Chapter 19 of Only an Irish Boy is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIX
Chapter 19 of Only an Irish Boy is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling. "Why, Andy, you're out of breath. What's happened?" asked Mrs. Burke. "I was afraid of bein' robbed," said Andy. "The robber wouldn't get much that would steal from you, Andy."
Chapter 19 of Only an Irish Boy is here in full — 121 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.
British statesman famous for his oratory; pleaded the cause of the American colonists in British Parliament and defended the parliamentary system (1729-1797)
From this reading “What's happened?" asked Mrs. Burke.”
housing that someone is living in
From this reading “HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.”
past form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed
From this reading “HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.”
low or inferior in station or quality
From this reading “HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.”
full of or producing joy
From this reading “HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.”
inflected form of “rob” — take something away by force or without the consent of the owner
From this reading “"I was afraid of bein' robbed," said Andy.”
a thief who steals from someone by threatening violence
From this reading “"The robber wouldn't get much that would steal from you, Andy."”
take without the owner's consent
From this reading “"The robber wouldn't get much that would steal from you, Andy."”
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.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading "I was afraid of bein' robbed," said Andy.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading What's happened?" asked Mrs. Burke.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I was afraid of bein' robbed," said Andy.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading "Why, Andy, you're out of breath.
British statesman famous for his oratory; pleaded the cause of the American colonists in British Parliament and defended the parliamentary system (1729-1797)
From this reading What's happened?" asked Mrs. Burke.
move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
housing that someone is living in
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "The robber wouldn't get much that would steal from you, Andy."
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "The robber wouldn't get much that would steal from you, Andy."
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading What's happened?" asked Mrs. Burke.
past form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
low or inferior in station or quality
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I was afraid of bein' robbed," said Andy.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
full of or producing joy
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading What's happened?" asked Mrs. Burke.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "The robber wouldn't get much that would steal from you, Andy."
information about recent and important events
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Why, Andy, you're out of breath.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Why, Andy, you're out of breath.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
inflected form of “rob” — take something away by force or without the consent of the owner
From this reading "I was afraid of bein' robbed," said Andy.
a thief who steals from someone by threatening violence
From this reading "The robber wouldn't get much that would steal from you, Andy."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I was afraid of bein' robbed," said Andy.
take without the owner's consent
From this reading "The robber wouldn't get much that would steal from you, Andy."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "The robber wouldn't get much that would steal from you, Andy."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What's happened?" asked Mrs. Burke.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, Andy, you're out of breath.
in the company of; together with
From this reading HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED It is always pleasant to carry good news, and Andy hastened with joyful feet to his mother's humble dwelling.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "The robber wouldn't get much that would steal from you, Andy."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The robber wouldn't get much that would steal from you, Andy."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "The robber wouldn't get much that would steal from you, Andy."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why, Andy, you're out of breath.
Chapter 19 of Only an Irish Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 121 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 19 holds 121 sentences of Only an Irish Boy, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 19 of Only an Irish Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 121 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 19 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.
