Chapter 1 of Nelson the Newsboy is here in full — 164 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Nelson the Newsboy is here in full — 164 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
HORATIO ALGER, JR. AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC. AUTHOR OF "THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL," "THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN," ETC. THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT; Or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success. FROM FARM TO FORTUNE; Or, Nat Nason's Strange Experience.
Chapter 1 of Nelson the Newsboy is here in full — 164 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 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.
aimlessly drifting
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.”
an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect
From this reading “THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT; Or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success.”
United States author of inspirational adventure stories for boys; virtue and hard work overcome poverty (1832-1899)
From this reading “HORATIO ALGER, JR.”
a city of southeastern Pennsylvania on the Delaware river (an industrial suburb of Philadelphia)
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.”
possessive form of “hardy” — United States slapstick comedian who played the pompous and overbearing member of the Laurel and Hardy duo who made many films (1892-1957)
From this reading “THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT; Or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success.”
someone who travels about selling his wares (as on the streets or at carnivals)
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.”
the basic unit of money in South Africa; equal to 100 cents
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.”
someone who leads a wandering unsettled life
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL," "THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN," ETC.”
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.
a book salesman
In this reading “THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT; Or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success.”
In this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL," "THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN," ETC.”
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.
aimlessly drifting
From this reading AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.
an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect
From this reading THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT; Or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success.
United States author of inspirational adventure stories for boys; virtue and hard work overcome poverty (1832-1899)
From this reading HORATIO ALGER, JR.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL," "THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN," ETC.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT; Or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL," "THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN," ETC.
a city of southeastern Pennsylvania on the Delaware river (an industrial suburb of Philadelphia)
From this reading AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading FROM FARM TO FORTUNE; Or, Nat Nason's Strange Experience.
be a farmer; work as a farmer
From this reading FROM FARM TO FORTUNE; Or, Nat Nason's Strange Experience.
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading FROM FARM TO FORTUNE; Or, Nat Nason's Strange Experience.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT; Or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading FROM FARM TO FORTUNE; Or, Nat Nason's Strange Experience.
possessive form of “hardy” — United States slapstick comedian who played the pompous and overbearing member of the Laurel and Hardy duo who made many films (1892-1957)
From this reading THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT; Or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HORATIO ALGER, JR.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.
a son who has the same first name as his father
From this reading HORATIO ALGER, JR.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FROM FARM TO FORTUNE; Or, Nat Nason's Strange Experience.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FROM FARM TO FORTUNE; Or, Nat Nason's Strange Experience.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.
a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL," "THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN," ETC.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL," "THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN," ETC.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT; Or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success.
United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.
someone who travels about selling his wares (as on the streets or at carnivals)
From this reading AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.
the basic unit of money in South Africa; equal to 100 cents
From this reading AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT; Or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success.
someone who leads a wandering unsettled life
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL," "THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN," ETC.
an educational institution
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL," "THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN," ETC.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading FROM FARM TO FORTUNE; Or, Nat Nason's Strange Experience.
an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
From this reading THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT; Or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT; Or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success.
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND," "PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT; Or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success.
Chapter 1 of Nelson the Newsboy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 164 sentences, grouped into 33 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 1 holds 164 sentences of Nelson the Newsboy, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Nelson the Newsboy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 164 sentences, grouped into 33 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 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 33 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 1 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 Nelson the Newsboy by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4553 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54389 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54389, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 379 minutes of reading across 911 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Nelson the Newsboy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 34 chapters of Nelson the Newsboy 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 Nelson the Newsboy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
