Chapter 20 of A Boy's Fortune is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of A Boy's Fortune is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE NEW HOME. Two days later Rose Beaufort received another call from Miss Jane Wilmot. "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once." "Our rent is paid here till Saturday," suggested Rose. "Give your landlady the benefit of the balance of the week.
Chapter 20 of A Boy's Fortune is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
bring into balance or equilibrium
From this reading “"Give your landlady the benefit of the balance of the week.”
financial assistance in time of need
From this reading “"Give your landlady the benefit of the balance of the week.”
a landlord who is a woman
From this reading “"Give your landlady the benefit of the balance of the week.”
let for money
From this reading “"Our rent is paid here till Saturday," suggested Rose.”
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading “"My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."”
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading “"Our rent is paid here till Saturday," suggested Rose.”
an elderly unmarried woman
From this reading “"My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."”
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading “"Our rent is paid here till Saturday," suggested Rose.”
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.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
In this reading “"My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."”
In this reading “Two days later Rose Beaufort received another call from Miss Jane Wilmot.”
In this reading “THE NEW HOME.”
In this reading “"Give your landlady the benefit of the balance of the week.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Two days later Rose Beaufort received another call from Miss Jane Wilmot.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."
bring into balance or equilibrium
From this reading "Give your landlady the benefit of the balance of the week.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Two days later Rose Beaufort received another call from Miss Jane Wilmot.
financial assistance in time of need
From this reading "Give your landlady the benefit of the balance of the week.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Two days later Rose Beaufort received another call from Miss Jane Wilmot.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Two days later Rose Beaufort received another call from Miss Jane Wilmot.
dearly loved
From this reading "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Two days later Rose Beaufort received another call from Miss Jane Wilmot.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "Give your landlady the benefit of the balance of the week.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Our rent is paid here till Saturday," suggested Rose.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading THE NEW HOME.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Our rent is paid here till Saturday," suggested Rose.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Two days later Rose Beaufort received another call from Miss Jane Wilmot.
a landlord who is a woman
From this reading "Give your landlady the benefit of the balance of the week.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Two days later Rose Beaufort received another call from Miss Jane Wilmot.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Two days later Rose Beaufort received another call from Miss Jane Wilmot.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading THE NEW HOME.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Give your landlady the benefit of the balance of the week.
on one occasion
From this reading "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "Our rent is paid here till Saturday," suggested Rose.
marked by the reception of pay
From this reading "Our rent is paid here till Saturday," suggested Rose.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading Two days later Rose Beaufort received another call from Miss Jane Wilmot.
let for money
From this reading "Our rent is paid here till Saturday," suggested Rose.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Two days later Rose Beaufort received another call from Miss Jane Wilmot.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading "Our rent is paid here till Saturday," suggested Rose.
an elderly unmarried woman
From this reading "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading "Our rent is paid here till Saturday," suggested Rose.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE NEW HOME.
up to a particular time
From this reading "Our rent is paid here till Saturday," suggested Rose.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Two days later Rose Beaufort received another call from Miss Jane Wilmot.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading "Give your landlady the benefit of the balance of the week.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Two days later Rose Beaufort received another call from Miss Jane Wilmot.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "My dear," said the spinster, "your new rooms are ready for you, and you can move in at once."
Chapter 20 of A Boy's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 125 sentences, grouped into 25 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 20 holds 125 sentences of A Boy's Fortune, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of A Boy's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 125 sentences, grouped into 25 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 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 25 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 20 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 A Boy's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4381 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52017 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #52017, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 365 minutes of reading across 877 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Boy's Fortune section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of A Boy's Fortune 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 A Boy's Fortune, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
