Chapter 2 of Ragged Dick is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Ragged Dick is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely. “Clear out of this shop, you young vagabond,” repeated the clerk. “Then give me back my bill.” “That you may pass it again? No, sir, I shall do no such thing.”
Chapter 2 of Ragged Dick is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/29 · 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.
in a courageous manner
From this reading “DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.”
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading ““Clear out of this shop, you young vagabond,” repeated the clerk.”
a copy that is represented as the original
From this reading “DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.”
-ing form of “discover” — discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading “DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.”
(logic) a statement that affirms or denies something and is either true or false
From this reading “DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.”
do one's shopping
From this reading ““Clear out of this shop, you young vagabond,” repeated the clerk.”
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading “DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.”
anything that resembles a vagabond in having no fixed place
From this reading ““Clear out of this shop, you young vagabond,” repeated the clerk.”
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 DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
anew
From this reading “That you may pass it again?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading “Then give me back my bill.”
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
in a courageous manner
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
rid of obstructions
From this reading “Clear out of this shop, you young vagabond,” repeated the clerk.
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading “Clear out of this shop, you young vagabond,” repeated the clerk.
a copy that is represented as the original
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
someone who is a detective
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
-ing form of “discover” — discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading No, sir, I shall do no such thing.”
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading “Then give me back my bill.”
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading No, sir, I shall do no such thing.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “That you may pass it again?
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading “That you may pass it again?
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Then give me back my bill.”
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “Then give me back my bill.”
not any; not one
From this reading No, sir, I shall do no such thing.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Clear out of this shop, you young vagabond,” repeated the clerk.
past form of “offer” — make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “Clear out of this shop, you young vagabond,” repeated the clerk.
go across or through
From this reading “That you may pass it again?
(logic) a statement that affirms or denies something and is either true or false
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
recurring again and again
From this reading “Clear out of this shop, you young vagabond,” repeated the clerk.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading No, sir, I shall do no such thing.”
do one's shopping
From this reading “Clear out of this shop, you young vagabond,” repeated the clerk.
term of address for a man
From this reading No, sir, I shall do no such thing.”
to a small degree or extent
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading No, sir, I shall do no such thing.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Then give me back my bill.”
a special situation
From this reading No, sir, I shall do no such thing.”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Clear out of this shop, you young vagabond,” repeated the clerk.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
anything that resembles a vagabond in having no fixed place
From this reading “Clear out of this shop, you young vagabond,” repeated the clerk.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading DICK MAKES A PROPOSITION Though Dick was somewhat startled at discovering that the bill he had offered was counterfeit, he stood his ground bravely.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Clear out of this shop, you young vagabond,” repeated the clerk.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading “Clear out of this shop, you young vagabond,” repeated the clerk.
Chapter 2 of Ragged Dick by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 2 holds 149 sentences of Ragged Dick, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Ragged Dick by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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 2 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 Ragged Dick by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3503 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5348 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5348, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 291 minutes of reading across 701 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ragged Dick section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Ragged Dick 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 Ragged Dick, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
