Chapter 26 of Jed, the Poorhouse Boy is here in full — 124 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of Jed, the Poorhouse Boy is here in full — 124 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN INTRACTABLE AGENT. The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds. He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face. Mr. Higgins shrank back as if fearful of a personal assault, and inquired in uneasy tones: "Who are you, my friend?"
Chapter 26 of Jed, the Poorhouse Boy is here in full — 124 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/24 · 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.
close fighting during the culmination of a military attack
From this reading “Mr. Higgins shrank back as if fearful of a personal assault, and inquired in uneasy tones:”
a person who is markedly small
From this reading “He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of thirteen and one
From this reading “He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.”
French poet and novelist and dramatist; leader of the romantic movement in France (1802-1885)
From this reading “He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.”
not tractable; difficult to manage or mold
From this reading “AN INTRACTABLE AGENT.”
inflected form of “shrink” — wither, as with a loss of moisture
From this reading “Mr. Higgins shrank back as if fearful of a personal assault, and inquired in uneasy tones:”
of imposing height; especially standing out above others
From this reading “He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.”
careful consideration
From this reading “The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.”
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.
pull away from a source of disgust or fear
In this reading “Mr. Higgins shrank back as if fearful of a personal assault, and inquired in uneasy tones:”
being ten more than one hundred ninety
In this reading “The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.”
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 new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.
higher than, or over, something
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect
From this reading AN INTRACTABLE AGENT.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN INTRACTABLE AGENT.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Who are you, my friend?"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Mr. Higgins shrank back as if fearful of a personal assault, and inquired in uneasy tones:
close fighting during the culmination of a military attack
From this reading Mr. Higgins shrank back as if fearful of a personal assault, and inquired in uneasy tones:
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Mr. Higgins shrank back as if fearful of a personal assault, and inquired in uneasy tones:
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
a person who is markedly small
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
experiencing or showing fear
From this reading Mr. Higgins shrank back as if fearful of a personal assault, and inquired in uneasy tones:
a hand with the fingers clenched in the palm (as for hitting)
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
the cardinal number that is the sum of thirteen and one
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading "Who are you, my friend?"
a person of German nationality
From this reading The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
French poet and novelist and dramatist; leader of the romantic movement in France (1802-1885)
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
ten 10s
From this reading The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Mr. Higgins shrank back as if fearful of a personal assault, and inquired in uneasy tones:
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
plural of “inch” — a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading Mr. Higgins shrank back as if fearful of a personal assault, and inquired in uneasy tones:
not tractable; difficult to manage or mold
From this reading AN INTRACTABLE AGENT.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Mr. Higgins shrank back as if fearful of a personal assault, and inquired in uneasy tones:
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Who are you, my friend?"
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mr. Higgins shrank back as if fearful of a personal assault, and inquired in uneasy tones:
concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality
From this reading Mr. Higgins shrank back as if fearful of a personal assault, and inquired in uneasy tones:
plural of “pound” — 16 ounces avoirdupois
From this reading The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
inflected form of “shrink” — wither, as with a loss of moisture
From this reading Mr. Higgins shrank back as if fearful of a personal assault, and inquired in uneasy tones:
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading Mr. Higgins shrank back as if fearful of a personal assault, and inquired in uneasy tones:
of imposing height; especially standing out above others
From this reading He approached Hugo Higgins, towering above the dwarf by at least fourteen inches, and shook his fist in his face.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.
lacking a sense of security or affording no ease or reassurance
From this reading Mr. Higgins shrank back as if fearful of a personal assault, and inquired in uneasy tones:
someone who visits
From this reading The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.
careful consideration
From this reading The new visitor was a large man, evidently a German, weighing not less than two hundred pounds.
which person or people
From this reading "Who are you, my friend?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Who are you, my friend?"
Chapter 26 of Jed, the Poorhouse Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 124 sentences, grouped into 25 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 26 holds 124 sentences of Jed, the Poorhouse Boy, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of Jed, the Poorhouse Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 124 sentences, grouped into 25 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 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 25 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 26 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 Jed, the Poorhouse Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5160 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54350 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54350, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 430 minutes of reading across 1032 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Jed, the Poorhouse Boy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Jed, the Poorhouse Boy 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 Jed, the Poorhouse Boy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
