Chapter 17 of Only an Irish Boy is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Only an Irish Boy is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
RIDING WITH A HIGHWAYMAN "Get into the chaise, Mr. Fairfax," said Colonel Preston. "Thank you," said the adventurer, and accepted the invitation. "Now we are off," said the colonel, as he took the reins, and touched the horse lightly with the whip. "Is the road a pleasant one?" inquired Fairfax. "The latter part is rather lonely.
Chapter 17 of Only an Irish Boy is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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 person who enjoys taking risks
From this reading “"Thank you," said the adventurer, and accepted the invitation.”
a long chair; for reclining
From this reading “RIDING WITH A HIGHWAYMAN "Get into the chaise, Mr. Fairfax," said Colonel Preston.”
a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
From this reading “"Thank you," said the adventurer, and accepted the invitation.”
without good reason
From this reading “"Now we are off," said the colonel, as he took the reins, and touched the horse lightly with the whip.”
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading “"The latter part is rather lonely.”
plural of “rein” — one of a pair of long straps (usually connected to the bit or the headpiece) used to control a horse
From this reading “"Now we are off," said the colonel, as he took the reins, and touched the horse lightly with the whip.”
the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
From this reading “RIDING WITH A HIGHWAYMAN "Get into the chaise, Mr. Fairfax," said Colonel Preston.”
beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading “"Now we are off," said the colonel, as he took the reins, and touched the horse lightly with the whip.”
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 RIDING WITH A HIGHWAYMAN "Get into the chaise, Mr. Fairfax," said Colonel Preston.
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading "Thank you," said the adventurer, and accepted the invitation.
a person who enjoys taking risks
From this reading "Thank you," said the adventurer, and accepted the invitation.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Thank you," said the adventurer, and accepted the invitation.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Now we are off," said the colonel, as he took the reins, and touched the horse lightly with the whip.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Now we are off," said the colonel, as he took the reins, and touched the horse lightly with the whip.
a long chair; for reclining
From this reading RIDING WITH A HIGHWAYMAN "Get into the chaise, Mr. Fairfax," said Colonel Preston.
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading RIDING WITH A HIGHWAYMAN "Get into the chaise, Mr. Fairfax," said Colonel Preston.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading RIDING WITH A HIGHWAYMAN "Get into the chaise, Mr. Fairfax," said Colonel Preston.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading RIDING WITH A HIGHWAYMAN "Get into the chaise, Mr. Fairfax," said Colonel Preston.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Now we are off," said the colonel, as he took the reins, and touched the horse lightly with the whip.
a holdup man who stops a vehicle and steals from it
From this reading RIDING WITH A HIGHWAYMAN "Get into the chaise, Mr. Fairfax," said Colonel Preston.
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading "Now we are off," said the colonel, as he took the reins, and touched the horse lightly with the whip.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading "Is the road a pleasant one?" inquired Fairfax.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading RIDING WITH A HIGHWAYMAN "Get into the chaise, Mr. Fairfax," said Colonel Preston.
a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
From this reading "Thank you," said the adventurer, and accepted the invitation.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Is the road a pleasant one?" inquired Fairfax.
referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)
From this reading "The latter part is rather lonely.
without good reason
From this reading "Now we are off," said the colonel, as he took the reins, and touched the horse lightly with the whip.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading "The latter part is rather lonely.
a form of address for a man
From this reading RIDING WITH A HIGHWAYMAN "Get into the chaise, Mr. Fairfax," said Colonel Preston.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now we are off," said the colonel, as he took the reins, and touched the horse lightly with the whip.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "Now we are off," said the colonel, as he took the reins, and touched the horse lightly with the whip.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "Is the road a pleasant one?" inquired Fairfax.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading "The latter part is rather lonely.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading "Is the road a pleasant one?" inquired Fairfax.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading RIDING WITH A HIGHWAYMAN "Get into the chaise, Mr. Fairfax," said Colonel Preston.
on the contrary
From this reading "The latter part is rather lonely.
plural of “rein” — one of a pair of long straps (usually connected to the bit or the headpiece) used to control a horse
From this reading "Now we are off," said the colonel, as he took the reins, and touched the horse lightly with the whip.
the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
From this reading RIDING WITH A HIGHWAYMAN "Get into the chaise, Mr. Fairfax," said Colonel Preston.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading "Is the road a pleasant one?" inquired Fairfax.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading RIDING WITH A HIGHWAYMAN "Get into the chaise, Mr. Fairfax," said Colonel Preston.
express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading "Thank you," said the adventurer, and accepted the invitation.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading RIDING WITH A HIGHWAYMAN "Get into the chaise, Mr. Fairfax," said Colonel Preston.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading "Now we are off," said the colonel, as he took the reins, and touched the horse lightly with the whip.
having come into contact
From this reading "Now we are off," said the colonel, as he took the reins, and touched the horse lightly with the whip.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Now we are off," said the colonel, as he took the reins, and touched the horse lightly with the whip.
beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading "Now we are off," said the colonel, as he took the reins, and touched the horse lightly with the whip.
in the company of; together with
From this reading RIDING WITH A HIGHWAYMAN "Get into the chaise, Mr. Fairfax," said Colonel Preston.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Thank you," said the adventurer, and accepted the invitation.
Chapter 17 of Only an Irish Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 113 sentences, grouped into 23 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 17 holds 113 sentences of Only an Irish Boy, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Only an Irish Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 113 sentences, grouped into 23 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 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 23 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 17 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 Only an Irish Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4116 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11111 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #11111, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 343 minutes of reading across 824 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Only an Irish Boy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 35 chapters of Only an Irish 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 Only an Irish Boy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
