Chapter 6 of Chapters from My Autobiography is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of Chapters from My Autobiography is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
[Sidenote: (1854.)] I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times. I don't know what Dick got, but it was probably only uncashable promises. [Sidenote: (1856.)]
Chapter 6 of Chapters from My Autobiography is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
a fractional monetary unit of several countries
From this reading “I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.”
the act of gathering something together
From this reading “I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.”
someone who is a detective
From this reading “I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.”
Sauk leader who aided the United States against Black Hawk (1790-1848)
From this reading “I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.”
(Greek mythology) a giant Boeotian hunter who pursued the Pleiades and was eventually slain by Artemis; was then placed in the sky as a constellation
From this reading “I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.”
plural of “promise” — a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future
From this reading “I don't know what Dick got, but it was probably only uncashable promises.”
a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading “I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.”
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading “I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [Sidenote: (1854.)]
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [Sidenote: (1856.)]
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
any thing at all
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
a fractional monetary unit of several countries
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
the act of gathering something together
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
someone who is a detective
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don't know what Dick got, but it was probably only uncashable promises.
at any time
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I don't know what Dick got, but it was probably only uncashable promises.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I don't know what Dick got, but it was probably only uncashable promises.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
Sauk leader who aided the United States against Black Hawk (1790-1848)
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I don't know what Dick got, but it was probably only uncashable promises.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
and nothing more
From this reading I don't know what Dick got, but it was probably only uncashable promises.
(Greek mythology) a giant Boeotian hunter who pursued the Pleiades and was eventually slain by Artemis; was then placed in the sky as a constellation
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading I don't know what Dick got, but it was probably only uncashable promises.
plural of “promise” — a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future
From this reading I don't know what Dick got, but it was probably only uncashable promises.
express in words
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [Sidenote: (1854.)]
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don't know what Dick got, but it was probably only uncashable promises.
a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I don't know what Dick got, but it was probably only uncashable promises.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
a late time of life
From this reading I worked in that little job-office in Keokuk as much as two years, I should say, without ever collecting a cent of wages, for Orion was never able to pay anything--but Dick Higham and I had good times.
Chapter 6 of Chapters from My Autobiography by Mark Twain holds 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 6 holds 422 sentences of Chapters from My Autobiography, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of Chapters from My Autobiography by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 6 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 Chapters from My Autobiography by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5069 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19987 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #19987, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 422 minutes of reading across 1014 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Chapters from My Autobiography section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Chapters from My Autobiography 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 Chapters from My Autobiography, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
