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Wolfville
Wolfville

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Wolfville is here in full — 310 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Wolfville
Context Illustration Reading 1/62 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
DAWSON & RUDD, PARTNERS.
"Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?
Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.
"The West shore learns easy an' is quick to change a system or alter a play.
It's plumb swift, the West is; an' what some regards as rough is mere rapidity.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Wolfville

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Wolfville is here in full — 310 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/62 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
DAWSON & RUDD, PARTNERS.
/ˈdɔːsən rʌd ˈpɑːrtnərz/
Line 2
"Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?
Line 3
Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.
Line 4
"The West shore learns easy an' is quick to change a system or alter a play.
/ðə west ʃɔːr lɜːrnz ˈiːzi æn ɪz kwɪk tuː tʃeɪndʒ ə ˈsɪstəm ɔːr ˈɔːltər ə pleɪ/
Line 5
It's plumb swift, the West is; an' what some regards as rough is mere rapidity.

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.

dawson noun US /ˈdɔːsən/

a town in northwestern Canada in the Yukon on the Yukon River; a boom town around 1900 when gold was discovered in the Klondike

From this reading “DAWSON & RUDD, PARTNERS.”

learns verb US /lɜːrnz/

third-person singular of “learn” — gain knowledge or skills

From this reading “"The West shore learns easy an' is quick to change a system or alter a play.”

metaphor noun US /ˈmetəfɔːr/

a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity

From this reading “Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.”

partners noun US /ˈpɑːrtnərz/

plural of “partner” — a person's partner in marriage

From this reading “DAWSON & RUDD, PARTNERS.”

plumb verb US /plʌm/

measure the depth of something

From this reading “It's plumb swift, the West is; an' what some regards as rough is mere rapidity.”

relapse verb US /riˈlæps/

deteriorate in health

From this reading “Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.”

rudd noun US /rʌd/

European freshwater fish resembling the roach

From this reading “DAWSON & RUDD, PARTNERS.”

shoots noun US /ʃuːts/

plural of “shoot” — a new branch

From this reading “Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.”

All words in this reading · 67

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 Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

allers

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

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

alterverbUS /ˈɔːltər/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading "The West shore learns easy an' is quick to change a system or alter a play.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

Cattlemannoun

a man who raises (or tends) cattle

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading "The West shore learns easy an' is quick to change a system or alter a play.

considerationnounUS /kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃən/

the process of giving careful thought to something

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

DAWSONnounUS /ˈdɔːsən/

a town in northwestern Canada in the Yukon on the Yukon River; a boom town around 1900 when gold was discovered in the Klondike

From this reading DAWSON & RUDD, PARTNERS.

differencenounUS /ˈdɪfərəns/

the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

EastnounUS /iːst/

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

easyadjectiveUS /ˈiːzi/

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading "The West shore learns easy an' is quick to change a system or alter a play.

failurenounUS /ˈfeɪljər/

an act that fails

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

It's

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

From this reading It's plumb swift, the West is; an' what some regards as rough is mere rapidity.

learnsverbUS /lɜːrnz/

third-person singular of “learn” — gain knowledge or skills

From this reading "The West shore learns easy an' is quick to change a system or alter a play.

mereadjectiveUS /mɪr/

being nothing more than specified

From this reading It's plumb swift, the West is; an' what some regards as rough is mere rapidity.

metaphornounUS /ˈmetəfɔːr/

a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

notesnounUS /noʊts/

plural of “note” — a brief written record

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "The West shore learns easy an' is quick to change a system or alter a play.

PARTNERSnounUS /ˈpɑːrtnərz/

plural of “partner” — a person's partner in marriage

From this reading DAWSON & RUDD, PARTNERS.

playverbUS /pleɪ/

participate in games or sport

From this reading "The West shore learns easy an' is quick to change a system or alter a play.

plumbverbUS /plʌm/

measure the depth of something

From this reading It's plumb swift, the West is; an' what some regards as rough is mere rapidity.

purposenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəs/

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

quickadjectiveUS /kwɪk/

accomplished rapidly and without delay

From this reading "The West shore learns easy an' is quick to change a system or alter a play.

rapiditynounUS /rəˈpɪdəti/

a rate that is rapid

From this reading It's plumb swift, the West is; an' what some regards as rough is mere rapidity.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

regardsnounUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdz/

plural of “regard” — (usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading It's plumb swift, the West is; an' what some regards as rough is mere rapidity.

relapseverbUS /riˈlæps/

deteriorate in health

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

repeatingnounUS /rɪˈpiːtɪŋ/

the act of doing or performing again

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

roughadjectiveUS /rʌf/

having or caused by an irregular surface

From this reading It's plumb swift, the West is; an' what some regards as rough is mere rapidity.

RUDDnounUS /rʌd/

European freshwater fish resembling the roach

From this reading DAWSON & RUDD, PARTNERS.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

shootsnounUS /ʃuːts/

plural of “shoot” — a new branch

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

shorenounUS /ʃɔːr/

the land along the edge of a body of water

From this reading "The West shore learns easy an' is quick to change a system or alter a play.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading It's plumb swift, the West is; an' what some regards as rough is mere rapidity.

swiftadjectiveUS /swɪft/

moving very fast

From this reading It's plumb swift, the West is; an' what some regards as rough is mere rapidity.

systemnounUS /ˈsɪstəm/

instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity

From this reading "The West shore learns easy an' is quick to change a system or alter a play.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

WestnounUS /west/

the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading It's plumb swift, the West is; an' what some regards as rough is mere rapidity.

What's

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

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

Whatever's

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

From this reading "Whatever's the difference between the East an' the West?" said the Old Cattleman, repeating my question rather for the purpose of consideration than from any failure to understand: "What's the difference between the East an' the West?

WhichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

you-alls

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

From this reading Which, so far as I notes, to relapse into metaphor, as you-alls says, the big difference is that the East allers shoots from a rest; while the West shoots off hand.

Chapter 18 of Wolfville by Alfred Henry Lewis holds 310 sentences, grouped into 62 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 18 of Wolfville contain?

Chapter 18 holds 310 sentences of Wolfville, unabridged, divided into 62 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of Wolfville by Alfred Henry Lewis exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 310 sentences, grouped into 62 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 Wolfville?

Work through the 62 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 62 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 Wolfville

Common questions about reading Wolfville by Alfred Henry Lewis on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Wolfville?

Yes. All 3978 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3732 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Wolfville is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3732, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Wolfville take to read?

About 331 minutes of reading across 796 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Wolfville section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of Wolfville to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Wolfville

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

Wolfville's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wolfville; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wolfville; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Funeral
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wolfville; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
These
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wolfville; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.