Chapter 23 of Paul the Peddler is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of Paul the Peddler is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess. “No, it's Young, Ephraim Young.” “Of course it is. I remember now, but I am apt to forget names. You said your parents were quite well?”
Chapter 23 of Paul the Peddler is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
(usually followed by “to”) naturally disposed toward
From this reading “I remember now, but I am apt to forget names.”
serving to promote your interest
From this reading “A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.”
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading “I remember now, but I am apt to forget names.”
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading “A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.”
Canadian novelist (1874-1942)
From this reading “A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.”
verbal abuse; a crude substitute for argument
From this reading “I remember now, but I am apt to forget names.”
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading “You said your parents were quite well?””
hit lightly with a picking motion
From this reading “A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.”
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 A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I remember now, but I am apt to forget names.
(usually followed by “to”) naturally disposed toward
From this reading I remember now, but I am apt to forget names.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I remember now, but I am apt to forget names.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading “Of course it is.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “No, it's Young, Ephraim Young.”
serving to promote your interest
From this reading A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading I remember now, but I am apt to forget names.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Of course it is.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “No, it's Young, Ephraim Young.”
Canadian novelist (1874-1942)
From this reading A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.
a form of address for a man
From this reading A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.
verbal abuse; a crude substitute for argument
From this reading I remember now, but I am apt to forget names.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.
not any; not one
From this reading “No, it's Young, Ephraim Young.”
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading I remember now, but I am apt to forget names.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Of course it is.
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading You said your parents were quite well?”
hit lightly with a picking motion
From this reading A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading You said your parents were quite well?”
To recall to mind.
From this reading I remember now, but I am apt to forget names.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I remember now, but I am apt to forget names.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading You said your parents were quite well?”
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading You said your parents were quite well?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You said your parents were quite well?”
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading “No, it's Young, Ephraim Young.”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading A NEW EXPEDIENT “I believe your name is Peck?” said Mr. Montgomery, hazarding a guess.
Chapter 23 of Paul the Peddler by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 128 sentences, grouped into 26 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 23 holds 128 sentences of Paul the Peddler, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of Paul the Peddler by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 23 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 Paul the Peddler by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3542 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #659 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #659, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 295 minutes of reading across 709 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Paul the Peddler section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Paul the Peddler 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 Paul the Peddler, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
