星期日

最親愛的長腿叔叔：

我有個很不好很不好的消息要告訴您，不過我不會以此為開頭，我要先讓您的心情好起來。

喬若莎·亞伯特已經開始要成為作家了。一首名叫《我的閣樓》的詩，在二月的《月刊》上刊載了——在首頁，對一名新生來說，這是非常大的榮耀。我會寄一份給您，這樣您就可以讀到它了。

讓我看看能不能想點其他令人高興的事——哦，有了！我自己正悄悄地學溜冰，可以自由地滑來滑去。還有，我也學會了如何用繩索從體育館的屋頂爬下來，我能跨過3英尺6英寸高的欄桿——希望不久后可以提升到4英尺。

現在要告訴您那壞消息了——勇敢點，茱蒂！你一定要講出來。

您“確定”現在心情愉快嗎？我的幾何學跟拉丁文沒有及格。我正在重讀，下個月要補考。如果讓您生氣了，我很抱歉，不過，我不是很在意，因為我學了這么多學校目錄上沒有的東西。我已經讀了17本小說，還有一堆詩。

如果我保證以后絕不再失敗，您能原諒我嗎？

您悲傷的，茱蒂

Sunday

Dearest Daddy-Long-Legs,

I have some awful, awful, awful news to tell you, but I won't begin with it;I'll try to get you in a good humour first.

Jerusha Abbott has commenced to be an author. A poem entitled, From my Tower, appears in the February Monthly-on the first page, which is a very great honour for a Freshman.My English instructor stopped me on the way out from chapel last night, and said it was a charming piece of work except for the sixth line, which had too many feet.I will send you a copy in case you care to read it.

Let me see if I can't think of something else pleasant-Oh, yes!I'm learning to skate, and can glide about quite respectably all by myself. Also I've learned how to slide down a rope from the roof of the gymnasium, and I can vault a bar three feet and six inches high-I hope shortly to pull up to four feet.

Now for the news-courage, Judy!-you must tell.

Are you SURELY in a good humour?I failed in mathematics and Latin prose. I am tutoring in them, and will take another examination next month.I'm sorry if you're disappointed, but otherwise I don't care a bit because I've learned such a lot of things not mentioned in the catalogue.I've read seventeen novels and bushels of poetry.

Will you forgive me this once if I promise never to fail again?

Yours in sackcloth,

Judy