Chapter 20 of Joseph and His Friend is here in full — 158 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Joseph and His Friend is here in full — 158 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A CRISIS. Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him. The driver was the Reverend Mr. Chaffinch. He stopped as they met. "Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.
Chapter 20 of Joseph and His Friend is here in full — 158 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/31 · 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.
a small lightweight carriage; drawn by a single horse
From this reading “Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.”
a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church
From this reading “"Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.”
an unstable situation of extreme danger or difficulty
From this reading “A CRISIS.”
changed for (replaced by) something different
From this reading “"Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.”
plural of “greeting” — (usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)
From this reading “"Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.”
in an unhurried way or at one's convenience
From this reading “Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.”
a city in western California on San Francisco Bay opposite San Francisco; primarily and industrial urban center
From this reading “Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.”
a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church
From this reading “The driver was the Reverend Mr. Chaffinch.”
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 “Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.”
retrace one's course
In this reading “"Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.”
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 CRISIS.
later than; following
From this reading "Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He stopped as they met.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
a small lightweight carriage; drawn by a single horse
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
small European finch with a cheerful song
From this reading The driver was the Reverend Mr. Chaffinch.
a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church
From this reading "Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.
an unstable situation of extreme danger or difficulty
From this reading A CRISIS.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
the operator of a motor vehicle
From this reading The driver was the Reverend Mr. Chaffinch.
changed for (replaced by) something different
From this reading "Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading "Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.
be a farmer; work as a farmer
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
plural of “greeting” — (usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)
From this reading "Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He stopped as they met.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
free of guilt; not subject to blame
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
leader of the Nez Perce in their retreat from United States troops (1840-1904)
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
in an unhurried way or at one's convenience
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading He stopped as they met.
a form of address for a man
From this reading The driver was the Reverend Mr. Chaffinch.
a city in western California on San Francisco Bay opposite San Francisco; primarily and industrial urban center
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church
From this reading The driver was the Reverend Mr. Chaffinch.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.
a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading He stopped as they met.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He stopped as they met.
in the direction of
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading "Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading "Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.
close enough to be walked to
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The driver was the Reverend Mr. Chaffinch.
at the time that
From this reading Joseph had made half the distance between Oakland Station and his farm, walking leisurely, when a buggy, drawn by an aged and irreproachable gray horse, came towards him.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Will you turn back, as far as that tree?" said the clergyman, after greetings had been exchanged.
Chapter 20 of Joseph and His Friend by Bayard Taylor holds 158 sentences, grouped into 32 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 158 sentences of Joseph and His Friend, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Joseph and His Friend by Bayard Taylor exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 158 sentences, grouped into 32 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 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 32 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 Joseph and His Friend by Bayard Taylor on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5716 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54863 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54863, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 476 minutes of reading across 1144 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Joseph and His Friend section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 33 chapters of Joseph and His Friend 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 Joseph and His Friend, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
