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Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America
Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America is here in full — 393 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Samuel Hopkins Adams • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America
Context Illustration Reading 1/78 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BOSS,” said Andrew Galpin.
He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.
A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.
The regard with which he favored his chief was both affectionate and quizzical.
“Well?” queried Jeremy.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America is here in full — 393 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/78 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BOSS,” said Andrew Galpin.
Line 2
He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.
Line 3
A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.
Line 4
The regard with which he favored his chief was both affectionate and quizzical.
/ðə rɪˈɡɑːrd wɪð wɪtʃ hiː ˈfeɪvərd hɪz tʃiːf wɑːz boʊθ əˈfekʃənət ənd ˈkwɪzəkəl/
Line 5
“Well?” queried Jeremy.

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.

Andrew noun US /ˈændruː/

(New Testament) disciple of Jesus; brother of Peter; patron saint of Scotland

From this reading “BOSS,” said Andrew Galpin.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boss noun US /bɑːs/

a person who exercises control over workers

From this reading “BOSS,” said Andrew Galpin.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fan verb US /fæn/

strike out (a batter), (of a pitcher)

From this reading “A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
favored adjective US /ˈfeɪvərd/

preferred above all others and treated with partiality

From this reading “The regard with which he favored his chief was both affectionate and quizzical.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
perched verb US /pɜːrtʃt/

past form of “perch” — sit, as on a branch

From this reading “He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
plied verb US /plaɪd/

inflected form of “ply” — give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance

From this reading “A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
queried verb US /ˈkwɪrid/

inflected form of “query” — pose a question

From this reading ““Well?” queried Jeremy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
quizzical adjective US /ˈkwɪzəkəl/

playfully vexing (especially by ridicule)

From this reading “The regard with which he favored his chief was both affectionate and quizzical.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

long legs adjective + noun

In this reading “He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.”

1,958 times in 225,867 chapters
copy of verb + particle

In this reading “A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.”

17,406 times in 225,867 chapters
spell of verb + particle

In this reading “A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.”

6,136 times in 225,867 chapters
come in verb + particle

to come or go into

In this reading “He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.”

147,741 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 51

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.

1914

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

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

Pending verification
adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
affectionateadjectiveUS /əˈfekʃənət/

having or displaying warmth or affection

From this reading The regard with which he favored his chief was both affectionate and quizzical.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AndrewnounUS /ˈændruː/

(New Testament) disciple of Jesus; brother of Peter; patron saint of Scotland

From this reading BOSS,” said Andrew Galpin.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BOSSnounUS /bɑːs/

a person who exercises control over workers

From this reading BOSS,” said Andrew Galpin.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading The regard with which he favored his chief was both affectionate and quizzical.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
chiefnounUS /tʃiːf/

a person who is in charge

From this reading The regard with which he favored his chief was both affectionate and quizzical.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
copynounUS /ˈkɑːpi/

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

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
day'snounUS /deɪz/

possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desknounUS /desk/

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fanverbUS /fæn/

strike out (a batter), (of a pitcher)

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
favoredadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪvərd/

preferred above all others and treated with partiality

From this reading The regard with which he favored his chief was both affectionate and quizzical.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
foldedverbUS /ˈfoʊldəd/

past form of “fold” — bend or lay so that one part covers the other

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Galpin

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

From this reading BOSS,” said Andrew Galpin.

Pending verification
GuardiannounUS /ˈɡɑːrdiən/

a person who cares for persons or property

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Jeremy

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

From this reading “Well?” queried Jeremy.

Pending verification
Jeremy's

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

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

Pending verification
JunenounUS /dʒuːn/

the month following May and preceding July

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
languidlyadverb

in a languid and lethargic manner

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
legsnounUS /leɡz/

staying power

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
perchedverbUS /pɜːrtʃt/

past form of “perch” — sit, as on a branch

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pliedverbUS /plaɪd/

inflected form of “ply” — give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
queriedverbUS /ˈkwɪrid/

inflected form of “query” — pose a question

From this reading “Well?” queried Jeremy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
quizzicaladjectiveUS /ˈkwɪzəkəl/

playfully vexing (especially by ridicule)

From this reading The regard with which he favored his chief was both affectionate and quizzical.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
regardnounUS /rɪˈɡɑːrd/

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading The regard with which he favored his chief was both affectionate and quizzical.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading BOSS,” said Andrew Galpin.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
servedverbUS /sɜːrvd/

past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spellverbUS /spel/

orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
swingingnounUS /ˈswɪŋɪŋ/

changing location by moving back and forth

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading He had come in and perched himself upon a corner of Jeremy’s desk, swinging his long legs.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading “Well?” queried Jeremy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading A folded copy of that day’s Guardian served him for a fan, which he plied languidly, for it was the early hot spell of June, 1914.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The regard with which he favored his chief was both affectionate and quizzical.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 20 of Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America by Samuel Hopkins Adams holds 393 sentences, grouped into 79 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 Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America contain?

Chapter 20 holds 393 sentences of Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America by Samuel Hopkins Adams exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 393 sentences, grouped into 79 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 Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America?

Work through the 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 79 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 Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America

Common questions about reading Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America by Samuel Hopkins Adams on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America?

Yes. All 10323 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55400 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55400, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2065 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America section by section

How to work through Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America

Words and structures a reader meets early in Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Novel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
America
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Illustrations
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Arthur
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Common Cause: A Novel of the War in America; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.