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Jack's Ward
Jack's Ward

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Jack's Ward is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Jack's Ward
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SEVEN YEARS Seven years slipped by unmarked by any important change.
The Hardings were still prosperous in an humble way.
The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.
They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.
The little Ida must have everything she wanted.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Jack's Ward

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Jack's Ward is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
SEVEN YEARS Seven years slipped by unmarked by any important change.
/ˈsevən jɪrz ˈsevən jɪrz slɪpt baɪ ənˈmɑːrkt baɪ ˈeni ˌɪmˈpɔːrtənt tʃeɪndʒ/
Line 2
The Hardings were still prosperous in an humble way.
Line 3
The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.
/ðə ˈkuːpər hæd bɪn ˈeɪbəl tuː əbˈteɪn wɜːrk moʊst ʌv ðə taɪm ənd ðɪs wɪð ðə ˈænjuːəl riˈmɪtəns fɔːr ˈlɪtəl ˈaɪdə hæd eˈneɪbəld ðə ˈfæməli nɑːt ˈoʊnli tuː laɪv ɪn ˈkʌmfərt bʌt ˈiːvɪn tuː seɪv ʌp wʌn ˈhʌndrəd ənd ˈfɪfti ˈdɑːlərz ə jɪr/
Line 4
They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.
/ðeɪ maɪt ˈiːvɪn hæv seɪvd mɔːr ˈlɪvɪŋ æz ˈfruːɡəli æz ðeɪ wɜːr əˈkʌstəmd tuː duː bʌt ðer wɑːz wʌn pɔɪnt ɪn wɪtʃ ðeɪ wʊd nʌn ʌv ðem kənˈsent tuː biː ˌekəˈnɑːmɪkəl/
Line 5
The little Ida must have everything she wanted.
/ðə ˈlɪtəl ˈaɪdə mʌst hæv ˈevriθɪŋ ʃiː ˈwɔːntɪd/

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.

annual adjective US /ˈænjuːəl/

completing its life cycle within a year

From this reading “The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.”

cooper noun US /ˈkuːpər/

United States industrialist who built the first American locomotive; founded Cooper Union in New York City to offer free courses in the arts and sciences (1791-1883)

From this reading “The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.”

economical adjective US /ˌekəˈnɑːmɪkəl/

using the minimum of time or resources necessary for effectiveness

From this reading “They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.”

frugally adverb US /ˈfruːɡəli/

in a frugal manner

From this reading “They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.”

Ida noun US /ˈaɪdə/

an agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank

From this reading “The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.”

prosperous adjective US /ˈprɑːspərəs/

in fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich

From this reading “The Hardings were still prosperous in an humble way.”

remittance noun US /riˈmɪtəns/

a payment of money sent to a person in another place

From this reading “The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.”

unmarked adjective US /ənˈmɑːrkt/

not having an identifying mark

From this reading “SEVEN YEARS Seven years slipped by unmarked by any important change.”

All words in this reading · 75

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 The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

ableadjectiveUS /ˈeɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

accustomedadjectiveUS /əˈkʌstəmd/

commonly used or practiced; usual

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The Hardings were still prosperous in an humble way.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

annualadjectiveUS /ˈænjuːəl/

completing its life cycle within a year

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading SEVEN YEARS Seven years slipped by unmarked by any important change.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading SEVEN YEARS Seven years slipped by unmarked by any important change.

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading SEVEN YEARS Seven years slipped by unmarked by any important change.

comfortnounUS /ˈkʌmfərt/

a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

consentnounUS /kənˈsent/

permission to do something

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

coopernounUS /ˈkuːpər/

United States industrialist who built the first American locomotive; founded Cooper Union in New York City to offer free courses in the arts and sciences (1791-1883)

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

dollarsnounUS /ˈdɑːlərz/

plural of “dollar” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

economicaladjectiveUS /ˌekəˈnɑːmɪkəl/

using the minimum of time or resources necessary for effectiveness

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

enabledverbUS /eˈneɪbəld/

past form of “enable” — render capable or able for some task

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading The little Ida must have everything she wanted.

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

fiftynounUS /ˈfɪfti/

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

frugallyadverbUS /ˈfruːɡəli/

in a frugal manner

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

Hardings

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

From this reading The Hardings were still prosperous in an humble way.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

humbleadjectiveUS /ˈhʌmbəl/

low or inferior in station or quality

From this reading The Hardings were still prosperous in an humble way.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

IdanounUS /ˈaɪdə/

an agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

importantadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

of great significance or value

From this reading SEVEN YEARS Seven years slipped by unmarked by any important change.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The Hardings were still prosperous in an humble way.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading The little Ida must have everything she wanted.

nonepronounUS /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

obtainverbUS /əbˈteɪn/

come into possession of

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

prosperousadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːspərəs/

in fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich

From this reading The Hardings were still prosperous in an humble way.

remittancenounUS /riˈmɪtəns/

a payment of money sent to a person in another place

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

savedadjectiveUS /seɪvd/

rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

SEVENnounUS /ˈsevən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading SEVEN YEARS Seven years slipped by unmarked by any important change.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The little Ida must have everything she wanted.

slippedverbUS /slɪpt/

inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily

From this reading SEVEN YEARS Seven years slipped by unmarked by any important change.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading The Hardings were still prosperous in an humble way.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Hardings were still prosperous in an humble way.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

unmarkedadjectiveUS /ənˈmɑːrkt/

not having an identifying mark

From this reading SEVEN YEARS Seven years slipped by unmarked by any important change.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading The little Ida must have everything she wanted.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading The Hardings were still prosperous in an humble way.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The Hardings were still prosperous in an humble way.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading They might even have saved more, living as frugally as they were accustomed to do, but there was one point in which they would none of them consent to be economical.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading The cooper had been able to obtain work most of the time, and this, with the annual remittance for little Ida, had enabled the family not only to live in comfort, but even to save up one hundred and fifty dollars a year.

YEARSnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading SEVEN YEARS Seven years slipped by unmarked by any important change.

Chapter 12 of Jack's Ward by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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 12 of Jack's Ward contain?

Chapter 12 holds 131 sentences of Jack's Ward, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Jack's Ward by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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 12 of Jack's Ward?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Jack's Ward

Common questions about reading Jack's Ward by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Jack's Ward?

Yes. All 3966 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10729 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Jack's Ward is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #10729, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Jack's Ward take to read?

About 330 minutes of reading across 794 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Jack's Ward section by section

How to work through Jack's Ward section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 36 chapters of Jack's Ward 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 Jack's Ward

Words and structures a reader meets early in Jack's Ward, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Horse
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Jack's Ward; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Minutes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Jack's Ward; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Asked
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Jack's Ward; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gentleman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Jack's Ward; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.