Chapter 18 of The Backwoods Boy is here in full — 80 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of The Backwoods Boy is here in full — 80 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
ILLINOIS DECLARES FOR THE RAIL-SPLITTER. Henceforth Abraham Lincoln was a marked man. He had sprung into national prominence. Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader. But at the East he was known only by reputation.
Chapter 18 of The Backwoods Boy is here in full — 80 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/16 · 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.
the first of the Old Testament patriarchs and the father of Isaac; according to Genesis, God promised to give Abraham's family (the Hebrews) the land of Canaan (the Promised Land); God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son
From this reading “Henceforth Abraham Lincoln was a marked man.”
the legislature of the United States government
From this reading “Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.”
third-person singular of “declare” — state emphatically and authoritatively
From this reading “ILLINOIS DECLARES FOR THE RAIL-SPLITTER.”
from this time forth; from now on
From this reading “Henceforth Abraham Lincoln was a marked man.”
a midwestern state in north-central United States
From this reading “ILLINOIS DECLARES FOR THE RAIL-SPLITTER.”
16th President of the United States; saved the Union during the American Civil War and emancipated the slaves; was assassinated by Booth (1809-1865)
From this reading “Henceforth Abraham Lincoln was a marked man.”
the state of being prominent: widely known or eminent
From this reading “He had sprung into national prominence.”
the term during which some position is held
From this reading “Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.”
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.
In this reading “Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.”
In this reading “He had sprung into national prominence.”
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 Henceforth Abraham Lincoln was a marked man.
the first of the Old Testament patriarchs and the father of Isaac; according to Genesis, God promised to give Abraham's family (the Hebrews) the land of Canaan (the Promised Land); God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son
From this reading Henceforth Abraham Lincoln was a marked man.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But at the East he was known only by reputation.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But at the East he was known only by reputation.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading But at the East he was known only by reputation.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
the legislature of the United States government
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
third-person singular of “declare” — state emphatically and authoritatively
From this reading ILLINOIS DECLARES FOR THE RAIL-SPLITTER.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading But at the East he was known only by reputation.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading ILLINOIS DECLARES FOR THE RAIL-SPLITTER.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had sprung into national prominence.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had sprung into national prominence.
from this time forth; from now on
From this reading Henceforth Abraham Lincoln was a marked man.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
a midwestern state in north-central United States
From this reading ILLINOIS DECLARES FOR THE RAIL-SPLITTER.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
-ing form of “include” — have as a part, be made up out of
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He had sprung into national prominence.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading But at the East he was known only by reputation.
a person who rules or guides or inspires others
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
small in range or scope
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
16th President of the United States; saved the Union during the American Civil War and emancipated the slaves; was assassinated by Booth (1809-1865)
From this reading Henceforth Abraham Lincoln was a marked man.
move something or somebody to a lower position
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Henceforth Abraham Lincoln was a marked man.
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading Henceforth Abraham Lincoln was a marked man.
of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country
From this reading He had sprung into national prominence.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
and nothing more
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
the state of being prominent: widely known or eminent
From this reading He had sprung into national prominence.
a laborer who splits logs to build split-rail fences
From this reading ILLINOIS DECLARES FOR THE RAIL-SPLITTER.
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
unusual or striking
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
the state of being held in high esteem and honor
From this reading But at the East he was known only by reputation.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading He had sprung into national prominence.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
the term during which some position is held
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ILLINOIS DECLARES FOR THE RAIL-SPLITTER.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Henceforth Abraham Lincoln was a marked man.
a late time of life
From this reading Limited as had been his tenure of office--including only two years in the lower house of Congress--it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader.
Chapter 18 of The Backwoods Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 80 sentences, grouped into 16 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 18 holds 80 sentences of The Backwoods Boy, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of The Backwoods Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 80 sentences, grouped into 16 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 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 16 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 18 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.
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Yes. All 2652 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52073 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #52073, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 221 minutes of reading across 531 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Backwoods Boy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
