Chapter 8 of Walter Sherwood's Probation is here in full — 122 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Walter Sherwood's Probation is here in full — 122 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace. One old man produced a silver watch fifty years old. “That watch belonged to my grandfather,” he said. “You don't claim that, do you?” “Wouldn't take it as a gift,” said the loser crustily.
Chapter 8 of Walter Sherwood's Probation is here in full — 122 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/24 · 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.
past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading ““That watch belonged to my grandfather,” he said.”
something acquired without compensation
From this reading ““Wouldn't take it as a gift,” said the loser crustily.”
the father of your father or mother
From this reading ““That watch belonged to my grandfather,” he said.”
Clever, original, and remarkably inventive in design and execution.
From this reading “AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.”
a contestant who loses the contest
From this reading ““Wouldn't take it as a gift,” said the loser crustily.”
plural of “passenger” — a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it
From this reading “AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.”
an elaborate and systematic plan of action
From this reading “AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.”
plural of “watch” — a small portable timepiece
From this reading “AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.”
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 AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Wouldn't take it as a gift,” said the loser crustily.
past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading “That watch belonged to my grandfather,” he said.
an assertion of a right (as to money or property)
From this reading “You don't claim that, do you?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Wouldn't take it as a gift,” said the loser crustily.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “You don't claim that, do you?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You don't claim that, do you?”
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading One old man produced a silver watch fifty years old.
usually; as a rule
From this reading AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.
something acquired without compensation
From this reading “Wouldn't take it as a gift,” said the loser crustily.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.
(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence
From this reading AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.
the father of your father or mother
From this reading “That watch belonged to my grandfather,” he said.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “That watch belonged to my grandfather,” he said.
Clever, original, and remarkably inventive in design and execution.
From this reading AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Wouldn't take it as a gift,” said the loser crustily.
a contestant who loses the contest
From this reading “Wouldn't take it as a gift,” said the loser crustily.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading One old man produced a silver watch fifty years old.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “That watch belonged to my grandfather,” he said.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading One old man produced a silver watch fifty years old.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One old man produced a silver watch fifty years old.
plural of “passenger” — a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it
From this reading AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.
past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield
From this reading One old man produced a silver watch fifty years old.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “That watch belonged to my grandfather,” he said.
an elaborate and systematic plan of action
From this reading AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.
a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
From this reading One old man produced a silver watch fifty years old.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.
carry out
From this reading “Wouldn't take it as a gift,” said the loser crustily.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “That watch belonged to my grandfather,” he said.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “That watch belonged to my grandfather,” he said.
look attentively
From this reading One old man produced a silver watch fifty years old.
plural of “watch” — a small portable timepiece
From this reading AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.
in the company of; together with
From this reading AN INGENIOUS SCHEME The passengers, though somewhat surprised, generally showed their watches with a good grace.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Wouldn't take it as a gift,” said the loser crustily.
a late time of life
From this reading One old man produced a silver watch fifty years old.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You don't claim that, do you?”
Chapter 8 of Walter Sherwood's Probation by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 122 sentences, grouped into 25 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 122 sentences of Walter Sherwood's Probation, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Walter Sherwood's Probation by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 122 sentences, grouped into 25 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 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 25 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 Walter Sherwood's Probation by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3880 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5993 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5993, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 323 minutes of reading across 776 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Walter Sherwood's Probation section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Walter Sherwood's Probation 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 Walter Sherwood's Probation, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
