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Grit
Grit

Chapter XXXV

Chapter 35 of Grit is here in full — 69 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Grit
Context Illustration Reading 1/13 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
DANIEL CALLS AT THE PARKER HOUSE.
It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."
"I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.
"It is time he was here.
Have I done rightly in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men?
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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.

Grit

Chapter XXXV

Chapter 35 of Grit is here in full — 69 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
DANIEL CALLS AT THE PARKER HOUSE.
/ˈdænjəl kɔːlz æt ðə ˈpɑːrkər haʊs/
Line 2
It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."
Line 3
"I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.
/aɪ hoʊp ˈnʌθɪŋ hæz ˈhæpənd tuː ðə bɔɪ hiː sed tuː hɪmˈself əˈniːzəli æz hiː druː aʊt hɪz wɑːtʃ/
Line 4
"It is time he was here.
/ɪt ɪz taɪm hiː wɑːz hiːr/
Line 5
Have I done rightly in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men?
/hæv aɪ dʌn ˈraɪtli ɪn ˈliːvɪŋ hɪm ɪn ðə ˈklʌtʃəz ʌv ə ˈkʌmpəniː ʌv ənˈprɪnsəpəld men/

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.

Baker noun US /ˈbeɪkər/

someone who bakes commercially

From this reading “It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."”

Benjamin noun US /ˈbendʒəmən/

gum resin used especially in treating skin irritation

From this reading “It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."”

clutches noun US /ˈklʌtʃəz/

the act of grasping

From this reading “Have I done rightly in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men?”

parker noun US /ˈpɑːrkər/

United States saxophonist and leader of the bop style of jazz (1920-1955)

From this reading “DANIEL CALLS AT THE PARKER HOUSE.”

Parker's noun US /ˈpɑːrkərz/

possessive form of “parker” — United States saxophonist and leader of the bop style of jazz (1920-1955)

From this reading “It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."”

rightly adverb US /ˈraɪtli/

with honesty

From this reading “Have I done rightly in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men?”

uneasily adverb US /əˈniːzəli/

with anxiety or apprehension

From this reading “"I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.”

unprincipled adjective US /ənˈprɪnsəpəld/

lacking principles or moral scruples

From this reading “Have I done rightly in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men?”

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.

sat smoking noun + noun

In this reading “It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."”

in the forenoon preposition + article + noun counted as “in … forenoon”

In this reading “It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."”

All words in this reading · 58

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 It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading DANIEL CALLS AT THE PARKER HOUSE.

BakernounUS /ˈbeɪkər/

someone who bakes commercially

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

BenjaminnounUS /ˈbendʒəmən/

gum resin used especially in treating skin irritation

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading "I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.

CALLSnounUS /kɔːlz/

plural of “call” — a telephone connection

From this reading DANIEL CALLS AT THE PARKER HOUSE.

cigarnounUS /sɪˈɡɑːr/

a roll of tobacco for smoking

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

clutchesnounUS /ˈklʌtʃəz/

the act of grasping

From this reading Have I done rightly in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men?

companynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading Have I done rightly in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men?

DANIELnounUS /ˈdænjəl/

(Old Testament) a youth who was taken into the court of Nebuchadnezzar and given divine protection when thrown into a den of lions (6th century BC)

From this reading DANIEL CALLS AT THE PARKER HOUSE.

detectivenounUS /dɪˈtektɪv/

a police officer who investigates crimes

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading Have I done rightly in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men?

drewnounUS /druː/

United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)

From this reading "I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.

famousadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪməs/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

forenoonnoun

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

half-past

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

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading "I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading "I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.

Haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Have I done rightly in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men?

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

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

From this reading "It is time he was here.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Have I done rightly in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men?

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

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

From this reading "I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading "I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading "I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.

hotelnounUS /hoʊˈtel/

a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

HOUSEnounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading DANIEL CALLS AT THE PARKER HOUSE.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "It is time he was here.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading Have I done rightly in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men?

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Have I done rightly in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men?

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

ninenounUS /naɪn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading "I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Have I done rightly in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men?

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.

PARKERnounUS /ˈpɑːrkər/

United States saxophonist and leader of the bop style of jazz (1920-1955)

From this reading DANIEL CALLS AT THE PARKER HOUSE.

Parker'snounUS /ˈpɑːrkərz/

possessive form of “parker” — United States saxophonist and leader of the bop style of jazz (1920-1955)

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

rightlyadverbUS /ˈraɪtli/

with honesty

From this reading Have I done rightly in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men?

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

SchoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

smokingnounUS /ˈsmoʊkɪŋ/

the act of smoking tobacco or other substances

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

StreetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading DANIEL CALLS AT THE PARKER HOUSE.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading "It is time he was here.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.

uneasilyadverbUS /əˈniːzəli/

with anxiety or apprehension

From this reading "I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.

unprincipledadjectiveUS /ənˈprɪnsəpəld/

lacking principles or moral scruples

From this reading Have I done rightly in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men?

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading "I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch.

Chapter 35 of Grit by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 69 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 35 of Grit contain?

Chapter 35 holds 69 sentences of Grit, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 35 of Grit by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 69 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 35 of Grit?

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 35 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 35 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 Grit

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

Is this the complete text of Grit?

Yes. All 4300 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54195 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Grit is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #54195, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Grit take to read?

About 358 minutes of reading across 860 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Grit section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of Grit to begin.

  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 Grit

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

Mother
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Grit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Speaker
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Grit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sturdy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Grit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thick-set
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Grit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.