Chapter 13 of The Train Boy is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of The Train Boy is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE ARTIST'S SECRET. Frederic Vernon sat in his studio, toying with his brush. The canvas was before him, but he seemed to be in a brown study. "What has got into me?" he asked himself, impatiently. "I cannot fix my mind upon my work.
Chapter 13 of The Train Boy is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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.
possessive form of “artist” — a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination
From this reading “THE ARTIST'S SECRET.”
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading “Frederic Vernon sat in his studio, toying with his brush.”
a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)
From this reading “The canvas was before him, but he seemed to be in a brown study.”
restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading “"I cannot fix my mind upon my work.”
with impatience; in an impatient manner
From this reading “"What has got into me?" he asked himself, impatiently.”
workplace for the teaching or practice of an art
From this reading “Frederic Vernon sat in his studio, toying with his brush.”
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading “The canvas was before him, but he seemed to be in a brown study.”
playful behavior intended to arouse sexual interest
From this reading “Frederic Vernon sat in his studio, toying with his brush.”
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.
a state of deep absorption or thoughtfulness
In this reading “The canvas was before him, but he seemed to be in a brown study.”
get involved in or with
In this reading “"What has got into me?" he asked himself, impatiently.”
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 canvas was before him, but he seemed to be in a brown study.
possessive form of “artist” — a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination
From this reading THE ARTIST'S SECRET.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "What has got into me?" he asked himself, impatiently.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The canvas was before him, but he seemed to be in a brown study.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The canvas was before him, but he seemed to be in a brown study.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading The canvas was before him, but he seemed to be in a brown study.
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading Frederic Vernon sat in his studio, toying with his brush.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The canvas was before him, but he seemed to be in a brown study.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I cannot fix my mind upon my work.
a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)
From this reading The canvas was before him, but he seemed to be in a brown study.
restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading "I cannot fix my mind upon my work.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Frederic Vernon sat in his studio, toying with his brush.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "What has got into me?" he asked himself, impatiently.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What has got into me?" he asked himself, impatiently.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The canvas was before him, but he seemed to be in a brown study.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The canvas was before him, but he seemed to be in a brown study.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading "What has got into me?" he asked himself, impatiently.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Frederic Vernon sat in his studio, toying with his brush.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I cannot fix my mind upon my work.
with impatience; in an impatient manner
From this reading "What has got into me?" he asked himself, impatiently.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Frederic Vernon sat in his studio, toying with his brush.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "What has got into me?" he asked himself, impatiently.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "What has got into me?" he asked himself, impatiently.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading "I cannot fix my mind upon my work.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I cannot fix my mind upon my work.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Frederic Vernon sat in his studio, toying with his brush.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading THE ARTIST'S SECRET.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The canvas was before him, but he seemed to be in a brown study.
workplace for the teaching or practice of an art
From this reading Frederic Vernon sat in his studio, toying with his brush.
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading The canvas was before him, but he seemed to be in a brown study.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE ARTIST'S SECRET.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The canvas was before him, but he seemed to be in a brown study.
playful behavior intended to arouse sexual interest
From this reading Frederic Vernon sat in his studio, toying with his brush.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading "I cannot fix my mind upon my work.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Frederic Vernon sat in his studio, toying with his brush.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The canvas was before him, but he seemed to be in a brown study.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What has got into me?" he asked himself, impatiently.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Frederic Vernon sat in his studio, toying with his brush.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading "I cannot fix my mind upon my work.
Chapter 13 of The Train Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 116 sentences, grouped into 24 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 13 holds 116 sentences of The Train Boy, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of The Train Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 116 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 13 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 Train Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4217 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55725 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #55725, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 351 minutes of reading across 844 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Train Boy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Train 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 Train Boy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
