Ben's Nugget

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of Ben's Nugget is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Horatio, Jr. Alger • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

A LITTLE RETROSPECT.

It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

He had an only son, Orton Campbell, now a young man of twenty-eight.

He was young in years only, being a stiff, grave, wooden-faced man, who in his starched manners was a close copy of his father.

Narrator

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.

Chapter XX Reading 1/13

Ben's Nugget

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of Ben's Nugget is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

A LITTLE RETROSPECT.

/ə ˈlɪtəl ˈretrəspekt/

Line 2

It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

Line 3

The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

/ðə ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns ʌv hɪz wɔːrd wɑːz ɪkˈsiːdɪŋli əˈnɔɪɪŋ sɪns ɪt ˌɪntərˈfɪrd wɪð plænz wɪtʃ hiː hæd ˈveri mʌtʃ æt hɑːrt/

Line 4

He had an only son, Orton Campbell, now a young man of twenty-eight.

Line 5

He was young in years only, being a stiff, grave, wooden-faced man, who in his starched manners was a close copy of his father.

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.

Albany noun US /ˈɔːlbəni/

state capital of New York; located in eastern New York State on the west bank of the Hudson river

From this reading “It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.”

annoying adjective US /əˈnɔɪɪŋ/

causing irritation or annoyance

From this reading “The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.”

Campbell noun US /ˈkæmbəl/

United States mythologist (1904-1987)

From this reading “It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.”

disappearance noun US /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns/

the act of leaving secretly or without explanation

From this reading “The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.”

escorted verb US /eˈskɔːrtɪd/

past form of “escort” — accompany as an escort

From this reading “It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.”

interfered verb US /ˌɪntərˈfɪrd/

past form of “interfere” — come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle

From this reading “The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.”

retrospect noun US /ˈretrəspekt/

contemplation of things past

From this reading “A LITTLE RETROSPECT.”

starched verb US /stɑːrtʃt/

past form of “starch” — stiffen with starch

From this reading “He was young in years only, being a stiff, grave, wooden-faced man, who in his starched manners was a close copy of his father.”

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 A LITTLE RETROSPECT.

AlbanynounUS /ˈɔːlbəni/

state capital of New York; located in eastern New York State on the west bank of the Hudson river

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading He had an only son, Orton Campbell, now a young man of twenty-eight.

annoyingadjectiveUS /əˈnɔɪɪŋ/

causing irritation or annoyance

From this reading The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading He was young in years only, being a stiff, grave, wooden-faced man, who in his starched manners was a close copy of his father.

BennounUS /ben/

a mountain or tall hill

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

CampbellnounUS /ˈkæmbəl/

United States mythologist (1904-1987)

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading He was young in years only, being a stiff, grave, wooden-faced man, who in his starched manners was a close copy of his father.

copynounUS /ˈkɑːpi/

a reproduction of a written record (e.g. of a legal or school record)

From this reading He was young in years only, being a stiff, grave, wooden-faced man, who in his starched manners was a close copy of his father.

disappearancenounUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns/

the act of leaving secretly or without explanation

From this reading The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

DouglasnounUS /ˈdʌɡləs/

United States politician who proposed that individual territories be allowed to decide whether they would have slavery; he engaged in a famous series of debates with Abraham Lincoln (1813-1861)

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

escortedverbUS /eˈskɔːrtɪd/

past form of “escort” — accompany as an escort

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

exceedinglyadverbUS /ɪkˈsiːdɪŋli/

to an extreme degree

From this reading The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading He was young in years only, being a stiff, grave, wooden-faced man, who in his starched manners was a close copy of his father.

FlorencenounUS /ˈflɔːrəns/

a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

Francisco

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

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

gravenounUS /ɡreɪv/

death of a person

From this reading He was young in years only, being a stiff, grave, wooden-faced man, who in his starched manners was a close copy of his father.

guardiannounUS /ˈɡɑːrdiən/

a person who cares for persons or property

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

heronounUS /ˈhɪroʊ/

a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

interferedverbUS /ˌɪntərˈfɪrd/

past form of “interfere” — come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle

From this reading The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

LITTLEadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading A LITTLE RETROSPECT.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading He had an only son, Orton Campbell, now a young man of twenty-eight.

mannersnounUS /ˈmænərz/

social deportment

From this reading He was young in years only, being a stiff, grave, wooden-faced man, who in his starched manners was a close copy of his father.

merchantnounUS /ˈmɜːr.tʃənt/

A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

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

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading He had an only son, Orton Campbell, now a young man of twenty-eight.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading He had an only son, Orton Campbell, now a young man of twenty-eight.

Orton

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

From this reading He had an only son, Orton Campbell, now a young man of twenty-eight.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

plansnounUS /plænz/

plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished

From this reading The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

rememberedverbUS /rɪˈmembərd/

past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

RETROSPECTnounUS /ˈretrəspekt/

contemplation of things past

From this reading A LITTLE RETROSPECT.

San

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

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading He had an only son, Orton Campbell, now a young man of twenty-eight.

starchedverbUS /stɑːrtʃt/

past form of “starch” — stiffen with starch

From this reading He was young in years only, being a stiff, grave, wooden-faced man, who in his starched manners was a close copy of his father.

stiffadjectiveUS /stɪf/

not moving or operating freely

From this reading He was young in years only, being a stiff, grave, wooden-faced man, who in his starched manners was a close copy of his father.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

twenty-eightnoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of twenty-seven and one

From this reading He had an only son, Orton Campbell, now a young man of twenty-eight.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

wardnounUS /wɔːrd/

a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another

From this reading The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading He was young in years only, being a stiff, grave, wooden-faced man, who in his starched manners was a close copy of his father.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The disappearance of his ward was exceedingly annoying, since it interfered with plans which he had very much at heart.

wooden-faced

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

From this reading He was young in years only, being a stiff, grave, wooden-faced man, who in his starched manners was a close copy of his father.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading He was young in years only, being a stiff, grave, wooden-faced man, who in his starched manners was a close copy of his father.

YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading It will be remembered that a merchant in Albany, Mr. John Campbell, was the guardian of Miss Florence Douglas, whom our hero, Ben, had escorted from New York to San Francisco.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

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

From this reading He had an only son, Orton Campbell, now a young man of twenty-eight.

Chapter 20 of Ben's Nugget by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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 20 of Ben's Nugget contain?

Chapter 20 holds 66 sentences of Ben's Nugget, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of Ben's Nugget by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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 20 of Ben's Nugget?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 20 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Ben's Nugget

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

Is this the complete text of Ben's Nugget?

Yes. All 3206 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25384 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Ben's Nugget is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #25384, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Ben's Nugget take to read?

About 267 minutes of reading across 642 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Ben's Nugget section by section

How to work through Ben's Nugget section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 34 chapters of Ben's Nugget 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 Ben's Nugget

Words and structures a reader meets early in Ben's Nugget, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Boy's: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ben's Nugget; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Search: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ben's Nugget; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fortune: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ben's Nugget; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ben's Nugget; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

What does chapter 20 of Ben's Nugget contain?

How do I study chapter 20 of Ben's Nugget?

Can chapter 20 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading Ben's Nugget

How to read Ben's Nugget section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Ben's Nugget