Chapter 9 of Ragged Dick is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Ragged Dick is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing. “You always seem to be in good spirits.” “No, I aint always. Sometimes I have the blues.” “When?”
Chapter 9 of Ragged Dick is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 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 type of folksong that originated among Black Americans at the beginning of the 20th century; has a melancholy sound from repeated use of blue notes
From this reading “Sometimes I have the blues.””
a boy or man
From this reading “INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.”
someone who is a detective
From this reading “INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.”
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading “INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.”
third-person singular of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally
From this reading “INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.”
put in the wrong place or position
From this reading “INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.”
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading “INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.”
an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
From this reading “INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.”
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 INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “No, I aint always.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading “You always seem to be in good spirits.”
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “You always seem to be in good spirits.”
a type of folksong that originated among Black Americans at the beginning of the 20th century; has a melancholy sound from repeated use of blue notes
From this reading Sometimes I have the blues.”
a boy or man
From this reading INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.
freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.
someone who is a detective
From this reading INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “You always seem to be in good spirits.”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Sometimes I have the blues.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “No, I aint always.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “You always seem to be in good spirits.”
third-person singular of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally
From this reading INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.
put in the wrong place or position
From this reading INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.
not any; not one
From this reading “No, I aint always.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “You always seem to be in good spirits.”
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Sometimes I have the blues.”
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading “You always seem to be in good spirits.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Sometimes I have the blues.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “You always seem to be in good spirits.”
an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
From this reading INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.
at the time that
From this reading “When?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading INTRODUCES A VICTIM OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE “What a queer chap you are, Dick!” said Frank, laughing.
Chapter 9 of Ragged Dick by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 9 holds 141 sentences of Ragged Dick, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Ragged Dick by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 29 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 9 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.
