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The Telegraph Messenger Boy
The Telegraph Messenger Boy

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The Telegraph Messenger Boy is here in full — 59 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Telegraph Messenger Boy
Context Illustration Reading 1/11 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:
"Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.
I have seen Jim, your brother.
His baby is dead in love with me, and they all join in sending their love to you.
I expect to eat my supper with Cousin Maria and sleep in their house by the river.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Telegraph Messenger Boy

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The Telegraph Messenger Boy is here in full — 59 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/11 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:
/ðə ˈvæljuː ʌv ˈkɜːrtəsi ðə ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ ɪz ðə ˈmesədʒ æz fɜːrst ˈrɪtən aʊt baɪ ðə oʊld ˈfɑːrmər/
Line 2
"Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.
Line 3
I have seen Jim, your brother.
Line 4
His baby is dead in love with me, and they all join in sending their love to you.
/hɪz ˈbeɪbi ɪz ded ɪn lʌv wɪð miː ənd ðeɪ ɔːl dʒɔɪn ɪn ˈsendɪŋ ðer lʌv tuː juː/
Line 5
I expect to eat my supper with Cousin Maria and sleep in their house by the river.
/aɪ ɪkˈspekt tuː iːt maɪ ˈsʌpər wɪð ˈkʌzən mərˈiːə ənd sliːp ɪn ðer haʊs baɪ ðə ˈrɪvər/

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.

courtesy noun US /ˈkɜːrtəsi/

a courteous or respectful or considerate act

From this reading “THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:”

farmer noun US /ˈfɑːrmər/

a person who operates a farm

From this reading “THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:”

inform verb US /ˌɪnˈfɔːrm/

impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to

From this reading “"Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.”

Jones noun US /dʒoʊnz/

United States labor leader (born in Ireland) who helped to found the Industrial Workers of the World (1830-1930)

From this reading “"Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.”

Maria noun US /mərˈiːə/

a dark region of considerable extent on the surface of the moon

From this reading “I expect to eat my supper with Cousin Maria and sleep in their house by the river.”

safely adverb US /ˈseɪfli/

with safety; in a safe manner

From this reading “"Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.”

Sally noun US /ˈsæli/

witty remark

From this reading “"Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.”

sending noun US /ˈsendɪŋ/

the act of causing something to go (especially messages)

From this reading “His baby is dead in love with me, and they all join in sending their love to you.”

All words in this reading · 58

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.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading His baby is dead in love with me, and they all join in sending their love to you.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading His baby is dead in love with me, and they all join in sending their love to you.

arrivedverbUS /ərˈaɪvd/

past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:

babynounUS /ˈbeɪbi/

a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading His baby is dead in love with me, and they all join in sending their love to you.

brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading I have seen Jim, your brother.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:

COURTESYnounUS /ˈkɜːrtəsi/

a courteous or respectful or considerate act

From this reading THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:

CousinnounUS /ˈkʌzən/

the child of your aunt or uncle

From this reading I expect to eat my supper with Cousin Maria and sleep in their house by the river.

Damietta

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

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading His baby is dead in love with me, and they all join in sending their love to you.

eatverbUS /iːt/

take in solid food

From this reading I expect to eat my supper with Cousin Maria and sleep in their house by the river.

expectverbUS /ɪkˈspekt/

regard something as probable or likely

From this reading I expect to eat my supper with Cousin Maria and sleep in their house by the river.

farmernounUS /ˈfɑːrmər/

a person who operates a farm

From this reading THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I have seen Jim, your brother.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading His baby is dead in love with me, and they all join in sending their love to you.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading I expect to eat my supper with Cousin Maria and sleep in their house by the river.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

informverbUS /ˌɪnˈfɔːrm/

impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:

Jane

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

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

Jim

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

From this reading I have seen Jim, your brother.

joinverbUS /dʒɔɪn/

become part of; become a member of a group or organization

From this reading His baby is dead in love with me, and they all join in sending their love to you.

JonesnounUS /dʒoʊnz/

United States labor leader (born in Ireland) who helped to found the Industrial Workers of the World (1830-1930)

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading His baby is dead in love with me, and they all join in sending their love to you.

Makeville

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

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

MarianounUS /mərˈiːə/

a dark region of considerable extent on the surface of the moon

From this reading I expect to eat my supper with Cousin Maria and sleep in their house by the river.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading His baby is dead in love with me, and they all join in sending their love to you.

messagenounUS /ˈmesədʒ/

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:

pennounUS /pen/

a writing implement with a point from which ink flows

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading I expect to eat my supper with Cousin Maria and sleep in their house by the river.

safelyadverbUS /ˈseɪfli/

with safety; in a safe manner

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

SallynounUS /ˈsæli/

witty remark

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading I have seen Jim, your brother.

sendingnounUS /ˈsendɪŋ/

the act of causing something to go (especially messages)

From this reading His baby is dead in love with me, and they all join in sending their love to you.

sleepnounUS /sliːp/

a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading I expect to eat my supper with Cousin Maria and sleep in their house by the river.

suppernounUS /ˈsʌpər/

a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime

From this reading I expect to eat my supper with Cousin Maria and sleep in their house by the river.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading His baby is dead in love with me, and they all join in sending their love to you.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading His baby is dead in love with me, and they all join in sending their love to you.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

VALUEnounUS /ˈvæljuː/

a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed

From this reading THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading His baby is dead in love with me, and they all join in sending their love to you.

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading THE VALUE OF COURTESY The following is the message as first written out by the old farmer:

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Sally Jane Jones, Makeville,--I take my pen in hand to inform you that I arrived safely in Damietta this morning.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I have seen Jim, your brother.

Chapter 11 of The Telegraph Messenger Boy by Edward Sylvester Ellis holds 59 sentences, grouped into 12 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 11 of The Telegraph Messenger Boy contain?

Chapter 11 holds 59 sentences of The Telegraph Messenger Boy, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of The Telegraph Messenger Boy by Edward Sylvester Ellis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 59 sentences, grouped into 12 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 11 of The Telegraph Messenger Boy?

Work through the 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 12 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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 Telegraph Messenger Boy

Common questions about reading The Telegraph Messenger Boy by Edward Sylvester Ellis on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Telegraph Messenger Boy?

Yes. All 1215 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25859 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Telegraph Messenger Boy is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #25859, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Telegraph Messenger Boy take to read?

About 101 minutes of reading across 243 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Telegraph Messenger Boy section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of The Telegraph Messenger Boy to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in The Telegraph Messenger Boy

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

Acquaintance
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Telegraph Messenger Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mayberry
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Telegraph Messenger Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Under
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Telegraph Messenger Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Peculiar
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Telegraph Messenger Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.