Chapter 19 of Tom, The Bootblack is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIX
Chapter 19 of Tom, The Bootblack is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND. "Your uncle in the city?" said Mr. Ferguson, in surprise. "Yes, sir. I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street." "How did you know him?"
Chapter 19 of Tom, The Bootblack is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading “"Your uncle in the city?" said Mr. Ferguson, in surprise.”
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading “DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.”
a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading “DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.”
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading “I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street."”
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading “I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street."”
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading “"Your uncle in the city?" said Mr. Ferguson, in surprise.”
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading “"Your uncle in the city?" said Mr. Ferguson, in surprise.”
a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
From this reading “I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street."”
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 “I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street."”
In this reading “"Your uncle in the city?" said Mr. Ferguson, in surprise.”
In this reading “"Your uncle in the city?" said Mr. Ferguson, in surprise.”
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 I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street."
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading "Your uncle in the city?" said Mr. Ferguson, in surprise.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.
a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "How did you know him?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Your uncle in the city?" said Mr. Ferguson, in surprise.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How did you know him?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Your uncle in the city?" said Mr. Ferguson, in surprise.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "How did you know him?"
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street."
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Your uncle in the city?" said Mr. Ferguson, in surprise.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street."
and nothing more
From this reading I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Your uncle in the city?" said Mr. Ferguson, in surprise.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street."
from a time in the past until now
From this reading I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street."
term of address for a man
From this reading "Yes, sir.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street."
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading "Your uncle in the city?" said Mr. Ferguson, in surprise.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Your uncle in the city?" said Mr. Ferguson, in surprise.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street."
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading "Your uncle in the city?" said Mr. Ferguson, in surprise.
a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
From this reading I met him, only a short time since, on Vine street."
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes, sir.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "How did you know him?"
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Your uncle in the city?" said Mr. Ferguson, in surprise.
Chapter 19 of Tom, The Bootblack by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 126 sentences, grouped into 26 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 19 holds 126 sentences of Tom, The Bootblack, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 19 of Tom, The Bootblack by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 126 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 19 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, The Bootblack by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4823 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26355 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26355, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 401 minutes of reading across 965 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tom, The Bootblack section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 37 chapters of Tom, The Bootblack 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, The Bootblack, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
