Chapter 18 of Only an Irish Boy is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of Only an Irish Boy is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BAFFLED A ROBBER Fairfax paused at Andy's threat. He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous. But was he to be thwarted in the very moment of his triumph, by a boy? He could not endure it. "Young man," he said, "this is dangerous business for you.
Chapter 18 of Only an Irish Boy is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/24 · 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.
people who are frustrated and perplexed
From this reading “BAFFLED A ROBBER Fairfax paused at Andy's threat.”
put up with something or somebody unpleasant
From this reading “He could not endure it.”
extremely
From this reading “He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.”
firm in purpose or belief; characterized by firmness and determination
From this reading “He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.”
a thief who steals from someone by threatening violence
From this reading “BAFFLED A ROBBER Fairfax paused at Andy's threat.”
something that is a source of danger
From this reading “BAFFLED A ROBBER Fairfax paused at Andy's threat.”
disappointingly unsuccessful
From this reading “But was he to be thwarted in the very moment of his triumph, by a boy?”
a successful ending of a struggle or contest
From this reading “But was he to be thwarted in the very moment of his triumph, by a boy?”
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 BAFFLED A ROBBER Fairfax paused at Andy's threat.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BAFFLED A ROBBER Fairfax paused at Andy's threat.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading BAFFLED A ROBBER Fairfax paused at Andy's threat.
people who are frustrated and perplexed
From this reading BAFFLED A ROBBER Fairfax paused at Andy's threat.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But was he to be thwarted in the very moment of his triumph, by a boy?
a youthful male person
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading "Young man," he said, "this is dangerous business for you.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading But was he to be thwarted in the very moment of his triumph, by a boy?
neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He could not endure it.
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
put up with something or somebody unpleasant
From this reading He could not endure it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BAFFLED A ROBBER Fairfax paused at Andy's threat.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Young man," he said, "this is dangerous business for you.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But was he to be thwarted in the very moment of his triumph, by a boy?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But was he to be thwarted in the very moment of his triumph, by a boy?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "Young man," he said, "this is dangerous business for you.
a particular point in time
From this reading But was he to be thwarted in the very moment of his triumph, by a boy?
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He could not endure it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But was he to be thwarted in the very moment of his triumph, by a boy?
and nothing more
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading BAFFLED A ROBBER Fairfax paused at Andy's threat.
having a point
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
extremely
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
firm in purpose or belief; characterized by firmness and determination
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
a thief who steals from someone by threatening violence
From this reading BAFFLED A ROBBER Fairfax paused at Andy's threat.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Young man," he said, "this is dangerous business for you.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Young man," he said, "this is dangerous business for you.
something that is a source of danger
From this reading BAFFLED A ROBBER Fairfax paused at Andy's threat.
disappointingly unsuccessful
From this reading But was he to be thwarted in the very moment of his triumph, by a boy?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But was he to be thwarted in the very moment of his triumph, by a boy?
a successful ending of a struggle or contest
From this reading But was he to be thwarted in the very moment of his triumph, by a boy?
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
precisely as stated
From this reading But was he to be thwarted in the very moment of his triumph, by a boy?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He was only a boy, it is true, but he looked cool and resolute, and the gun, which was pointed at him, looked positively dangerous.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Young man," he said, "this is dangerous business for you.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading "Young man," he said, "this is dangerous business for you.
Chapter 18 of Only an Irish Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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 18 holds 123 sentences of Only an Irish Boy, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of Only an Irish Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 25 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 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.
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.
