Only a farm boy

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of Only a farm boy is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Frank V. Webster • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

It was to this rather humble home that the old soldier took Dan.

“The first thing we’ll do will be to have dinner,” said Mr. Harrison.

“I suppose you are hungry.”

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XVIII Reading 1/15

Only a farm boy

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of Only a farm boy is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

Line 2

He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

/hiː dɪd hɪz oʊn ˈkʊkɪŋ ənd wʌns ɔːr twaɪs ə wiːk hiː ˈhaɪərd ə ˈwʊmən frʌm ðə ˈvɪlədʒ tuː kʌm ɪn ənd duː sʌm ˈkliːnɪŋ/

Line 3

It was to this rather humble home that the old soldier took Dan.

Line 4

“The first thing we’ll do will be to have dinner,” said Mr. Harrison.

Line 5

“I suppose you are hungry.”

/aɪ səˈpoʊz juː ɑːr ˈhʌŋɡri/

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.

blacksmith noun US /ˈblæksmɪθ/

a smith who forges and shapes iron with a hammer and anvil

From this reading “DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.”

cleaning noun US /ˈkliːnɪŋ/

the act of making something clean

From this reading “He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.”

cooking noun US /ˈkʊkɪŋ/

the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat

From this reading “He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.”

Harrison noun US /ˈherɪsən/

English actor on stage and in films (1908-1990)

From this reading “DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.”

hired adjective US /ˈhaɪərd/

having services engaged for a fee

From this reading “He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.”

humble adjective US /ˈhʌmbəl/

low or inferior in station or quality

From this reading “It was to this rather humble home that the old soldier took Dan.”

hungry adjective US /ˈhʌŋɡri/

feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food

From this reading ““I suppose you are hungry.””

midnight noun US /ˈmɪdnaɪt/

12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night

From this reading “DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.”

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.

first thing adjective + noun

In this reading ““The first thing we’ll do will be to have dinner,” said Mr. Harrison.”

old soldier adjective + noun

In this reading “It was to this rather humble home that the old soldier took Dan.”

humble home adjective + noun

In this reading “It was to this rather humble home that the old soldier took Dan.”

lived alone verb + adjective counted as “live alone”

In this reading “DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.”

Next door adjective + noun

at or in or to the adjacent residence

In this reading “DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.”

small house adjective + noun

In this reading “DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.”

from the village preposition + article + noun counted as “from … village”

In this reading “He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading “I suppose you are hungry.”

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “The first thing we’ll do will be to have dinner,” said Mr. Harrison.

blacksmithnounUS /ˈblæksmɪθ/

a smith who forges and shapes iron with a hammer and anvil

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

cleaningnounUS /ˈkliːnɪŋ/

the act of making something clean

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

cookingnounUS /ˈkʊkɪŋ/

the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

Dan

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

From this reading It was to this rather humble home that the old soldier took Dan.

DAN'S

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

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading “The first thing we’ll do will be to have dinner,” said Mr. Harrison.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading “The first thing we’ll do will be to have dinner,” said Mr. Harrison.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

HarrisonnounUS /ˈherɪsən/

English actor on stage and in films (1908-1990)

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “The first thing we’ll do will be to have dinner,” said Mr. Harrison.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

hiredadjectiveUS /ˈhaɪərd/

having services engaged for a fee

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading It was to this rather humble home that the old soldier took Dan.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

humbleadjectiveUS /ˈhʌmbəl/

low or inferior in station or quality

From this reading It was to this rather humble home that the old soldier took Dan.

hungryadjectiveUS /ˈhʌŋɡri/

feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food

From this reading “I suppose you are hungry.”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “I suppose you are hungry.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was to this rather humble home that the old soldier took Dan.

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

MIDNIGHTnounUS /ˈmɪdnaɪt/

12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

NextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading It was to this rather humble home that the old soldier took Dan.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading It was to this rather humble home that the old soldier took Dan.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “The first thing we’ll do will be to have dinner,” said Mr. Harrison.

shopverbUS /ʃɑːp/

do one's shopping

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

soldiernounUS /ˈsoʊldʒər/

an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading It was to this rather humble home that the old soldier took Dan.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

supposeverbUS /səˈpoʊz/

express a supposition

From this reading “I suppose you are hungry.”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was to this rather humble home that the old soldier took Dan.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading “The first thing we’ll do will be to have dinner,” said Mr. Harrison.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading It was to this rather humble home that the old soldier took Dan.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading It was to this rather humble home that the old soldier took Dan.

twiceadverbUS /twaɪs/

two times

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

villagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

VISITverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

we'll

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

From this reading “The first thing we’ll do will be to have dinner,” said Mr. Harrison.

weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading DAN’S MIDNIGHT VISIT Next door to the blacksmith shop was a small house where Mr. Harrison lived alone.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading “The first thing we’ll do will be to have dinner,” said Mr. Harrison.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading He did his own cooking, and, once or twice a week, he hired a woman from the village to come in and do some cleaning.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “I suppose you are hungry.”

Chapter 18 of Only a farm boy by Frank V. Webster holds 79 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.

What does chapter 18 of Only a farm boy contain?

Chapter 18 holds 79 sentences of Only a farm boy, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of Only a farm boy by Frank V. Webster exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 79 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.

How do I study chapter 18 of Only a farm boy?

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.

Can chapter 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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.

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Chapter XVIII

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