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Making His Mark
Making His Mark

Chapter XXXIV · A Deed of Gift

Chapter XXXIV of Making His Mark, “A Deed of Gift,” is here in full — 54 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Horatio, Jr. Alger • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Making His Mark
Context Illustration Reading 1/10 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.
Mr. Hawk's share he secured for thirty thousand.
He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.
But to this Mr. Nixon demurred.
"I can't spare Gerald, Mr. Burdoch," he said.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Making His Mark

Chapter XXXIV · A Deed of Gift

Chapter XXXIV of Making His Mark, “A Deed of Gift,” is here in full — 54 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/10 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.
Line 2
Mr. Hawk's share he secured for thirty thousand.
Line 3
He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.
Line 4
But to this Mr. Nixon demurred.
/bʌt tuː ðɪs ˈmɪstər ˈnɪksən dɪˈmɜːrd/
Line 5
"I can't spare Gerald, Mr. Burdoch," he said.

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.

assistant noun US /əˈsɪstənt/

a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

From this reading “He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
demurred verb US /dɪˈmɜːrd/

inflected form of “demur” — take exception to

From this reading “But to this Mr. Nixon demurred.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
formal adjective US /ˈfɔːrməl/

being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress)

From this reading “He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Joshua noun US /ˈdʒɑːʃuːə/

(Old Testament) Moses' successor who led the Israelites into the Promised Land; best remembered for his destruction of Jericho

From this reading “WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Nixon noun US /ˈnɪksən/

vice president under Eisenhower and 37th President of the United States; resigned after the Watergate scandal in 1974 (1913-1994)

From this reading “WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Nixon's noun US /ˈnɪksənz/

possessive form of “nixon” — vice president under Eisenhower and 37th President of the United States; resigned after the Watergate scandal in 1974 (1913-1994)

From this reading “WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
proposal noun US /prəˈpoʊzəl/

something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)

From this reading “He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Ransom noun US /ˈrænsəm/

money demanded for the return of a captured person

From this reading “WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

thousand dollars noun + noun counted as “thousand dollar”

In this reading “WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.”

18,123 times in 426,211 chapters
thirty thousand noun + noun

In this reading “Mr. Hawk's share he secured for thirty thousand.”

3,466 times in 426,211 chapters
forty thousand adjective + noun

In this reading “WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.”

2,507 times in 426,211 chapters
two weeks noun + noun counted as “two week”

In this reading “WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.”

9,881 times in 426,211 chapters
WITHIN two preposition + noun

In this reading “WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.”

3,369 times in 426,211 chapters
share of verb + particle

In this reading “WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.”

16,549 times in 426,211 chapters
for thirty preposition + noun

In this reading “Mr. Hawk's share he secured for thirty thousand.”

2,913 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 44

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 He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
assistantnounUS /əˈsɪstənt/

a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

From this reading He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
boughtverbUS /bɑːt/

inflected form of “buy” — obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Burdoch

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

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

Pending verification
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But to this Mr. Nixon demurred.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
can't

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

From this reading "I can't spare Gerald, Mr. Burdoch," he said.

Pending verification
demurredverbUS /dɪˈmɜːrd/

inflected form of “demur” — take exception to

From this reading But to this Mr. Nixon demurred.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dollarsnounUS /ˈdɑːlərz/

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

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
formaladjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrməl/

being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress)

From this reading He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fortyadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrti/

being ten more than thirty

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Gerald

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

From this reading He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.

Pending verification
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Hawk's

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

From this reading Mr. Hawk's share he secured for thirty thousand.

Pending verification
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Mr. Hawk's share he secured for thirty thousand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I can't spare Gerald, Mr. Burdoch," he said.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JoshuanounUS /ˈdʒɑːʃuːə/

(Old Testament) Moses' successor who led the Israelites into the Promised Land; best remembered for his destruction of Jericho

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
managernounUS /ˈmænədʒər/

someone who controls resources and expenditures

From this reading He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NixonnounUS /ˈnɪksən/

vice president under Eisenhower and 37th President of the United States; resigned after the Watergate scandal in 1974 (1913-1994)

From this reading But to this Mr. Nixon demurred.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Nixon'snounUS /ˈnɪksənz/

possessive form of “nixon” — vice president under Eisenhower and 37th President of the United States; resigned after the Watergate scandal in 1974 (1913-1994)

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
proposalnounUS /prəˈpoʊzəl/

something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)

From this reading He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RansomnounUS /ˈrænsəm/

money demanded for the return of a captured person

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I can't spare Gerald, Mr. Burdoch," he said.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
securedverbUS /sɪˈkjʊrd/

past form of “secure” — get by special effort

From this reading Mr. Hawk's share he secured for thirty thousand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shareverbUS /ʃer/

have in common

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spareverbUS /sper/

refrain from harming

From this reading "I can't spare Gerald, Mr. Burdoch," he said.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thirtynounUS /ˈθɜːrdiː/

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three

From this reading Mr. Hawk's share he secured for thirty thousand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading But to this Mr. Nixon demurred.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thousandnounUS /ˈθaʊzənd/

the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
weeksnounUS /wiːks/

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WITHINprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading WITHIN two weeks Joshua Burdoch had bought Mr. Nixon's share of the mine at Ransom for forty thousand dollars.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
workverbUS /wɜːrk/

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

From this reading He then made a formal proposal to Gerald to go to work for him as assistant manager.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 34 of Making His Mark by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 54 sentences, grouped into 11 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 34 of Making His Mark contain?

Chapter 34 holds 54 sentences of Making His Mark, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 34 of Making His Mark by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 54 sentences, grouped into 11 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 34 of Making His Mark?

Work through the 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 11 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 34 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 34 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 Making His Mark

Common questions about reading Making His Mark by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Making His Mark?

Yes. All 4739 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55217 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Making His Mark is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55217, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Making His Mark take to read?

About 394 minutes of reading across 948 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Making His Mark section by section

How to work through Making His Mark section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Making His Mark

Words and structures a reader meets early in Making His Mark, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Unpleasant
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Making His Mark; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gerald
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Making His Mark; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Breakfast
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Making His Mark; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Table
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Making His Mark; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.