The Store Boy

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of The Store Boy is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Horatio, Jr. Alger • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

A MYSTERIOUS LETTER From time to time, Mrs. Hamilton sent Ben on errands to different parts of the city, chiefly to those who had been started in business with capital which she had supplied.

One afternoon, he was sent to a tailor on Sixth Avenue with a note, the contents of which were unknown to him.

"You may wait for an answer," said Mrs. Hamilton.

He readily found the tailor's shop, and called for Charles Roberts, the proprietor.

The latter read the note, and said, in a business like tone:

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXI Reading 1/21

The Store Boy

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of The Store Boy is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

A MYSTERIOUS LETTER From time to time, Mrs. Hamilton sent Ben on errands to different parts of the city, chiefly to those who had been started in business with capital which she had supplied.

/ə mɪˈstɪriəs ˈletər frʌm taɪm tuː taɪm ˈmɪsɪz ˈhæməltən sent ben ɑːn ˈerəndz tuː ˈdɪfərənt pɑːrts ʌv ðə ˈsɪti ˈtʃiːfli tuː ðoʊz huː hæd bɪn ˈstɑːrtɪd ɪn ˈbɪznəs wɪð ˈkæpətəl wɪtʃ ʃiː hæd səˈplaɪd/

Line 2

One afternoon, he was sent to a tailor on Sixth Avenue with a note, the contents of which were unknown to him.

/wʌn ˌæftərˈnuːn hiː wɑːz sent tuː ə ˈteɪlər ɑːn sɪksθ ˈævənuː wɪð ə noʊt ðə ˈkɑːntents ʌv wɪtʃ wɜːr ənˈnoʊn tuː hɪm/

Line 3

"You may wait for an answer," said Mrs. Hamilton.

/juː meɪ weɪt fɔːr æn ˈænsər sed ˈmɪsɪz ˈhæməltən/

Line 4

He readily found the tailor's shop, and called for Charles Roberts, the proprietor.

Line 5

The latter read the note, and said, in a business like tone:

/ðə ˈlætər red ðə noʊt ənd sed ɪn ə ˈbɪznəs laɪk toʊn/

Learner Dictionary

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.

chiefly adverb US /ˈtʃiːfli/

for the most part

From this reading “A MYSTERIOUS LETTER From time to time, Mrs. Hamilton sent Ben on errands to different parts of the city, chiefly to those who had been started in business with capital which she had supplied.”

errands noun US /ˈerəndz/

plural of “errand” — a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission

Hamilton noun US /ˈhæməltən/

Irish mathematician (1806-1865)

proprietor noun US /prəˈpraɪətər/

(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business

From this reading “He readily found the tailor's shop, and called for Charles Roberts, the proprietor.”

Roberts noun US /ˈrɑːbərts/

United States biochemist (born in England) honored for his discovery that some genes contain introns (born in 1943)

From this reading “He readily found the tailor's shop, and called for Charles Roberts, the proprietor.”

Sixth adjective US /sɪksθ/

coming next after the fifth and just before the seventh in position

From this reading “One afternoon, he was sent to a tailor on Sixth Avenue with a note, the contents of which were unknown to him.”

supplied verb US /səˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “supply” — give something useful or necessary to

tailor verb US /ˈteɪlər/

adjust to a specific need or market

From this reading “One afternoon, he was sent to a tailor on Sixth Avenue with a note, the contents of which were unknown to him.”

All words in this reading · 62

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS LETTER From time to time, Mrs. Hamilton sent Ben on errands to different parts of the city, chiefly to those who had been started in business with capital which she had supplied.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading One afternoon, he was sent to a tailor on Sixth Avenue with a note, the contents of which were unknown to him.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "You may wait for an answer," said Mrs. Hamilton.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading He readily found the tailor's shop, and called for Charles Roberts, the proprietor.

answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading "You may wait for an answer," said Mrs. Hamilton.

AvenuenounUS /ˈævənuː/

a line of approach

From this reading One afternoon, he was sent to a tailor on Sixth Avenue with a note, the contents of which were unknown to him.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

BennounUS /ben/

a mountain or tall hill

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading He readily found the tailor's shop, and called for Charles Roberts, the proprietor.

capitalnounUS /ˈkæpətəl/

assets available for use in the production of further assets

CharlesnounUS /tʃɑːrlz/

King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)

From this reading He readily found the tailor's shop, and called for Charles Roberts, the proprietor.

chieflyadverbUS /ˈtʃiːfli/

for the most part

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

contentsnounUS /ˈkɑːntents/

(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something

From this reading One afternoon, he was sent to a tailor on Sixth Avenue with a note, the contents of which were unknown to him.

differentadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfərənt/

unlike in nature or quality or form or degree

errandsnounUS /ˈerəndz/

plural of “errand” — a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "You may wait for an answer," said Mrs. Hamilton.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading He readily found the tailor's shop, and called for Charles Roberts, the proprietor.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

HamiltonnounUS /ˈhæməltən/

Irish mathematician (1806-1865)

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading One afternoon, he was sent to a tailor on Sixth Avenue with a note, the contents of which were unknown to him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading One afternoon, he was sent to a tailor on Sixth Avenue with a note, the contents of which were unknown to him.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

latteradjectiveUS /ˈlætər/

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading The latter read the note, and said, in a business like tone:

LETTERnounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The latter read the note, and said, in a business like tone:

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "You may wait for an answer," said Mrs. Hamilton.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

MYSTERIOUSadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

of an obscure nature

notenounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading One afternoon, he was sent to a tailor on Sixth Avenue with a note, the contents of which were unknown to him.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One afternoon, he was sent to a tailor on Sixth Avenue with a note, the contents of which were unknown to him.

partsnounUS /pɑːrts/

the local environment

proprietornounUS /prəˈpraɪətər/

(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business

From this reading He readily found the tailor's shop, and called for Charles Roberts, the proprietor.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading The latter read the note, and said, in a business like tone:

readilyadverbUS /ˈredəli/

without much difficulty

From this reading He readily found the tailor's shop, and called for Charles Roberts, the proprietor.

RobertsnounUS /ˈrɑːbərts/

United States biochemist (born in England) honored for his discovery that some genes contain introns (born in 1943)

From this reading He readily found the tailor's shop, and called for Charles Roberts, the proprietor.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "You may wait for an answer," said Mrs. Hamilton.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

shopverbUS /ʃɑːp/

do one's shopping

From this reading He readily found the tailor's shop, and called for Charles Roberts, the proprietor.

SixthadjectiveUS /sɪksθ/

coming next after the fifth and just before the seventh in position

From this reading One afternoon, he was sent to a tailor on Sixth Avenue with a note, the contents of which were unknown to him.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

suppliedverbUS /səˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “supply” — give something useful or necessary to

tailorverbUS /ˈteɪlər/

adjust to a specific need or market

From this reading One afternoon, he was sent to a tailor on Sixth Avenue with a note, the contents of which were unknown to him.

tailor's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He readily found the tailor's shop, and called for Charles Roberts, the proprietor.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

tonenounUS /toʊn/

the quality of a person's voice

From this reading The latter read the note, and said, in a business like tone:

unknownadjectiveUS /ənˈnoʊn/

not known

From this reading One afternoon, he was sent to a tailor on Sixth Avenue with a note, the contents of which were unknown to him.

waitverbUS /weɪt/

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading "You may wait for an answer," said Mrs. Hamilton.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading One afternoon, he was sent to a tailor on Sixth Avenue with a note, the contents of which were unknown to him.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading One afternoon, he was sent to a tailor on Sixth Avenue with a note, the contents of which were unknown to him.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You may wait for an answer," said Mrs. Hamilton.

Chapter 21 of The Store Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 105 sentences, grouped into 21 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.

What does chapter 21 of The Store Boy contain?

Chapter 21 holds 105 sentences of The Store Boy, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of The Store Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 105 sentences, grouped into 21 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.

How do I study chapter 21 of The Store Boy?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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.

Can chapter 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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.

Questions about reading The Store Boy

Common questions about reading The Store Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Store Boy?

Yes. All 3659 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10724 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Store Boy is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #10724, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Store Boy take to read?

About 304 minutes of reading across 732 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Store Boy section by section

How to work through The Store Boy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 37 chapters of The Store Boy to begin.
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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Store Boy

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Store Boy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Barclay: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Store Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Taking: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Store Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Leave: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Store Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tramp: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Store Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

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