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Her Benny: A Story of Street Life
Her Benny: A Story of Street Life

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of Her Benny: A Story of Street Life is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Her Benny: A Story of Street Life
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Border Land.
For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?
For since encircled by Thy arm, I never felt Thee half so near.
Joe Wrag was in great trouble when he heard of Benny's misfortune.
Granny was the first to make him acquainted with the fact that something was wrong.
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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.

Her Benny: A Story of Street Life

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of Her Benny: A Story of Street Life is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Border Land.
/ðə ˈbɔːrdər lænd/
Line 2
For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?
/fɔːr sɪns ðaɪ hænd hæθ led miː hiːr ənd aɪ hæv siːn ðə ˈbɔːrdər lænd siːn ðə dɑːrk ˈrɪvər ˈfloʊɪŋ nɪr stʊd ɑːn ɪts bæŋk æz naʊ aɪ stænd ðer hæz bɪn ˈnʌθɪŋ tuː əˈlɑːrm maɪ ˈtrembəlɪŋ soʊl waɪ ʃʊd aɪ fɪr/
Line 3
For since encircled by Thy arm, I never felt Thee half so near.
/fɔːr sɪns ɪnˈsɜːrkəld baɪ ðaɪ ɑːrm aɪ ˈnevər felt ðiː hæf soʊ nɪr/
Line 4
Joe Wrag was in great trouble when he heard of Benny's misfortune.
Line 5
Granny was the first to make him acquainted with the fact that something was wrong.
/ˈɡræni wɑːz ðə fɜːrst tuː meɪk hɪm əˈkweɪntɪd wɪð ðə fækt ðæt ˈsʌmθɪŋ wɑːz rɔːŋ/

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.

acquainted adjective US /əˈkweɪntɪd/

having fair knowledge of

From this reading “Granny was the first to make him acquainted with the fact that something was wrong.”

alarm noun US /əˈlɑːrm/

fear resulting from the awareness of danger

From this reading “For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?”

border noun US /ˈbɔːrdər/

a line that indicates a boundary

From this reading “The Border Land.”

encircled adjective US /ɪnˈsɜːrkəld/

confined on all sides

From this reading “For since encircled by Thy arm, I never felt Thee half so near.”

flowing noun US /ˈfloʊɪŋ/

the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)

From this reading “For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?”

Granny noun US /ˈɡræni/

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading “Granny was the first to make him acquainted with the fact that something was wrong.”

misfortune noun US /mɪˈsfɔːrtʃən/

unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event

From this reading “Joe Wrag was in great trouble when he heard of Benny's misfortune.”

trembling noun US /ˈtrembəlɪŋ/

a shaky motion

From this reading “For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?”

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.

river flowing noun + noun

In this reading “For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?”

great trouble adjective + noun

In this reading “Joe Wrag was in great trouble when he heard of Benny's misfortune.”

Stood on verb + particle

In this reading “For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?”

All words in this reading · 68

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.

acquaintedadjectiveUS /əˈkweɪntɪd/

having fair knowledge of

From this reading Granny was the first to make him acquainted with the fact that something was wrong.

alarmnounUS /əˈlɑːrm/

fear resulting from the awareness of danger

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

armnounUS /ɑːrm/

a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb

From this reading For since encircled by Thy arm, I never felt Thee half so near.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

banknounUS /bæŋk/

sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

Benny's

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

From this reading Joe Wrag was in great trouble when he heard of Benny's misfortune.

BordernounUS /ˈbɔːrdər/

a line that indicates a boundary

From this reading The Border Land.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading For since encircled by Thy arm, I never felt Thee half so near.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

encircledadjectiveUS /ɪnˈsɜːrkəld/

confined on all sides

From this reading For since encircled by Thy arm, I never felt Thee half so near.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading Granny was the first to make him acquainted with the fact that something was wrong.

fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading For since encircled by Thy arm, I never felt Thee half so near.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Granny was the first to make him acquainted with the fact that something was wrong.

flowingnounUS /ˈfloʊɪŋ/

the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

GrannynounUS /ˈɡræni/

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading Granny was the first to make him acquainted with the fact that something was wrong.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Joe Wrag was in great trouble when he heard of Benny's misfortune.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading For since encircled by Thy arm, I never felt Thee half so near.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

hathauxiliary verbUS /hæθ/

an old form of “has”

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Joe Wrag was in great trouble when he heard of Benny's misfortune.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading Joe Wrag was in great trouble when he heard of Benny's misfortune.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

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

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Granny was the first to make him acquainted with the fact that something was wrong.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Joe Wrag was in great trouble when he heard of Benny's misfortune.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

Joe

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

From this reading Joe Wrag was in great trouble when he heard of Benny's misfortune.

LandnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading The Border Land.

lednounUS /led/

diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Granny was the first to make him acquainted with the fact that something was wrong.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

misfortunenounUS /mɪˈsfɔːrtʃən/

unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event

From this reading Joe Wrag was in great trouble when he heard of Benny's misfortune.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading For since encircled by Thy arm, I never felt Thee half so near.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Joe Wrag was in great trouble when he heard of Benny's misfortune.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading For since encircled by Thy arm, I never felt Thee half so near.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Granny was the first to make him acquainted with the fact that something was wrong.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

standverbUS /stænd/

be standing; be upright

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

StoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Granny was the first to make him acquainted with the fact that something was wrong.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Border Land.

TheepronounUS /ðiː/

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading For since encircled by Thy arm, I never felt Thee half so near.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

ThydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

tremblingnounUS /ˈtrembəlɪŋ/

a shaky motion

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading Joe Wrag was in great trouble when he heard of Benny's misfortune.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Joe Wrag was in great trouble when he heard of Benny's misfortune.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Joe Wrag was in great trouble when he heard of Benny's misfortune.

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading For since Thy hand hath led me here, And I have seen the border land,-- Seen the dark river flowing near, Stood on its bank as now I stand,-- There has been nothing to alarm My trembling soul; why should I fear?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Granny was the first to make him acquainted with the fact that something was wrong.

Wrag

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

From this reading Joe Wrag was in great trouble when he heard of Benny's misfortune.

wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading Granny was the first to make him acquainted with the fact that something was wrong.

Chapter 19 of Her Benny: A Story of Street Life by Silas K. (Silas Kitto) Hocking holds 171 sentences, grouped into 35 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 19 of Her Benny: A Story of Street Life contain?

Chapter 19 holds 171 sentences of Her Benny: A Story of Street Life, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of Her Benny: A Story of Street Life by Silas K. (Silas Kitto) Hocking exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 171 sentences, grouped into 35 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 19 of Her Benny: A Story of Street Life?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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 Her Benny: A Story of Street Life

Common questions about reading Her Benny: A Story of Street Life by Silas K. (Silas Kitto) Hocking on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Her Benny: A Story of Street Life?

Yes. All 3408 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43325 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Her Benny: A Story of Street Life is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #43325, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Her Benny: A Story of Street Life take to read?

About 284 minutes of reading across 682 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Her Benny: A Story of Street Life

Words and structures a reader meets early in Her Benny: A Story of Street Life, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Benny
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Her Benny: A Story of Street Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Her Benny: A Story of Street Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Street
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Her Benny: A Story of Street Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Her Benny: A Story of Street Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.