The Train Boy

Chapter XXXVII

Chapter 37 of The Train Boy is here in full — 35 sentences across 7 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

MAJOR ASHTON'S ENGAGEMENT.

The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

She knew, if her aunt did not, that he was simply a mercenary adventurer, who, failing to secure her hand and fortune, was now scheming for her aunt's larger fortune, and willing to take her hand with it, in spite of the disparity in their years.

"My dear aunt," she said, "I hope you will consider well the step you propose to take."

"Why should I need to consider?" asked Mrs. Sheldon, somewhat displeased.

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 XXXVII Reading 1/7

The Train Boy Horatio, Jr. Alger

Chapter XXXVII

Chapter 37 of The Train Boy is here in full — 35 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

MAJOR ASHTON'S ENGAGEMENT. The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn. She knew, if her aunt did not, that he was simply a mercenary adventurer, who, failing to secure her hand and fortune, was now scheming for her aunt's larger fortune, and willing to take her hand with it, in spite of the disparity in their years. "My dear aunt," she said, "I hope you will consider well the step you propose to take." "Why should I need to consider?" asked Mrs. Sheldon, somewhat displeased.

The Train Boy

Chapter XXXVII

Chapter 37 of The Train Boy is here in full — 35 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/7 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

MAJOR ASHTON'S ENGAGEMENT.

/ˈmeɪdʒər ˈæʃtənz enˈɡeɪdʒmənt/

Line 2

The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

Line 3

/ʃiː nuː ɪf hɜːr ænt dɪd nɑːt ðæt hiː wɑːz ˈsɪmpli ə ˈmɜːrsəneri ædˈventʃərər huː ˈfeɪlɪŋ tuː sɪˈkjʊr hɜːr hænd ənd ˈfɔːrtʃən wɑːz naʊ ˈskiːmɪŋ fɔːr hɜːr ænts ˈlɑːrdʒər ˈfɔːrtʃən ənd ˈwɪlɪŋ tuː teɪk hɜːr hænd wɪð ɪt ɪn spaɪt ʌv ðə dɪˈsperəti ɪn ðer jɪrz/

Line 4

"My dear aunt," she said, "I hope you will consider well the step you propose to take."

/maɪ dɪr ænt ʃiː sed aɪ hoʊp juː wɪl kənˈsɪdər wel ðə step juː prəˈpoʊz tuː teɪk/

Line 5

"Why should I need to consider?" asked Mrs. Sheldon, somewhat displeased.

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.

adventurer noun US /ædˈventʃərər/

a person who enjoys taking risks

From this reading “She knew, if her aunt did not, that he was simply a mercenary adventurer, who, failing to secure her hand and fortune, was now scheming for her aunt's larger fortune, and willing to take her hand with it, in spite of the disparity in their years.”

Ashton noun US /ˈæʃtən/

British choreographer (1906-1988)

From this reading “MAJOR ASHTON'S ENGAGEMENT.”

ashton's noun US /ˈæʃtənz/

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

From this reading “MAJOR ASHTON'S ENGAGEMENT.”

aunt's noun US /ænts/

possessive form of “aunt” — the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

disparity noun US /dɪˈsperəti/

inequality or difference in some respect

displeased adjective US /dɪˈspliːzd/

not pleased; experiencing or manifesting displeasure

From this reading “"Why should I need to consider?" asked Mrs. Sheldon, somewhat displeased.”

mercenary noun US /ˈmɜːrsəneri/

a person hired to fight for another country than their own

scheming adjective US /ˈskiːmɪŋ/

acting with a specific goal

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.

in spite preposition + noun

In this reading “She knew, if her aunt did not, that he was simply a mercenary adventurer, who, failing to secure her hand and fortune, was now scheming for her aunt's larger fortune, and willing to take her hand with it, in spite of the disparity in their years.”

dear aunt adjective + noun

In this reading “"My dear aunt," she said, "I hope you will consider well the step you propose to take."”

All words in this reading · 68

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 She knew, if her aunt did not, that he was simply a mercenary adventurer, who, failing to secure her hand and fortune, was now scheming for her aunt's larger fortune, and willing to take her hand with it, in spite of the disparity in their years.

adventurernounUS /ædˈventʃərər/

a person who enjoys taking risks

agreedadjectiveUS /əˈɡriːd/

united by being of the same opinion

From this reading The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

announcementnounUS /əˈnaʊnsmənt/

a formal public statement

From this reading The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

AshtonnounUS /ˈæʃtən/

British choreographer (1906-1988)

From this reading The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

ASHTON'SnounUS /ˈæʃtənz/

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

From this reading MAJOR ASHTON'S ENGAGEMENT.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Why should I need to consider?" asked Mrs. Sheldon, somewhat displeased.

auntnounUS /ænt/

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

aunt'snounUS /ænts/

possessive form of “aunt” — the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

considerverbUS /kənˈsɪdər/

deem to be

From this reading "My dear aunt," she said, "I hope you will consider well the step you propose to take."

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading "My dear aunt," she said, "I hope you will consider well the step you propose to take."

Dearborn

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

From this reading The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

disagreeableadjectiveUS /ˌdɪsəˈɡriːəbəl/

not to your liking

From this reading The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

disparitynounUS /dɪˈsperəti/

inequality or difference in some respect

displeasedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspliːzd/

not pleased; experiencing or manifesting displeasure

From this reading "Why should I need to consider?" asked Mrs. Sheldon, somewhat displeased.

ENGAGEMENTnounUS /enˈɡeɪdʒmənt/

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading MAJOR ASHTON'S ENGAGEMENT.

failingnounUS /ˈfeɪlɪŋ/

a flaw or weak point

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

GracenounUS /ɡreɪs/

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

From this reading The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading "My dear aunt," she said, "I hope you will consider well the step you propose to take."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "My dear aunt," she said, "I hope you will consider well the step you propose to take."

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

intenselyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtensli/

to a high degree; extremely; in high concentration or density

From this reading The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

largeradjectiveUS /ˈlɑːrdʒər/

large or big relative to something else

MAJORadjectiveUS /ˈmeɪdʒər/

of greater importance or stature or rank

From this reading MAJOR ASHTON'S ENGAGEMENT.

marryverbUS /ˈmeri/

take in marriage

From this reading The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

mercenarynounUS /ˈmɜːrsəneri/

a person hired to fight for another country than their own

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading "Why should I need to consider?" asked Mrs. Sheldon, somewhat displeased.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "My dear aunt," she said, "I hope you will consider well the step you propose to take."

neednounUS /niːd/

a condition requiring relief

From this reading "Why should I need to consider?" asked Mrs. Sheldon, somewhat displeased.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

proposeverbUS /prəˈpoʊz/

make a proposal, declare a plan for something

From this reading "My dear aunt," she said, "I hope you will consider well the step you propose to take."

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "My dear aunt," she said, "I hope you will consider well the step you propose to take."

schemingadjectiveUS /ˈskiːmɪŋ/

acting with a specific goal

secureverbUS /sɪˈkjʊr/

get by special effort

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

Sheldon

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

From this reading "Why should I need to consider?" asked Mrs. Sheldon, somewhat displeased.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading "Why should I need to consider?" asked Mrs. Sheldon, somewhat displeased.

simplyadverbUS /ˈsɪmpli/

and nothing more

somewhatadverbUS /ˈsʌmˈwʌt/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading "Why should I need to consider?" asked Mrs. Sheldon, somewhat displeased.

spitenounUS /spaɪt/

feeling a need to see others suffer

stepnounUS /step/

any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading "My dear aunt," she said, "I hope you will consider well the step you propose to take."

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading "My dear aunt," she said, "I hope you will consider well the step you propose to take."

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading "Why should I need to consider?" asked Mrs. Sheldon, somewhat displeased.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "My dear aunt," she said, "I hope you will consider well the step you propose to take."

willingadjectiveUS /ˈwɪlɪŋ/

disposed or inclined toward

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "My dear aunt," she said, "I hope you will consider well the step you propose to take."

Chapter 37 of The Train Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 35 sentences, grouped into 7 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 37 of The Train Boy contain?

Chapter 37 holds 35 sentences of The Train Boy, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 37 of The Train Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 35 sentences, grouped into 7 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 37 of The Train Boy?

Work through the 7 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 7 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 37 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 37 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

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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.

Chapter XXXVII

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Can chapter 37 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Train Boy

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Vocabulary met early in The Train Boy