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Tattered Tom
Tattered Tom

Chapter XX · Tom Speculates in Gold

Chapter XX of Tattered Tom, “Tom Speculates in Gold,” is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Horatio, Jr. Alger • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Tattered Tom
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.
“And who is this young leddy?” asked Mrs. O’Brien, looking at Tom.
“It’s a friend of mine,” said Mrs. Murphy.
“Don’t you know me?” asked Tom, who, in the days of her rags and tatters, had known Mrs. O’Brien.
“Shure and it isn’t Tom?” said Mrs. O’Brien, in surprise.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Tattered Tom

Chapter XX · Tom Speculates in Gold

Chapter XX of Tattered Tom, “Tom Speculates in Gold,” is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.
/ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˈiːvnɪŋ sʌm ʌv ðə ˈneɪbərz keɪm ɪn ənd rəˈsiːvd ə ˈhɑːrti ˈɡriːtɪŋ frʌm ˈmɪsɪz ˈmɜːrfi/
Line 2
“And who is this young leddy?” asked Mrs. O’Brien, looking at Tom.
Line 3
“It’s a friend of mine,” said Mrs. Murphy.
Line 4
“Don’t you know me?” asked Tom, who, in the days of her rags and tatters, had known Mrs. O’Brien.
Line 5
“Shure and it isn’t Tom?” said Mrs. O’Brien, in surprise.

Learner Dictionary

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.

greeting noun US /ˈɡriːtɪŋ/

(usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)

From this reading “During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hearty adjective US /ˈhɑːrti/

showing warm and heartfelt friendliness

From this reading “During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Murphy noun US /ˈmɜːrfi/

an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland

From this reading “During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
neighbors noun US /ˈneɪbərz/

plural of “neighbor” — a person who lives (or is located) near another

From this reading “During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
O'Brien noun US /oʊˈbraɪɪn/

Irish writer (born in 1932)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rags noun US /ræɡz/

plural of “rag” — a small piece of cloth or paper

From this reading ““Don’t you know me?” asked Tom, who, in the days of her rags and tatters, had known Mrs. O’Brien.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
surprise noun US /sərˈpraɪz/

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading ““Shure and it isn’t Tom?” said Mrs. O’Brien, in surprise.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tatters noun US /ˈtætərz/

plural of “tatter” — a small piece of cloth or paper

From this reading ““Don’t you know me?” asked Tom, who, in the days of her rags and tatters, had known Mrs. O’Brien.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

hearty greeting adjective + noun

In this reading “During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.”

328 times in 426,211 chapters
During the evening preposition + article + noun counted as “during … evening”

In this reading “During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.”

1,727 times in 426,211 chapters
in surprise preposition + noun

In this reading ““Shure and it isn’t Tom?” said Mrs. O’Brien, in surprise.”

10,881 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 44

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “And who is this young leddy?” asked Mrs. O’Brien, looking at Tom.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “And who is this young leddy?” asked Mrs. O’Brien, looking at Tom.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading “Don’t you know me?” asked Tom, who, in the days of her rags and tatters, had known Mrs. O’Brien.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Don't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “Don’t you know me?” asked Tom, who, in the days of her rags and tatters, had known Mrs. O’Brien.

Pending verification
DuringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading “It’s a friend of mine,” said Mrs. Murphy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
greetingnounUS /ˈɡriːtɪŋ/

(usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)

From this reading During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading “Don’t you know me?” asked Tom, who, in the days of her rags and tatters, had known Mrs. O’Brien.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heartyadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrti/

showing warm and heartfelt friendliness

From this reading During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading “Don’t you know me?” asked Tom, who, in the days of her rags and tatters, had known Mrs. O’Brien.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading “And who is this young leddy?” asked Mrs. O’Brien, looking at Tom.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isn't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “Shure and it isn’t Tom?” said Mrs. O’Brien, in surprise.

Pending verification
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “Shure and it isn’t Tom?” said Mrs. O’Brien, in surprise.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
It's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “It’s a friend of mine,” said Mrs. Murphy.

Pending verification
knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading “Don’t you know me?” asked Tom, who, in the days of her rags and tatters, had known Mrs. O’Brien.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading “Don’t you know me?” asked Tom, who, in the days of her rags and tatters, had known Mrs. O’Brien.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
leddy

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “And who is this young leddy?” asked Mrs. O’Brien, looking at Tom.

Pending verification
lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading “And who is this young leddy?” asked Mrs. O’Brien, looking at Tom.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “Don’t you know me?” asked Tom, who, in the days of her rags and tatters, had known Mrs. O’Brien.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “It’s a friend of mine,” said Mrs. Murphy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MurphynounUS /ˈmɜːrfi/

an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland

From this reading During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
neighborsnounUS /ˈneɪbərz/

plural of “neighbor” — a person who lives (or is located) near another

From this reading During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
O'BriennounUS /oʊˈbraɪɪn/

Irish writer (born in 1932)

From this reading “And who is this young leddy?” asked Mrs. O’Brien, looking at Tom.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ragsnounUS /ræɡz/

plural of “rag” — a small piece of cloth or paper

From this reading “Don’t you know me?” asked Tom, who, in the days of her rags and tatters, had known Mrs. O’Brien.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “It’s a friend of mine,” said Mrs. Murphy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Shure

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “Shure and it isn’t Tom?” said Mrs. O’Brien, in surprise.

Pending verification
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
surprisenounUS /sərˈpraɪz/

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading “Shure and it isn’t Tom?” said Mrs. O’Brien, in surprise.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tattersnounUS /ˈtætərz/

plural of “tatter” — a small piece of cloth or paper

From this reading “Don’t you know me?” asked Tom, who, in the days of her rags and tatters, had known Mrs. O’Brien.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading During the evening some of the neighbors came in, and received a hearty greeting from Mrs. Murphy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading “And who is this young leddy?” asked Mrs. O’Brien, looking at Tom.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TomnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading “And who is this young leddy?” asked Mrs. O’Brien, looking at Tom.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading “And who is this young leddy?” asked Mrs. O’Brien, looking at Tom.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Don’t you know me?” asked Tom, who, in the days of her rags and tatters, had known Mrs. O’Brien.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading “And who is this young leddy?” asked Mrs. O’Brien, looking at Tom.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 20 of Tattered Tom by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 142 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.

What does chapter 20 of Tattered Tom contain?

Chapter 20 holds 142 sentences of Tattered Tom, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of Tattered Tom by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 142 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.

How do I study chapter 20 of Tattered Tom?

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.

Can chapter 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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.

Questions about reading Tattered Tom

Common questions about reading Tattered Tom by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tattered Tom?

Yes. All 3613 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54006 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tattered Tom is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #54006, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tattered Tom take to read?

About 301 minutes of reading across 723 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tattered Tom section by section

How to work through Tattered Tom section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of Tattered Tom to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Tattered Tom

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tattered Tom, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Introduces
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tattered Tom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tattered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tattered Tom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Frederic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tattered Tom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pelham
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tattered Tom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.