Chapter 39 of Jed, the Poorhouse Boy is here in full — 76 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXIX
Chapter 39 of Jed, the Poorhouse Boy is here in full — 76 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
GUY FENWICK'S DEFEAT. Sir Guy Fenwick sat in his handsome apartment at the Brevoort House. He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable. "Jane Gilman was to have called this morning. She ought to be here now," he muttered, consulting his watch.
Chapter 39 of Jed, the Poorhouse Boy is here in full — 76 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/15 · 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.
conforming to your own liking or feelings or nature
From this reading “He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.”
the coloring of a person's face
From this reading “He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.”
-ing form of “consult” — get or ask advice from
From this reading “She ought to be here now," he muttered, consulting his watch.”
an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
From this reading “GUY FENWICK'S DEFEAT.”
United States feminist (1860-1935)
From this reading “"Jane Gilman was to have called this morning.”
an informal term for a youth or man
From this reading “GUY FENWICK'S DEFEAT.”
similarity in appearance or external or superficial details
From this reading “He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.”
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading “He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.”
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 “He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.”
In this reading “He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.”
In this reading “He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.”
In this reading “He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.”
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 He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
conforming to your own liking or feelings or nature
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house
From this reading Sir Guy Fenwick sat in his handsome apartment at the Brevoort House.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Sir Guy Fenwick sat in his handsome apartment at the Brevoort House.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She ought to be here now," he muttered, consulting his watch.
relevant relation or interconnection
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sir Guy Fenwick sat in his handsome apartment at the Brevoort House.
make by combining materials and parts
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "Jane Gilman was to have called this morning.
the coloring of a person's face
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
-ing form of “consult” — get or ask advice from
From this reading She ought to be here now," he muttered, consulting his watch.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
From this reading GUY FENWICK'S DEFEAT.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sir Guy Fenwick sat in his handsome apartment at the Brevoort House.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading GUY FENWICK'S DEFEAT.
United States feminist (1860-1935)
From this reading "Jane Gilman was to have called this morning.
an informal term for a youth or man
From this reading GUY FENWICK'S DEFEAT.
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
From this reading Sir Guy Fenwick sat in his handsome apartment at the Brevoort House.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Jane Gilman was to have called this morning.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading She ought to be here now," he muttered, consulting his watch.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Sir Guy Fenwick sat in his handsome apartment at the Brevoort House.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Sir Guy Fenwick sat in his handsome apartment at the Brevoort House.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Sir Guy Fenwick sat in his handsome apartment at the Brevoort House.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Jane Gilman was to have called this morning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading "Jane Gilman was to have called this morning.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading She ought to be here now," he muttered, consulting his watch.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading She ought to be here now," he muttered, consulting his watch.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading She ought to be here now," he muttered, consulting his watch.
similarity in appearance or external or superficial details
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Sir Guy Fenwick sat in his handsome apartment at the Brevoort House.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She ought to be here now," he muttered, consulting his watch.
term of address for a man
From this reading Sir Guy Fenwick sat in his handsome apartment at the Brevoort House.
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Sir Guy Fenwick sat in his handsome apartment at the Brevoort House.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Jane Gilman was to have called this morning.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
precisely as stated
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was of slender build and dark complexion, bearing a very slight resemblance to Jed, but his expression was much less agreeable.
look attentively
From this reading She ought to be here now," he muttered, consulting his watch.
Chapter 39 of Jed, the Poorhouse Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 76 sentences, grouped into 16 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 39 holds 76 sentences of Jed, the Poorhouse Boy, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 39 of Jed, the Poorhouse Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 76 sentences, grouped into 16 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 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 16 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 39 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.
