Introduction

To begin with, it should be mentioned that Jerusha Abbott’s father and mother had died, and that’s why she was brought up in the asylum named the John Grier Home. One of the Trustees of this establishment believed that the girl had originality, and so decided to put her through college, thus Judy could be educated to become a writer. The only payment that the rich Trustee required was to get monthly letters from the girl, in which she was to tell of the progress in her studies and the details of her daily life. He just thought nothing helped better to become a writer than letter-writing. Thus, the book consists of Jerusha’s letters to the Trustee, who preferred to remain unknown, so the girl called him “Daddy-Long-Legs” according to the only slight impression of him that she had managed to catch. And being guided by these letters I’d like to describe Judy’s winter and summer holidays.

Main Part

Well, Jerusha stood behind at college during her first Christmas holidays there. Together with another Freshman and two Sophomores the girl walked across the country every pleasant day and explored the whole neighbourhood. Once they walked into town and stopped at a restaurant. It was such fun for Judy, because it was so awfully different from the asylum. She just had a really great time during that vacation, as it was a new experience for her. The same we can say about Jerusha’s first visit to Lock Willow in the summer. The girl had never been in the country before, and she considered the farm to be a heavenly, heavenly, heavenly spot. The scenery around there seemed to her to be perfectly beautiful, and she just loved everything about that place: the family which made her very welcome, the house, the friendly animals. And it is clear that when Daddy-Long-Legs made Judy to spend her next summer holidays on the farm instead of accepting Mrs. McBride’s invitation to spend it with Sallie at the camp, Jerusha was cross with the Trustee not because she didn’t like Lock Willow, but because the girl wanted to see something new. Anyway, the farm was a place where she did a lot of reading and writing, and where she just had a nice and restful time. But it should be also admitted that, unfortunately, sometimes Judy felt a lack of social intercourse there, and longed for someone who spoke her language. And that’s why the girl was inexpressibly happy when Master Jervie visited Lock Willow. They had an unforgettable time together. As to Jerusha’s other summer and winter vacations, they were also wonderful. The girl managed to spend one of her Christmas holidays with her roommate Sallie and the McBrides family. Sallie lived in a big old-fashioned brick house – exactly the kind of house that Judy had looked at so curiously when she had been in the John Grier Home, and had wondered what it could be like inside. At last, the girl had a chance to see it with her own eyes. Everything was so comfortable and restful and homelike, she walked from room to room and drank in the furnishings. And, of course, Jerusha loved the McBrides, who were very nice to her and even gave a dance at their own house to her. Besides, it was the first really true ball Judy had ever attended, so, without any doubt, that winter vacation would stay in her mind forever. The girl also had an opportunity to spend some weeks at the McBrides’ camp on a lovely little lake in the middle of the woods. Sallie’s brother taught her how to paddle a canoe, and the girl just had a nice, jolly, care-free time there. Jerusha also had an interesting and illuminating time visiting Julia Pendleton for one of the Christmas holidays. But she was glad she didn’t belong in such a family, because the material atmosphere of that house was crushing and the girl never heard one word of real talk from the time they arrived until they left. I also can’t but mention that little by little Judy was getting quite independent and started to earn for herself. That’s why she spent the summer before her last year at college at the seaside tutoring two girls in English, Latin and Algebra. Though she worked, she also had a little time to herself. Her window looked out on the loveliest landscape – oceanscape rather – nothing but water and rocks. And she really enjoyed it.

Conclusion

So, the way Jerusha spent her summer and winter holidays proves that the girl enjoyed every moment of her life. Everything was absolutely new to her, and she gradually began to feel at home not only in college, but also in the whole world – as though she really belonged in it and had not just crept in.

The relationship between Jerusha and her guardian (“Daddy-Long-Legs”)