Chapter 38 of The Erie Train Boy is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXVIII
Chapter 38 of The Erie Train Boy is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CONCLUSION. "You have sold the land?" repeated Mr. Ferguson in dismay. "Yes, sir." "Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly. "In a matter like this you should have consulted ME.
Chapter 38 of The Erie Train Boy is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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.
past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading “"Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.”
a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration
From this reading “CONCLUSION.”
past form of “consult” — get or ask advice from
From this reading “"In a matter like this you should have consulted ME.”
the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
From this reading “"You have sold the land?" repeated Mr. Ferguson in dismay.”
plural of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “"Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.”
in a harsh or unkind manner
From this reading “"Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.”
a legal document giving official permission to do something
From this reading “"Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.”
disposed of to a purchaser
From this reading “"You have sold the land?" repeated Mr. Ferguson in dismay.”
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 "In a matter like this you should have consulted ME.
past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading "Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.
a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration
From this reading CONCLUSION.
past form of “consult” — get or ask advice from
From this reading "In a matter like this you should have consulted ME.
the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
From this reading "You have sold the land?" repeated Mr. Ferguson in dismay.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You have sold the land?" repeated Mr. Ferguson in dismay.
plural of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading "Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.
in a harsh or unkind manner
From this reading "Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "You have sold the land?" repeated Mr. Ferguson in dismay.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "You have sold the land?" repeated Mr. Ferguson in dismay.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading "You have sold the land?" repeated Mr. Ferguson in dismay.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "In a matter like this you should have consulted ME.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading "Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "You have sold the land?" repeated Mr. Ferguson in dismay.
a legal document giving official permission to do something
From this reading "Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.
recurring again and again
From this reading "You have sold the land?" repeated Mr. Ferguson in dismay.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.
express in words
From this reading "Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "In a matter like this you should have consulted ME.
term of address for a man
From this reading "Yes, sir."
disposed of to a purchaser
From this reading "You have sold the land?" repeated Mr. Ferguson in dismay.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "You have sold the land?" repeated Mr. Ferguson in dismay.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "In a matter like this you should have consulted ME.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes, sir."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You have sold the land?" repeated Mr. Ferguson in dismay.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Then permit me to say that you and your mother have acted like fools!" said Ferguson harshly.
Chapter 38 of The Erie Train Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 114 sentences, grouped into 23 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 38 holds 114 sentences of The Erie Train Boy, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 38 of The Erie Train Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 114 sentences, grouped into 23 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 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 23 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 38 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 The Erie Train Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4563 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26075 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26075, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 380 minutes of reading across 913 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Erie Train Boy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of The Erie Train Boy 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 The Erie Train Boy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
