Chapter 20 of The Homesteader is here in full — 261 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of The Homesteader is here in full — 261 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor. "Were those your folks I seen driving into town a while ago?" "My folks?" "Yeh. Three of them.
Chapter 20 of The Homesteader is here in full — 261 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/52 · 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 person who shows fear or timidity
From this reading “THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.”
the activity of transporting goods by truck
From this reading “THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.”
an expression of greeting
From this reading “THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.”
uniform worn by some menservants and chauffeurs
From this reading “THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.”
weight to be borne or conveyed
From this reading “THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.”
a treeless grassy plain
From this reading “THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.”
possessive form of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading “THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.”
a wheeled vehicle with large wheels; used in farming and other applications
From this reading “THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.”
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 “THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.”
In this reading “"Were those your folks I seen driving into town a while ago?"”
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 THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
later than; following
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
in the past
From this reading "Were those your folks I seen driving into town a while ago?"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
the act of breaking something
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
an assertion of a right (as to money or property)
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
a person who shows fear or timidity
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
having the power of driving or impelling
From this reading "Were those your folks I seen driving into town a while ago?"
your parents
From this reading "Were those your folks I seen driving into town a while ago?"
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
the activity of transporting goods by truck
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
an expression of greeting
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Were those your folks I seen driving into town a while ago?"
moving to the inside of something
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
uniform worn by some menservants and chauffeurs
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
weight to be borne or conveyed
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
the force of workers available
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "My folks?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
a treeless grassy plain
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Were those your folks I seen driving into town a while ago?"
possessive form of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
travel by means of steam power
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Three of them.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading "Were those your folks I seen driving into town a while ago?"
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Three of them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading "Were those your folks I seen driving into town a while ago?"
a wheeled vehicle with large wheels; used in farming and other applications
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
during the time that
From this reading "Were those your folks I seen driving into town a while ago?"
which person or people
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE COWARD "Hello, Jean," cried a friend of his at Colome some days later, as he was leading his horses into the livery barn, after loading the coal he was hauling to the men who were breaking prairie on his sister's claim with a steam tractor.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Yeh.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Were those your folks I seen driving into town a while ago?"
Chapter 20 of The Homesteader by Oscar Micheaux holds 261 sentences, grouped into 53 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 20 holds 261 sentences of The Homesteader, unabridged, divided into 53 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of The Homesteader by Oscar Micheaux exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 261 sentences, grouped into 53 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 53 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 53 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Homesteader by Oscar Micheaux on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9558 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39238 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #39238, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1912 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Homesteader section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Homesteader 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 Homesteader, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
