Chapter 20 of Hiram in the Middle West is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Hiram in the Middle West is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting. After the passing of the rain and the terrible gale of wind the whole countryside seemed very quiet. This raucous voice could have been heard a mile: "Fire! Fire!"
Chapter 20 of Hiram in the Middle West is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/29 · 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.
an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each
From this reading “A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.”
rural regions
From this reading “After the passing of the rain and the terrible gale of wind the whole countryside seemed very quiet.”
separated into parts or pieces
From this reading “A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.”
a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale
From this reading “After the passing of the rain and the terrible gale of wind the whole countryside seemed very quiet.”
unpleasantly loud and harsh
From this reading “This raucous voice could have been heard a mile:”
encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators
From this reading “A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.”
take away possessions from someone
From this reading “A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.”
land that is covered with trees and shrubs
From this reading “A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.”
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.
In this reading “After the passing of the rain and the terrible gale of wind the whole countryside seemed very quiet.”
In this reading “A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.”
In this reading “A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.”
In this reading “After the passing of the rain and the terrible gale of wind the whole countryside seemed very quiet.”
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 A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
later than; following
From this reading After the passing of the rain and the terrible gale of wind the whole countryside seemed very quiet.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading This raucous voice could have been heard a mile:
earlier than; in front of
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading This raucous voice could have been heard a mile:
rural regions
From this reading After the passing of the rain and the terrible gale of wind the whole countryside seemed very quiet.
separated into parts or pieces
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
start firing a weapon
From this reading "Fire!
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale
From this reading After the passing of the rain and the terrible gale of wind the whole countryside seemed very quiet.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading This raucous voice could have been heard a mile:
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading This raucous voice could have been heard a mile:
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading After the passing of the rain and the terrible gale of wind the whole countryside seemed very quiet.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
affix in a public place or for public notice
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading After the passing of the rain and the terrible gale of wind the whole countryside seemed very quiet.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading After the passing of the rain and the terrible gale of wind the whole countryside seemed very quiet.
unpleasantly loud and harsh
From this reading This raucous voice could have been heard a mile:
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading After the passing of the rain and the terrible gale of wind the whole countryside seemed very quiet.
encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
a person, without saying who
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
take away possessions from someone
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading After the passing of the rain and the terrible gale of wind the whole countryside seemed very quiet.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This raucous voice could have been heard a mile:
precisely as stated
From this reading After the passing of the rain and the terrible gale of wind the whole countryside seemed very quiet.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading This raucous voice could have been heard a mile:
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading After the passing of the rain and the terrible gale of wind the whole countryside seemed very quiet.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading After the passing of the rain and the terrible gale of wind the whole countryside seemed very quiet.
land that is covered with trees and shrubs
From this reading A BARGAIN Before Hiram Strong and Orrin Post reached the strip of woodland that divided the open field of Sunnyside from the old Pringle place they heard somebody shouting.
Chapter 20 of Hiram in the Middle West by Burbank L. Todd holds 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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.
Chapter 20 holds 149 sentences of Hiram in the Middle West, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Hiram in the Middle West by Burbank L. Todd exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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 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.
Common questions about reading Hiram in the Middle West by Burbank L. Todd on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4253 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75408 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #75408, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 354 minutes of reading across 851 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Hiram in the Middle West section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of Hiram in the Middle West 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 Hiram in the Middle West, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
