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Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican)
Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican)

Chapter XVII · The Spittoons

Chapter XVII of Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican), “The Spittoons,” is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican)
Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?
Here it is June, and taxes are due aginbridge taxes and alland Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.
Taxes seem to stay up better than anything else.
They really seem to be on the rise.
I wonder if a feller could borrow that much money from them county commissioners?
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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.

Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican)

Chapter XVII · The Spittoons

Chapter XVII of Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican), “The Spittoons,” is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?
/kʊd juː tel ə ˈfelər wer hiː kʊd ˈbɑːroʊ ə ˈlɪtəl ˈmʌni tuː peɪ ˈtæksəz wɪð/
Line 2
Here it is June, and taxes are due aginbridge taxes and alland Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.
Line 3
Taxes seem to stay up better than anything else.
Line 4
They really seem to be on the rise.
/ðeɪ ˈrɪli siːm tuː biː ɑːn ðə raɪz/
Line 5
I wonder if a feller could borrow that much money from them county commissioners?
/aɪ ˈwʌndər ɪf ə ˈfelər kʊd ˈbɑːroʊ ðæt mʌtʃ ˈmʌni frʌm ðem ˈkaʊnti kəˈmɪʃənərz/

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.

borrow verb US /ˈbɑːroʊ/

get temporarily

From this reading “COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?”

bridge noun US /brɪdʒ/

a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.

From this reading “Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.”

commissioners noun US /kəˈmɪʃənərz/

plural of “commissioner” — a government administrator

From this reading “I wonder if a feller could borrow that much money from them county commissioners?”

county noun US /ˈkaʊnti/

(United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government

From this reading “I wonder if a feller could borrow that much money from them county commissioners?”

feller noun US /ˈfelər/

a person who fells trees

From this reading “COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?”

June noun US /dʒuːn/

the month following May and preceding July

From this reading “Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.”

lacks noun US /læks/

plural of “lack” — the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable

From this reading “Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.”

taxes noun US /ˈtæksəz/

plural of “tax” — charge against a citizen's person or property or activity for the support of government

From this reading “COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?”

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.

little money adjective + noun

In this reading “COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?”

All words in this reading · 54

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.

22.69

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

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?

agin

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

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading Taxes seem to stay up better than anything else.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading They really seem to be on the rise.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading Taxes seem to stay up better than anything else.

borrowverbUS /ˈbɑːroʊ/

get temporarily

From this reading COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?

bridgenounUS /brɪdʒ/

a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

commissionersnounUS /kəˈmɪʃənərz/

plural of “commissioner” — a government administrator

From this reading I wonder if a feller could borrow that much money from them county commissioners?

COULDmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?

countynounUS /ˈkaʊnti/

(United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government

From this reading I wonder if a feller could borrow that much money from them county commissioners?

dueadjectiveUS /duː/

owed and payable immediately or on demand

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

else

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

From this reading Taxes seem to stay up better than anything else.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

fellernounUS /ˈfelər/

a person who fells trees

From this reading COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I wonder if a feller could borrow that much money from them county commissioners?

havin

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

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I wonder if a feller could borrow that much money from them county commissioners?

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading I wonder if a feller could borrow that much money from them county commissioners?

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

Jobe

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

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

JunenounUS /dʒuːn/

the month following May and preceding July

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

lacksnounUS /læks/

plural of “lack” — the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading I wonder if a feller could borrow that much money from them county commissioners?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading They really seem to be on the rise.

payverbUS /peɪ/

give money, usually in exchange for goods or services

From this reading COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading They really seem to be on the rise.

riseverbUS /raɪz/

move upward

From this reading They really seem to be on the rise.

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Taxes seem to stay up better than anything else.

shareverbUS /ʃer/

have in common

From this reading Here it is June, and taxes are due agin—bridge taxes and all—and Jobe lacks $22.69 of havin enough to pay his share.

stayverbUS /steɪ/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading Taxes seem to stay up better than anything else.

taxesnounUS /ˈtæksəz/

plural of “tax” — charge against a citizen's person or property or activity for the support of government

From this reading COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Taxes seem to stay up better than anything else.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I wonder if a feller could borrow that much money from them county commissioners?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading They really seem to be on the rise.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading I wonder if a feller could borrow that much money from them county commissioners?

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They really seem to be on the rise.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Taxes seem to stay up better than anything else.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?

wondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading I wonder if a feller could borrow that much money from them county commissioners?

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading COULD you tell a feller where he could borrow a little money to pay taxes with?

Chapter 17 of Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican) by W. I. (William I.) Hood holds 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 17 of Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican) contain?

Chapter 17 holds 88 sentences of Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican), unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican) by W. I. (William I.) Hood exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 17 of Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican)?

Work through the 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 18 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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.

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Yes. All 5075 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54549 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #54549, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 422 minutes of reading across 1015 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican)

Words and structures a reader meets early in Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Version
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cannot
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Represent
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Certain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.