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A Boy's Fortune
A Boy's Fortune

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of A Boy's Fortune is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Boy's Fortune
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MRS.
FLANAGAN IS DRIVEN FROM THE FIELD.
Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:
"My child, you seem to be in trouble."
"Yes, indeed, madam," said Rose, "I am in great trouble."
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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.

A Boy's Fortune

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of A Boy's Fortune is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MRS.
/ˈmɪsɪz/
Line 2
FLANAGAN IS DRIVEN FROM THE FIELD.
Line 3
Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:
Line 4
"My child, you seem to be in trouble."
/maɪ tʃaɪld juː siːm tuː biː ɪn ˈtrʌbəl/
Line 5
"Yes, indeed, madam," said Rose, "I am in great trouble."
/jes ˌɪnˈdiːd ˈmædəm sed roʊz aɪ æm ɪn ɡreɪt ˈtrʌbəl/

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.

claim noun US /kleɪm/

an assertion of a right (as to money or property)

From this reading “Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:”

decided adjective US /ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd/

recognizable; marked

From this reading “Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:”

driven adjective US /ˈdrɪvən/

compelled forcibly by an outside agency

From this reading “FLANAGAN IS DRIVEN FROM THE FIELD.”

field noun US /fiːld/

a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading “FLANAGAN IS DRIVEN FROM THE FIELD.”

lighted adjective US /ˈlaɪtəd/

set afire or burning

From this reading “Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:”

madam noun US /ˈmædəm/

a woman of refinement

From this reading “"Yes, indeed, madam," said Rose, "I am in great trouble."”

manners noun US /ˈmænərz/

social deportment

From this reading “Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:”

twenty noun US /ˈtwenti/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

From this reading “Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

twenty years noun + noun

In this reading “Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:”

young lady adjective + noun

a young female

In this reading “Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:”

lay claim verb + noun

demand as being one's due or property; assert one's right or title to

In this reading “Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:”

smile lighted verb + adjective

In this reading “Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:”

great trouble adjective + noun

In this reading “"Yes, indeed, madam," said Rose, "I am in great trouble."”

FROM THE FIELD preposition + article + noun counted as “from … field”

In this reading “FLANAGAN IS DRIVEN FROM THE FIELD.”

All words in this reading · 55

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 Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "Yes, indeed, madam," said Rose, "I am in great trouble."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "My child, you seem to be in trouble."

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading "My child, you seem to be in trouble."

claimnounUS /kleɪm/

an assertion of a right (as to money or property)

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

decidedadjectiveUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd/

recognizable; marked

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

DRIVENadjectiveUS /ˈdrɪvən/

compelled forcibly by an outside agency

From this reading FLANAGAN IS DRIVEN FROM THE FIELD.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

FIELDnounUS /fiːld/

a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading FLANAGAN IS DRIVEN FROM THE FIELD.

FLANAGAN

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

From this reading FLANAGAN IS DRIVEN FROM THE FIELD.

FROMprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading FLANAGAN IS DRIVEN FROM THE FIELD.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading "Yes, indeed, madam," said Rose, "I am in great trouble."

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "Yes, indeed, madam," said Rose, "I am in great trouble."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "My child, you seem to be in trouble."

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading "Yes, indeed, madam," said Rose, "I am in great trouble."

ISauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading FLANAGAN IS DRIVEN FROM THE FIELD.

Jane

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

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

lightedadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪtəd/

set afire or burning

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

madamnounUS /ˈmædəm/

a woman of refinement

From this reading "Yes, indeed, madam," said Rose, "I am in great trouble."

mannersnounUS /ˈmænərz/

social deportment

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

MRSnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading MRS.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "My child, you seem to be in trouble."

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

RosenounUS /roʊz/

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading "My child, you seem to be in trouble."

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

smileverbUS /smaɪl/

change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading FLANAGAN IS DRIVEN FROM THE FIELD.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading "My child, you seem to be in trouble."

twentynounUS /ˈtwenti/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

Wilmot

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

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes, indeed, madam," said Rose, "I am in great trouble."

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "My child, you seem to be in trouble."

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Miss Jane Wilmot had never been pretty, even when, twenty years before, she could lay claim to being a young lady; and her manners were decided; but a kind smile lighted up her face as she said to Rose:

Chapter 18 of A Boy's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 A Boy's Fortune contain?

Chapter 18 holds 141 sentences of A Boy's Fortune, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of A Boy's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 A Boy's Fortune?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 A Boy's Fortune

Common questions about reading A Boy's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Boy's Fortune?

Yes. All 4381 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52017 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Boy's Fortune is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #52017, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Boy's Fortune take to read?

About 365 minutes of reading across 877 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Boy's Fortune section by section

How to work through A Boy's Fortune section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of A Boy's Fortune 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 A Boy's Fortune

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Boy's Fortune, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Https
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Boy's Fortune; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Strange
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Boy's Fortune; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Adventures
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Boy's Fortune; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Baker
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Boy's Fortune; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.