Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Train Boy
The Train Boy

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Train Boy is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Train Boy
Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE ARTIST'S RECREATION.
Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.
It is clear, however, that the young artist cared little for it.
He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.
Grace, on her part, was not insensible to the fact that Vernon, though poor, was as noble in appearance as any of her guests.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Train Boy

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Train Boy is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE ARTIST'S RECREATION.
/ðə ˈɑːrtəsts ˌrekriˈeɪʃən/
Line 2
Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.
Line 3
It is clear, however, that the young artist cared little for it.
/ɪt ɪz klɪr ˌhaʊˈevər ðæt ðə jʌŋ ˈɑːrtəst kerd ˈlɪtəl fɔːr ɪt/
Line 4
He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.
/hiː wɑːz ˌenˈdʒɔɪɪŋ ðə kəmˈpænjənʃɪp ʌv ðə ˈoʊnli jʌŋ ˈleɪdi huː hæd ˈevər hæd ˈpaʊər tuː stɜːr hɪz hɑːrt ənd fɔːr ðə ˈmoʊmənt dɪd nɑːt əˈlaʊ hɪmˈself tuː θɪŋk ʌv ðə ˈdɪstəns bɪˈtwiːn ðem/
Line 5
Grace, on her part, was not insensible to the fact that Vernon, though poor, was as noble in appearance as any of her guests.

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.

artist's noun US /ˈɑːrtəsts/

possessive form of “artist” — a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination

From this reading “THE ARTIST'S RECREATION.”

Ashton's noun US /ˈæʃtənz/

possessive form of “ashton” — British choreographer (1906-1988)

From this reading “Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.”

bestowed verb US /bɪˈstoʊd/

past form of “bestow” — present

From this reading “Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.”

companionship noun US /kəmˈpænjənʃɪp/

the state of being with someone

From this reading “He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.”

compliment verb US /ˈkɑːmpləment/

say something to someone that expresses praise

From this reading “Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.”

insensible adjective US /ˌɪnˈsensəbəl/

incapable of physical sensation

From this reading “Grace, on her part, was not insensible to the fact that Vernon, though poor, was as noble in appearance as any of her guests.”

recreation noun US /ˌrekriˈeɪʃən/

an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates

From this reading “THE ARTIST'S RECREATION.”

singling verb US /ˈsɪŋɡəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “single” — hit a single

From this reading “Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

bestowed upon verb + particle counted as “bestow upon”

In this reading “Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.”

young lady adjective + noun

a young female

In this reading “He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.”

young artist adjective + noun

In this reading “It is clear, however, that the young artist cared little for it.”

for the moment preposition + article + noun counted as “for … moment”

temporarily

In this reading “He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.”

think of verb + particle

keep in mind for attention or consideration

In this reading “He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.”

All words in this reading · 72

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.

allowverbUS /əˈlaʊ/

make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Grace, on her part, was not insensible to the fact that Vernon, though poor, was as noble in appearance as any of her guests.

appearancenounUS /əˈpɪrəns/

outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

From this reading Grace, on her part, was not insensible to the fact that Vernon, though poor, was as noble in appearance as any of her guests.

artistnounUS /ˈɑːrtəst/

a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination

From this reading It is clear, however, that the young artist cared little for it.

ARTIST'SnounUS /ˈɑːrtəsts/

possessive form of “artist” — a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination

From this reading THE ARTIST'S RECREATION.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

Ashton'snounUS /ˈæʃtənz/

possessive form of “ashton” — British choreographer (1906-1988)

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

bestowedverbUS /bɪˈstoʊd/

past form of “bestow” — present

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

caredverbUS /kerd/

past form of “care” — feel concern or interest

From this reading It is clear, however, that the young artist cared little for it.

clearverbUS /klɪr/

rid of obstructions

From this reading It is clear, however, that the young artist cared little for it.

companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

companionshipnounUS /kəmˈpænjənʃɪp/

the state of being with someone

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

complimentverbUS /ˈkɑːmpləment/

say something to someone that expresses praise

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

disgustverbUS /dɪsˈɡʌst/

fill with distaste

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

enjoyingverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading Grace, on her part, was not insensible to the fact that Vernon, though poor, was as noble in appearance as any of her guests.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It is clear, however, that the young artist cared little for it.

Frederic

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

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

GracenounUS /ɡreɪs/

(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

guestsnounUS /ɡests/

plural of “guest” — a visitor to whom hospitality is extended

From this reading Grace, on her part, was not insensible to the fact that Vernon, though poor, was as noble in appearance as any of her guests.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading It is clear, however, that the young artist cared little for it.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

insensibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsensəbəl/

incapable of physical sensation

From this reading Grace, on her part, was not insensible to the fact that Vernon, though poor, was as noble in appearance as any of her guests.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is clear, however, that the young artist cared little for it.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is clear, however, that the young artist cared little for it.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading It is clear, however, that the young artist cared little for it.

MajoradjectiveUS /ˈmeɪdʒər/

of greater importance or stature or rank

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/

impressive in appearance

From this reading Grace, on her part, was not insensible to the fact that Vernon, though poor, was as noble in appearance as any of her guests.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Grace, on her part, was not insensible to the fact that Vernon, though poor, was as noble in appearance as any of her guests.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading Grace, on her part, was not insensible to the fact that Vernon, though poor, was as noble in appearance as any of her guests.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading Grace, on her part, was not insensible to the fact that Vernon, though poor, was as noble in appearance as any of her guests.

powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

RECREATIONnounUS /ˌrekriˈeɪʃən/

an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates

From this reading THE ARTIST'S RECREATION.

singlingverbUS /ˈsɪŋɡəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “single” — hit a single

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

stirverbUS /stɜːr/

move an implement through

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is clear, however, that the young artist cared little for it.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE ARTIST'S RECREATION.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Grace, on her part, was not insensible to the fact that Vernon, though poor, was as noble in appearance as any of her guests.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

Vernon

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

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

WhetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading Whether Frederic Vernon read in Major Ashton's face the disgust he felt at the compliment Grace bestowed upon him in singling him out as her companion, I am not sure.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading He was enjoying the companionship of the only young lady who had ever had power to stir his heart, and for the moment did not allow himself to think of the distance between them.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading It is clear, however, that the young artist cared little for it.

Chapter 17 of The Train Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 17 of The Train Boy contain?

Chapter 17 holds 88 sentences of The Train Boy, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Train Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 17 of The Train Boy?

Work through the 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 18 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Train Boy

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

Is this the complete text of The Train Boy?

Yes. All 4217 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55725 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Train Boy is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55725, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Train Boy take to read?

About 351 minutes of reading across 844 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Train Boy section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Train 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 Train Boy

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

Train
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Train Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Horatio
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Train Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Alger
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Train Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Train Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.