第4章
10月1日
親愛的長腿叔叔:
我喜歡大學,也喜歡送我來這兒的您——我真的非常非常快樂,時時刻刻都興奮得睡不著。您無法想象這里跟約翰·格利爾之家是多么的不同。我深深地為所有不是女孩和不能來上大學的人感到難過。我相信您以前讀的大學一定沒有這么好。
在新的醫(yī)務室蓋好前,我的房間暫時位于以前是傳染病房的大樓里。這層樓還有另外三個女孩子——一個戴眼鏡的高年級女生,老是要人家安靜一點,還有兩個新生,莎麗·麥克白與茱莉亞·平萊頓。莎麗有一頭紅發(fā),微揚的鼻子,人很和氣。茱莉亞來自紐約某個上層家庭,還沒注意到我。她們住同一間房,那個高年級女生跟我住單人房。學校里單間很少,新生一般不能單住,但我甚至沒有提出要求就得到一間。我猜注冊組的人覺得,讓正常家庭長大的女孩跟孤兒住在一起不太妥當。所以您看,還是有好處的。
我的房間在西北角,有兩扇窗,景致不錯。在跟20個室友同住了18年后,孤獨反而讓人可以好好喘口氣。這是讓我認識喬若莎·亞伯特的良機,我想我會喜歡她的。
您呢?
1
st
October
Dear Daddy-Long-Legs,
I love college and I love you for sending me-I'm very, very happy, and so excited every moment of the time that I can scarcely sleep. You can't imagine how different it is from the John Grier Home.I never dreamed there was such a place in the world.I'm feeling sorry for everybody who isn't a girl and who can't come here;I am sure the college you attended when you were a boy couldn't have been so nice.
My room is up in a tower that used to be the contagious ward before they built the new infirmary. There are three other girls on the same floor of the tower-a Senior who wears spectacles and is always asking us please to be a little more quiet, and two Freshmen named Sallie McBride and Julia Rutledge Pendleton.Sallie has red hair and a turn-up nose and is quite friendly;Julia comes from one of the first families in New York and hasn't noticed me yet.They room together and the Senior and I have singles.Usually Freshmen can't get singles;they are very scarce, but I got one without even asking.I suppose the registrar didn't think it would be right to ask a properly brought-up girl to room with a foundling.You see there are advantages!
My room is on the north-west corner with two windows and a view. After you've lived in a ward for eighteen years with twenty room-mates, it is restful to be alone.This is the first chance I've ever had to get acquainted with Jerusha Abbott.I think I'm going to like her.
Do you think you are?