Chapter 8 of Tom Thatcher's Fortune is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Tom Thatcher's Fortune is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
IN SEARCH OF EMPLOYMENT. On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family. It was Rupert. Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox. He was rather fond of dress.
Chapter 8 of Tom Thatcher's Fortune is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 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.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading “Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.”
the state of being employed or having a job
From this reading “IN SEARCH OF EMPLOYMENT.”
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading “He was rather fond of dress.”
one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading “On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family.”
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading “It was Rupert.”
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading “IN SEARCH OF EMPLOYMENT.”
do one's shopping
From this reading “On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family.”
possessive form of “simpson” — United States divorcee whose marriage to Edward VIII created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication
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 “Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.”
In this reading “He was rather fond of dress.”
appear or become visible; make a showing
In this reading “Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.”
In this reading “IN SEARCH OF EMPLOYMENT.”
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 Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family.
a light cylindrical box for holding light articles of attire (especially hats)
From this reading Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.
put on clothes
From this reading He was rather fond of dress.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.
the state of being employed or having a job
From this reading IN SEARCH OF EMPLOYMENT.
a social unit living together
From this reading On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family.
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading He was rather fond of dress.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN SEARCH OF EMPLOYMENT.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was Rupert.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family.
and nothing more
From this reading Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.
one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading IN SEARCH OF EMPLOYMENT.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.
on the contrary
From this reading He was rather fond of dress.
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading It was Rupert.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading Rupert was carefully dressed, and looked, as the saying is, as if he had just come out of a bandbox.
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading IN SEARCH OF EMPLOYMENT.
do one's shopping
From this reading On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family.
possessive form of “simpson” — United States divorcee whose marriage to Edward VIII created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication
From this reading On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family.
male cat
From this reading On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was Rupert.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading On his way back from the shop Tom met another member of John Simpson’s family.
Chapter 8 of Tom Thatcher's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 143 sentences, grouped into 29 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 8 holds 143 sentences of Tom Thatcher's Fortune, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Tom Thatcher's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 143 sentences, grouped into 29 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 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 29 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 8 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 Thatcher's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5824 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56896 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #56896, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 485 minutes of reading across 1165 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tom Thatcher's Fortune section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of Tom Thatcher's Fortune 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 Thatcher's Fortune, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
