Chapter 9 of Helping Himself is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Helping Himself is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office. He had in his hand a well-worn valise containing his small stock of clothing. The broker was just leaving the office for the Stock Exchange as Grant entered. “So you are punctual,” he said, smiling. “Yes, sir, I always on time.”
Chapter 9 of Helping Himself is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/21 · 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 businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission
From this reading “The broker was just leaving the office for the Stock Exchange as Grant entered.”
a covering designed to be worn on a person's body
From this reading “He had in his hand a well-worn valise containing his small stock of clothing.”
-ing form of “contain” — include or contain; have as a component
From this reading “He had in his hand a well-worn valise containing his small stock of clothing.”
chemical process in which one atom or ion or group changes places with another
From this reading “The broker was just leaving the office for the Stock Exchange as Grant entered.”
let have
From this reading “Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office.”
acting or arriving or performed exactly at the time appointed
From this reading ““So you are punctual,” he said, smiling.”
English portrait painter and first president of the Royal Academy (1723-1792)
From this reading “Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office.”
the capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares entitling holders to an ownership interest
From this reading “He had in his hand a well-worn valise containing his small stock of clothing.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He had in his hand a well-worn valise containing his small stock of clothing.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading “Yes, sir, I always on time.”
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “So you are punctual,” he said, smiling.
accomplishment of an objective
From this reading Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The broker was just leaving the office for the Stock Exchange as Grant entered.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office.
a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission
From this reading The broker was just leaving the office for the Stock Exchange as Grant entered.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office.
a covering designed to be worn on a person's body
From this reading He had in his hand a well-worn valise containing his small stock of clothing.
-ing form of “contain” — include or contain; have as a component
From this reading He had in his hand a well-worn valise containing his small stock of clothing.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading The broker was just leaving the office for the Stock Exchange as Grant entered.
chemical process in which one atom or ion or group changes places with another
From this reading The broker was just leaving the office for the Stock Exchange as Grant entered.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The broker was just leaving the office for the Stock Exchange as Grant entered.
let have
From this reading Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had in his hand a well-worn valise containing his small stock of clothing.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He had in his hand a well-worn valise containing his small stock of clothing.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had in his hand a well-worn valise containing his small stock of clothing.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Yes, sir, I always on time.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office.
and nothing more
From this reading The broker was just leaving the office for the Stock Exchange as Grant entered.
the act of departing
From this reading The broker was just leaving the office for the Stock Exchange as Grant entered.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had in his hand a well-worn valise containing his small stock of clothing.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office.
on one occasion
From this reading Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office.
acting or arriving or performed exactly at the time appointed
From this reading “So you are punctual,” he said, smiling.
English portrait painter and first president of the Royal Academy (1723-1792)
From this reading Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “So you are punctual,” he said, smiling.
term of address for a man
From this reading “Yes, sir, I always on time.”
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He had in his hand a well-worn valise containing his small stock of clothing.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading “So you are punctual,” he said, smiling.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “So you are punctual,” he said, smiling.
the capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares entitling holders to an ownership interest
From this reading He had in his hand a well-worn valise containing his small stock of clothing.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading “Yes, sir, I always on time.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office.
a small overnight bag for short trips
From this reading He had in his hand a well-worn valise containing his small stock of clothing.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The broker was just leaving the office for the Stock Exchange as Grant entered.
showing signs of much wear or use
From this reading He had in his hand a well-worn valise containing his small stock of clothing.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office.
an affirmative
From this reading “Yes, sir, I always on time.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “So you are punctual,” he said, smiling.
Chapter 9 of Helping Himself by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 107 sentences, grouped into 22 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 9 holds 107 sentences of Helping Himself, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Helping Himself by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 107 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 9 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 Helping Himself by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4051 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5833 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5833, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 337 minutes of reading across 811 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Helping Himself section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of Helping Himself 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 Helping Himself, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
