Bob Burton

Chapter XXXVIII

Chapter 38 of Bob Burton is here in full — 77 sentences across 16 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

WHAT BOB BROUGHT HOME.

After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.

Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:

1,400 bushels wheat, at $2.25, $3,150 Reward, 1,000 ------ $4,150 This sum, with the exception of one hundred and fifty dollars, by advice of Mr. Pearson, he deposited in a St. Louis bank, and then started for home.

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXXVIII Reading 1/15

Bob Burton Horatio, Jr. Alger

Chapter XXXVIII

Chapter 38 of Bob Burton is here in full — 77 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

WHAT BOB BROUGHT HOME. After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat. Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it. This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.: 1,400 bushels wheat, at $2.25, $3,150 Reward, 1,000 ------ $4,150 This sum, with the exception of one hundred and fifty dollars, by advice of Mr. Pearson, he deposited in a St. Louis bank, and then started for home.

Bob Burton

Chapter XXXVIII

Chapter 38 of Bob Burton is here in full — 77 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

WHAT BOB BROUGHT HOME.

/wʌt bɑːb brɔːt hoʊm/

Line 2

After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.

Line 3

Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

Line 4

This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:

Line 5

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.

bushels noun US /ˈbʊʃəlz/

plural of “bushel” — a United States dry measure equal to 4 pecks or 2152.42 cubic inches

From this reading “1,400 bushels wheat, at $2.25, $3,150 Reward, 1,000 ------ $4,150 This sum, with the exception of one hundred and fifty dollars, by advice of Mr. Pearson, he deposited in a St. Louis bank, and then started for home.”

cargo noun US /ˈkɑːrɡoʊ/

goods carried by a large vehicle

From this reading “After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.”

deposited verb US /dəˈpɑːzɪtɪd/

past form of “deposit” — put, fix, force, or implant

disposing verb US /dɪˈspoʊzɪŋ/

-ing form of “dispose” — give, sell, or transfer to another

From this reading “After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.”

expenses noun US /ɪkˈspensəz/

plural of “expense” — amounts paid for goods and services that may be currently tax deductible (as opposed to capital expenditures)

From this reading “This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:”

speculative adjective US /ˈspekjələtɪv/

not financially safe or secure

From this reading “Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.”

wheat noun US /wiːt/

annual or biennial grass having erect flower spikes and light brown grains

Yankee noun US /ˈjæŋki/

an American who lives in the North (especially during the American Civil War)

From this reading “Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.”

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.

gladly accepted adverb + adjective

In this reading “Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.”

fifty dollars noun + noun counted as “fifty dollar”

In this reading “1,400 bushels wheat, at $2.25, $3,150 Reward, 1,000 ------ $4,150 This sum, with the exception of one hundred and fifty dollars, by advice of Mr. Pearson, he deposited in a St. Louis bank, and then started for home.”

hundred dollars noun + noun counted as “hundred dollar”

In this reading “Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.”

handsome sum adjective + noun

In this reading “This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:”

with the exception preposition + article + noun counted as “with … exception”

disposing of verb + particle counted as “dispose of”

deal with or settle

In this reading “After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.”

BROUGHT HOME verb + noun counted as “bring home”

make understandable and clear

In this reading “WHAT BOB BROUGHT HOME.”

drifted out verb + adjective counted as “drift out”

In this reading “Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.”

All words in this reading · 73

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.

1,000

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

From this reading 1,400 bushels wheat, at $2.25, $3,150 Reward, 1,000 ------ $4,150 This sum, with the exception of one hundred and fifty dollars, by advice of Mr. Pearson, he deposited in a St. Louis bank, and then started for home.

1,400

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

2.25

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

3,150

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

4,150

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

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

acceptedadjectiveUS /ækˈseptɪd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

advicenounUS /ædˈvaɪs/

a proposal for an appropriate course of action

AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.

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 This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

banknounUS /bæŋk/

sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)

BOBverbUS /bɑːb/

move up and down repeatedly

From this reading WHAT BOB BROUGHT HOME.

BROUGHTverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading WHAT BOB BROUGHT HOME.

bushelsnounUS /ˈbʊʃəlz/

plural of “bushel” — a United States dry measure equal to 4 pecks or 2152.42 cubic inches

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

cargonounUS /ˈkɑːrɡoʊ/

goods carried by a large vehicle

From this reading After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.

Clip's

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

From this reading This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:

creditnounUS /ˈkredət/

approval

From this reading This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:

depositedverbUS /dəˈpɑːzɪtɪd/

past form of “deposit” — put, fix, force, or implant

disposingverbUS /dɪˈspoʊzɪŋ/

-ing form of “dispose” — give, sell, or transfer to another

From this reading After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.

dollarsnounUS /ˈdɑːlərz/

plural of “dollar” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

driftedverbUS /ˈdrɪftəd/

past form of “drift” — be in motion due to some air or water current

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

exceptionnounUS /ɪkˈsepʃən/

a deliberate act of omission

expensesnounUS /ɪkˈspensəz/

plural of “expense” — amounts paid for goods and services that may be currently tax deductible (as opposed to capital expenditures)

From this reading This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:

farenounUS /fer/

an agenda of things to do

From this reading This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:

ferry-boat

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

From this reading After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.

fiftynounUS /ˈfɪfti/

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five

FinallyadverbUS /ˈfaɪnəli/

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

gladlyadverbUS /ˈɡlædli/

in a willing manner

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

handsomeadjectiveUS /ˈhænsəm/

pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion

From this reading This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.

HOMEnounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading WHAT BOB BROUGHT HOME.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

includingverbUS /ˌɪnˈkluːdɪŋ/

-ing form of “include” — have as a part, be made up out of

From this reading This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:

LouisnounUS /ˈluːɪs/

United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.

offerverbUS /ˈɔːfər/

make available or accessible, provide or furnish

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

paidadjectiveUS /peɪd/

marked by the reception of pay

From this reading This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:

Pearson

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

puzzledadjectiveUS /ˈpʌzəld/

filled with bewilderment

From this reading After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.

returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:

RewardnounUS /rɪˈwɔːrd/

a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing

speculativeadjectiveUS /ˈspekjələtɪv/

not financially safe or secure

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

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

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

sumnounUS /sʌm/

a quantity of money

From this reading This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.

viz

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

From this reading This sum paid all expenses, including his and Clip's return fare, and left him with a handsome sum to his credit, viz.:

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.

WHATpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading WHAT BOB BROUGHT HOME.

wheatnounUS /wiːt/

annual or biennial grass having erect flower spikes and light brown grains

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading After disposing of his cargo, Bob was puzzled to know what to do with the ferry-boat.

YankeenounUS /ˈjæŋki/

an American who lives in the North (especially during the American Civil War)

From this reading Finally he had an offer of one hundred dollars, from a speculative Yankee who had drifted out to St. Louis, and gladly accepted it.

Chapter 38 of Bob Burton by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 77 sentences, grouped into 16 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 38 of Bob Burton contain?

Chapter 38 holds 77 sentences of Bob Burton, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 38 of Bob Burton by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 77 sentences, grouped into 16 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 38 of Bob Burton?

Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 16 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 38 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 38 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 Bob Burton

Common questions about reading Bob Burton by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Bob Burton?

Yes. All 4283 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52194 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Bob Burton is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #52194, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Bob Burton take to read?

About 356 minutes of reading across 857 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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

Open a chapter

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Vocabulary met early in Bob Burton

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

Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bob Burton; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ragged: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bob Burton; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Series: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bob Burton; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pluck: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bob Burton; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXXVIII

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