Chapter 8 of The Store Boy is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of The Store Boy is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble. "Are you disturbed because I came home so late?" asked Ben. "I would have been here sooner, but I went home with Rose Gardiner. I ought to have remembered that you might feel lonely." Mrs. Barclay smiled faintly.
Chapter 8 of The Store Boy is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/19 · 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 mountain or tall hill
From this reading “A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.”
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading “A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.”
having the place or position changed
From this reading “"Are you disturbed because I came home so late?" asked Ben.”
to a faint degree or weakly perceived
From this reading “Mrs. Barclay smiled faintly.”
British historian remembered for his ten-volume history of England (1829-1902)
From this reading “"I would have been here sooner, but I went home with Rose Gardiner.”
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading “I ought to have remembered that you might feel lonely."”
the possibility of future success
From this reading “A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.”
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading “"I would have been here sooner, but I went home with Rose Gardiner.”
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 A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Are you disturbed because I came home so late?" asked Ben.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Are you disturbed because I came home so late?" asked Ben.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Barclay smiled faintly.
for the reason that
From this reading "Are you disturbed because I came home so late?" asked Ben.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "I would have been here sooner, but I went home with Rose Gardiner.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "I would have been here sooner, but I went home with Rose Gardiner.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Are you disturbed because I came home so late?" asked Ben.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
having the place or position changed
From this reading "Are you disturbed because I came home so late?" asked Ben.
to a faint degree or weakly perceived
From this reading Mrs. Barclay smiled faintly.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading I ought to have remembered that you might feel lonely."
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
British historian remembered for his ten-volume history of England (1829-1902)
From this reading "I would have been here sooner, but I went home with Rose Gardiner.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I would have been here sooner, but I went home with Rose Gardiner.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "I would have been here sooner, but I went home with Rose Gardiner.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Are you disturbed because I came home so late?" asked Ben.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading "Are you disturbed because I came home so late?" asked Ben.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading I ought to have remembered that you might feel lonely."
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading I ought to have remembered that you might feel lonely."
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Barclay smiled faintly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading I ought to have remembered that you might feel lonely."
the possibility of future success
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading I ought to have remembered that you might feel lonely."
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading "I would have been here sooner, but I went home with Rose Gardiner.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Mrs. Barclay smiled faintly.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Are you disturbed because I came home so late?" asked Ben.
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading "I would have been here sooner, but I went home with Rose Gardiner.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I ought to have remembered that you might feel lonely."
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
a source of difficulty
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "I would have been here sooner, but I went home with Rose Gardiner.
at the time that
From this reading A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE When Ben returned home from the Town Hall he discovered, at the first glance, that his mother was in trouble.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "I would have been here sooner, but I went home with Rose Gardiner.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "I would have been here sooner, but I went home with Rose Gardiner.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Are you disturbed because I came home so late?" asked Ben.
Chapter 8 of The Store Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 98 sentences, grouped into 20 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 8 holds 98 sentences of The Store Boy, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Store Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 98 sentences, grouped into 20 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 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 20 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 8 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 Store Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3659 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10724 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #10724, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 304 minutes of reading across 732 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Store Boy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 37 chapters of The Store 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 Store Boy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
