Chapter 13 of Tom Newcombe is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of Tom Newcombe is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
LIFE ON A FARM. Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations. “Now, boys,” said she, “where’s your manners? Get chairs an’ set down to onct. You, Franklin Pierce, quit shakin’ your head that ar’ way.
Chapter 13 of Tom Newcombe is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/34 · 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.
plural of “chair” — a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading “Get chairs an’ set down to onct.”
United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)
From this reading “You, Franklin Pierce, quit shakin’ your head that ar’ way.”
plural of “meditation” — continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature
From this reading “Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.”
cut or make a way through
From this reading “You, Franklin Pierce, quit shakin’ your head that ar’ way.”
put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading “You, Franklin Pierce, quit shakin’ your head that ar’ way.”
a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading “Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.”
having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
From this reading “Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.”
with speed
From this reading “Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.”
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 this reading “Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.”
put down in writing; of texts, musical compositions, etc.
In this reading “Get chairs an’ set down to onct.”
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 LIFE ON A FARM.
past form of “allow” — make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Get chairs an’ set down to onct.
a colorless and odorless inert gas; one of the six inert gases; comprises approximately 1% of the earth's atmosphere
From this reading You, Franklin Pierce, quit shakin’ your head that ar’ way.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading “Now, boys,” said she, “where’s your manners?
lacking funds
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
plural of “chair” — a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading Get chairs an’ set down to onct.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Get chairs an’ set down to onct.
be a farmer; work as a farmer
From this reading LIFE ON A FARM.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)
From this reading You, Franklin Pierce, quit shakin’ your head that ar’ way.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Get chairs an’ set down to onct.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading You, Franklin Pierce, quit shakin’ your head that ar’ way.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading LIFE ON A FARM.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
social deportment
From this reading “Now, boys,” said she, “where’s your manners?
plural of “meditation” — continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “Now, boys,” said she, “where’s your manners?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading LIFE ON A FARM.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Get chairs an’ set down to onct.
cut or make a way through
From this reading You, Franklin Pierce, quit shakin’ your head that ar’ way.
put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading You, Franklin Pierce, quit shakin’ your head that ar’ way.
a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Now, boys,” said she, “where’s your manners?
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Get chairs an’ set down to onct.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You, Franklin Pierce, quit shakin’ your head that ar’ way.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Now, boys,” said she, “where’s your manners?
having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
with speed
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading You, Franklin Pierce, quit shakin’ your head that ar’ way.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Get chairs an’ set down to onct.
male cat
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
precisely as stated
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Tom was allowed very little time for reflection, for the shrill voice of the mother speedily broke in upon his meditations.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading You, Franklin Pierce, quit shakin’ your head that ar’ way.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Now, boys,” said she, “where’s your manners?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You, Franklin Pierce, quit shakin’ your head that ar’ way.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Now, boys,” said she, “where’s your manners?
Chapter 13 of Tom Newcombe by Harry Castlemon holds 174 sentences, grouped into 35 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 174 sentences of Tom Newcombe, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of Tom Newcombe by Harry Castlemon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 174 sentences, grouped into 35 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 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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 Tom Newcombe by Harry Castlemon on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4740 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #64169 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #64169, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 395 minutes of reading across 948 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tom Newcombe section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Tom Newcombe 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 Tom Newcombe, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
