[General] articled pupil

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentence?

Miss Sedley's papa was a merchant in London, and a man of some wealth; whereas Miss Sharp was an articled pupil, for whom Miss Pinkerton had done, as she thought, quite enough, without conferring upon her at parting the high honor of the Dictionary.

article = to bind by articles set forth in a contract, such as one of apprenticeship

articled pupil = pupil , taken to training on the contract, who has to work in return to his tuition

Thank you again for your kindness.

Regards,

V.

 

[Rover_KE]

Yes, Vil - You're right.

Rover

 

[Barb_D]

I can't understand the meaning of that passage at all. Can you put it in modern terms? What does it mean to confer "the high honor of the Dictionary."

Can you explain an articled pupil at a bit greater length? When was this common?

Thanks in advance.

 

[vil]

Hi Barb_D,

Please, excuse my slip. My “overweening” spell-program make me write Dictionary instead of the proper word “Dixonary”. Between me and you the present excerpt is from the very popular Charles Thackeray's “Vanity Fair“.

This letter completed, Miss Pinkerton proceeded to write her own name, and Miss Sedley's, in the fly-leaf of a Johnson's Dictionary-- the interesting work which she invariably presented to her scholars, on their departure from the Mall.

Being commanded by her elder sister to get "the Dictionary" from the cupboard, Miss Jemima had extracted two copies of the book from the receptacle in question. When Miss Pinkerton had finished the inscription in the first, Jemima, with rather a dubious and timid air, handed her the second.
"For whom is this, Miss Jemima?" said Miss Pinkerton, with awful coldness.

"For Becky Sharp," answered Jemima, trembling very much, and blushing over her withered face and neck, as she turned her back on her sister. "For Becky Sharp: she's going too."

Miss Sedley's papa was a merchant in London, and a man of some wealth; whereas Miss Sharp was an articled pupil, for whom Miss Pinkerton had done, as she thought, quite enough, without conferring upon her at parting the high honour of the Dixonary.

Miss Sedley is from a prosperity family but miss Sharp - not. So the former was worthy of honoured/respected gift i.e. Johnson's Dictionary and the latter - not.

honour = confer = award

Charles Thackeray (1811-1863)

Regards,

V.

 

[Barb_D]

Ah. I confess I've never read Vanity Fair. I saw parts of the movie, though.

Are you enjoying it? Should I go back and make up for my loss?

 

[vil]

Hi Barb_D,

I took real earnest pleasure reading it. Really and truly it is worth to read it.

Regards.

V.

 

[Barb_D]

Thank you. I'll add it to my list of "Books I should have read but haven't yet, but still plan to."

 

[Abstract Idea]

Thank you. I'll add it to my list of "Books I should have read but haven't yet, but still plan to."

Hi Barb_D!

Would you share a small piece of that list with us?

 

[Barb_D]

Sure.
Emma and Persuasion
Oliver Twist and The Old Curiosity Shop
The Odyssey
Around the World in 80 Days and The Time Machine
At least a few Sherlock Holmes stories
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Treasure Island

And now I'll add Vanity Fair

 

[Abstract Idea]

Good list Barb_D, thanks for sharing, I'm taking notes.

Curiously, I have tried unsuccessfully to read the English version of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" about two years ago. (I "read" it but couldn't understand it.) The English was too tough to me. After a long time without studying English, in fact, that was one of the main reasons I decided to come back studying English. In a year or two from now, I'll "attack" it again.

 

[Barb_D]

I've seen the Disney movie. Does that count?

 

[Abstract Idea]

https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/...but-havent-yet-but-still-plan.html#post618365