Oliver Twist -academic vocabulary

Give it a little gruel if it is.'

He gazed in stupefied astonishment on the small rebel for some seconds, and then clung for support to the copper.

There being nobody by, however, but a pauper old woman, who was rendered rather misty by an unwonted allowance of beer; and a parish surgeon who did such matters by contract; Oliver and Nature fought out the point between them.

Not having a very clearly defined notion of what a live board was, Oliver was rather astounded by this intelligence, and was not quite certain whether he ought to laugh or cry.

Nobody controverted the prophetic gentleman's opinion.

Do I understand that he asked for more, after he had eaten the supper allotted by the dietary?'

Although this invitation was accompanied with a curtsey that might have softened the heart of a church-warden, it by no means mollified the beadle.

But now that he was enveloped in the old calico robes which had grown yellow in the same service, he was badged and ticketed, and fell into his place at once--a parish child--the orphan of a workhouse--the humble, half-starved drudge--to be cuffed

'Now don't you be offended at what I'm a going to say,' observed Mrs. Mann, with captivating sweetness.

'Lor bless her dear heart, no!' interposed the nurse, hastily depositing in her pocket a green glass bottle, the contents of which she had been tasting in a corner with evident satisfaction.