Chapter 25 of Helping Himself is here in full — 62 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXV
Chapter 25 of Helping Himself is here in full — 62 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Abner!” The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing. “What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard. “I want you to split some wood for the stove.” “I'm tired,” drawled the boy.
Chapter 25 of Helping Himself is here in full — 62 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/12 · 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.
made of calico or resembling calico in being patterned
From this reading “The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.”
a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area
From this reading “The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.”
past form of “drawl” — lengthen and slow down or draw out
From this reading ““I'm tired,” drawled the boy.”
very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
From this reading “The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.”
enter into a log, as on ships and planes
From this reading ““What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.”
plural of “overall” — (usually plural) work clothing consisting of denim trousers (usually with a bib and shoulder straps)
From this reading ““What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.”
separate into parts or portions
From this reading ““I want you to split some wood for the stove.””
a kitchen appliance used for cooking food
From this reading ““I want you to split some wood for the stove.””
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 The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Abner!”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
a youthful male person
From this reading “What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.
small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
made of calico or resembling calico in being patterned
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.
a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
past form of “drawl” — lengthen and slow down or draw out
From this reading “I'm tired,” drawled the boy.
put on clothes
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “I want you to split some wood for the stove.”
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.
very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I want you to split some wood for the stove.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I'm tired,” drawled the boy.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
enter into a log, as on ships and planes
From this reading “What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.
plural of “overall” — (usually plural) work clothing consisting of denim trousers (usually with a bib and shoulder straps)
From this reading “What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading “What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading “What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading “I want you to split some wood for the stove.”
someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
separate into parts or portions
From this reading “I want you to split some wood for the stove.”
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
a kitchen appliance used for cooking food
From this reading “I want you to split some wood for the stove.”
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading “I'm tired,” drawled the boy.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I want you to split some wood for the stove.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
relating to or characteristic of the western parts of the world or the West as opposed to the eastern or oriental parts
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.
which person or people
From this reading “What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman, in a loose, faded, calico dress, and she stood at the door of a cabin in a Western clearing.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading “I want you to split some wood for the stove.”
a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading “What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What yer want?” came as a reply from a tall, unhealthy-looking boy in overalls, who was sitting on a log in the yard.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I want you to split some wood for the stove.”
Chapter 25 of Helping Himself by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 62 sentences, grouped into 13 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 25 holds 62 sentences of Helping Himself, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 25 of Helping Himself by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 62 sentences, grouped into 13 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 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 13 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 25 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.
