Chapter 17 of Tom Thatcher's Fortune is here in full — 102 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Tom Thatcher's Fortune is here in full — 102 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
TOM’S NEW EMPLOYER. As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement. He afterward learned that he went by the name of Percy Burnett. Of course Tom kept his appointment punctually the next morning. He was too anxious about the engagement to risk losing it by any negligence.
Chapter 17 of Tom Thatcher's Fortune is here in full — 102 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/20 · 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.
the act of putting a person into a non-elective position
From this reading “Of course Tom kept his appointment punctually the next morning.”
United States writer (born in England) remembered for her novels for children (1849-1924)
From this reading “He afterward learned that he went by the name of Percy Burnett.”
a person or firm that employs workers
From this reading “TOM’S NEW EMPLOYER.”
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading “As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.”
-ing form of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading “He was too anxious about the engagement to risk losing it by any negligence.”
failure to act with the prudence that a reasonable person would exercise under the same circumstances
From this reading “He was too anxious about the engagement to risk losing it by any negligence.”
United States writer whose novels explored human alienation (1916-1990)
From this reading “He afterward learned that he went by the name of Percy Burnett.”
possessive form of “tom” — male cat
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 “Of course Tom kept his appointment punctually the next morning.”
In this reading “He afterward learned that he went by the name of Percy Burnett.”
as might be expected
In this reading “Of course Tom kept his appointment punctually the next morning.”
In this reading “He was too anxious about the engagement to risk losing it by any negligence.”
In this reading “As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He was too anxious about the engagement to risk losing it by any negligence.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading He afterward learned that he went by the name of Percy Burnett.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
eagerly desirous
From this reading He was too anxious about the engagement to risk losing it by any negligence.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading He was too anxious about the engagement to risk losing it by any negligence.
the act of putting a person into a non-elective position
From this reading Of course Tom kept his appointment punctually the next morning.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
United States writer (born in England) remembered for her novels for children (1849-1924)
From this reading He afterward learned that he went by the name of Percy Burnett.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He afterward learned that he went by the name of Percy Burnett.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Of course Tom kept his appointment punctually the next morning.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
a person or firm that employs workers
From this reading TOM’S NEW EMPLOYER.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Of course Tom kept his appointment punctually the next morning.
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He was too anxious about the engagement to risk losing it by any negligence.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading Of course Tom kept his appointment punctually the next morning.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
having or showing profound knowledge
From this reading He afterward learned that he went by the name of Percy Burnett.
-ing form of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading He was too anxious about the engagement to risk losing it by any negligence.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Of course Tom kept his appointment punctually the next morning.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
failure to act with the prudence that a reasonable person would exercise under the same circumstances
From this reading He was too anxious about the engagement to risk losing it by any negligence.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading TOM’S NEW EMPLOYER.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Of course Tom kept his appointment punctually the next morning.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
United States writer whose novels explored human alienation (1916-1990)
From this reading He afterward learned that he went by the name of Percy Burnett.
at the expected or proper time
From this reading Of course Tom kept his appointment punctually the next morning.
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading He was too anxious about the engagement to risk losing it by any negligence.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He afterward learned that he went by the name of Percy Burnett.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He was too anxious about the engagement to risk losing it by any negligence.
male cat
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
possessive form of “tom” — male cat
From this reading TOM’S NEW EMPLOYER.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading He was too anxious about the engagement to risk losing it by any negligence.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was too anxious about the engagement to risk losing it by any negligence.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He afterward learned that he went by the name of Percy Burnett.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
but in spite of that
From this reading As yet Tom did not know the name of the man from whom he hoped for an engagement.
Chapter 17 of Tom Thatcher's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 102 sentences, grouped into 21 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 17 holds 102 sentences of Tom Thatcher's Fortune, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Tom Thatcher's Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 102 sentences, grouped into 21 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 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 21 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 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.
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.
