Chapter 17 of The Errand 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 XVII
Chapter 17 of The Errand Boy is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE CONSPIRACY SUCCEEDS. In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair. He was of middle height, rather dark complexion, and a pleasant expression. His right foot was bandaged, and rested on a chair. The morning Daily Ledger was in his hand, but he was not reading.
Chapter 17 of The Errand 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.
covered or wrapped with a bandage
From this reading “His right foot was bandaged, and rested on a chair.”
the coloring of a person's face
From this reading “He was of middle height, rather dark complexion, and a pleasant expression.”
a secret agreement between two or more people to perform an unlawful act
From this reading “THE CONSPIRACY SUCCEEDS.”
of or pertaining to or typical of Europe
From this reading “In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.”
a .45-caliber pistol
From this reading “In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.”
a record in which commercial accounts are recorded
From this reading “The morning Daily Ledger was in his hand, but he was not reading.”
reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received
From this reading “In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.”
third-person singular of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading “THE CONSPIRACY SUCCEEDS.”
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 handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
how long something has existed
From this reading In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was of middle height, rather dark complexion, and a pleasant expression.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
covered or wrapped with a bandage
From this reading His right foot was bandaged, and rested on a chair.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The morning Daily Ledger was in his hand, but he was not reading.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading His right foot was bandaged, and rested on a chair.
the coloring of a person's face
From this reading He was of middle height, rather dark complexion, and a pleasant expression.
a secret agreement between two or more people to perform an unlawful act
From this reading THE CONSPIRACY SUCCEEDS.
of or pertaining to or typical of Europe
From this reading In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading The morning Daily Ledger was in his hand, but he was not reading.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading He was of middle height, rather dark complexion, and a pleasant expression.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading He was of middle height, rather dark complexion, and a pleasant expression.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading His right foot was bandaged, and rested on a chair.
a .45-caliber pistol
From this reading In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading The morning Daily Ledger was in his hand, but he was not reading.
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
From this reading In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was of middle height, rather dark complexion, and a pleasant expression.
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading He was of middle height, rather dark complexion, and a pleasant expression.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His right foot was bandaged, and rested on a chair.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
a record in which commercial accounts are recorded
From this reading The morning Daily Ledger was in his hand, but he was not reading.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading He was of middle height, rather dark complexion, and a pleasant expression.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The morning Daily Ledger was in his hand, but he was not reading.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The morning Daily Ledger was in his hand, but he was not reading.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading His right foot was bandaged, and rested on a chair.
reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received
From this reading In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading He was of middle height, rather dark complexion, and a pleasant expression.
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
on the contrary
From this reading He was of middle height, rather dark complexion, and a pleasant expression.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading The morning Daily Ledger was in his hand, but he was not reading.
not tired; refreshed as by sleeping or relaxing
From this reading His right foot was bandaged, and rested on a chair.
precisely, exactly
From this reading His right foot was bandaged, and rested on a chair.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
third-person singular of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading THE CONSPIRACY SUCCEEDS.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE CONSPIRACY SUCCEEDS.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was of middle height, rather dark complexion, and a pleasant expression.
a late time of life
From this reading In a handsome private parlor at the Continental Hotel a man of about forty-five years of age sat in an easy-chair.
Chapter 17 of The Errand Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 114 sentences, grouped into 23 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 17 holds 114 sentences of The Errand Boy, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of The Errand Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the public-domain 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 17 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 Errand Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4318 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #462 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #462, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 359 minutes of reading across 864 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Errand Boy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Errand 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 Errand Boy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
