I am eaten up with business.

even

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

Every

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

faipule

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

had

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

have

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

I

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

From this reading I am eaten up with business.

if

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

From this reading MY DEAR S. C.,—Take it not amiss if this is a wretched letter.

impediment

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

is

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

From this reading MY DEAR S. C.,—Take it not amiss if this is a wretched letter.

it

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

From this reading MY DEAR S. C.,—Take it not amiss if this is a wretched letter.

letter

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

From this reading MY DEAR S. C.,—Take it not amiss if this is a wretched letter.

man

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

March

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

From this reading _March_ 9_th_.

morning

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

MY

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

From this reading MY DEAR S. C.,—Take it not amiss if this is a wretched letter.

not

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

From this reading MY DEAR S. C.,—Take it not amiss if this is a wretched letter.

now

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

of

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

old

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

parliament

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

polite

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

precious

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

road

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

S

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

From this reading MY DEAR S. C.,—Take it not amiss if this is a wretched letter.

scourge

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

shattered

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

skelping

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

From this reading All the time _David Balfour_ is skelping along.

some

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

Take

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

From this reading MY DEAR S. C.,—Take it not amiss if this is a wretched letter.

th

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

From this reading _March_ 9_th_.

the

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

this

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

From this reading MY DEAR S. C.,—Take it not amiss if this is a wretched letter.

time

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

From this reading All the time _David Balfour_ is skelping along.

up

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

From this reading I am eaten up with business.

waiting

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

was

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

week

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

From this reading Every day this week I have had some business impediment—I am even now waiting a deputation of chiefs about the road—and my precious morning was shattered by a polite old scourge of a _faipule_—parliament man—come begging.

with

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

From this reading I am eaten up with business.

wretched

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

From this reading MY DEAR S. C.,—Take it not amiss if this is a wretched letter.

Chapter 15 of Vailima Letters Being Correspondence by Robert Louis Stevenson holds 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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.

What does chapter 15 of Vailima Letters Being Correspondence contain?

Chapter 15 holds 120 sentences of Vailima Letters Being Correspondence, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Vailima Letters Being Correspondence by Robert Louis Stevenson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 Vailima Letters Being Correspondence?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 Vailima Letters Being Correspondence

Common questions about reading Vailima Letters Being Correspondence by Robert Louis Stevenson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Vailima Letters Being Correspondence?

Yes. All 4155 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #387 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Vailima Letters Being Correspondence is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #387, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Vailima Letters Being Correspondence take to read?

About 346 minutes of reading across 831 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Vailima Letters Being Correspondence section by section

How to work through Vailima Letters Being Correspondence section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 40 chapters of Vailima Letters Being Correspondence to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Vailima Letters Being Correspondence

Words and structures a reader meets early in Vailima Letters Being Correspondence, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Mountain: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Vailima Letters Being Correspondence; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Samoa: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Vailima Letters Being Correspondence; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Monday: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Vailima Letters Being Correspondence; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
November: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Vailima Letters Being Correspondence; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.