16. Jerusha’s academic life in college: her failures and achievements.

Jerusha Abbott -17-year-old orphan,had lived in the asylum since her childhood. the only education-several years at school of the asylum and four years at the village high school. Jerusha -brilliant girldid well in:certain branches at school. And her work in English was excellent- she was noticed by a rich man who decided to send her to college so as to educate her to become a writer. had to come across with some difficulties: the basic education she had got at the asylum wasn’t enough for the college. (the teacher asked her who Michelangelo was, and she thought he was an archangel). She decided never to study at night, and instead of studying started to read books to widen her horizons:“David Copperfield”, “Robinson Crusoe”, “Alice in Wonderland.

even failed her first exams in mathematics and Latin. Nevertheless, she worked hard, and as a result, her next exams were passed with flying colours. Jerusha took part in several literary competitions: when a freshman her poem “From my Tower” was published on the first page of the Monthly.

17. Jerusha’s summer and winter holidays

Jerusha had never before dreamed about holidays, because she was an orphan and had spent all her childhood behind the walls of the asylum. A freshman, Jerusha`s 1^st Cristmas and she spent it in the college with a girl from Texas Leonora. The vocation-monotonous. But Jerusha didn’t idle her time:read a lot of books. Jerusha got a money as a Christmas present from her trustee and spent them very reasonably on the five hundred sheets of manuscript paper and a dictionary of synonyms.

next holidays-was staying on the farm of Mr. and Mrs. Semple “Lock Willow. everything there was new and enjoyable for her: had long conversations with the owners of the farm, helped them to look after the animals.

next vocation Jerusha had at Sally’s place-it was 1^st time she had been staying with a real family. Jerusha liked Sally’s relatives.

In a few months Jerusha go to NY: were going to do shopping and visit the theatre. Jerusha was very excited: she had been neither in a hotel, nor in the theatre before.

So, as we can see, all Jerusha’s holidays were full of strong impressions and new discoveries.

21. Jerusha’s life in the asylum

Jerusha Abbott was a 17-year-old orphan who had lived in the asylum since her childhood. Besides, she was the oldest one of the remaining orphans. Actually, children of her age couldn’t reside in the asylum any longer, but she was an exception. Mrs. Lippett, the matron of the asylum, allowed Jerusha to stay because she had been studying well. But as we can guess, the real reason was that Mrs. Lippett needed someone to help her about the asylum. As Jerusha had a heart of gold, was very hard-working and diligent, she appeared the most suitable person for this uneasy work. Moreover, Mrs. Lippett didn’t need to pay her. So, Jerusha had to do a lot of work at the asylum, and her special care was room F, where 97 little lots from four to seven were kept. She had to look after them, dress them, play with them and even wipe their noses. The first Wednesday in every month was a perfectly awful day for Jerusha, because it was the day when the Trustees and the visiting committee came to inspect the asylum. On this mad day Jerusha was usually on feet from 5 o’clock in the morning. She cleaned the floors, dusted all the shelves and chairs; she had to make all the beds as they must have been without any wrinkle. Furthermore, all the orphans had to be scrubbed, combed and buttoned into freshly starched ginghams. Apart from that, Jerusha’s duty was also to make tea and sandwiches for the asylum’s guests. So, as we may see she did practically all the main work in the asylum without any reward—she was a nursemaid, a typist and sometimes a bookkeeper. Every day she was completely exhausted by this monotonous work.

Though Jerusha was very busy, nevertheless she managed to receive some education. She finished school at fourteen and then she was sent to a village high school for two more years. Jerusha was a brilliant girl and she was doing well in certain branches, especially in English. That’s why she was noticed by a rich man, who decided to send her to the college in order to educate her as a writer. It was the beginning of Jerusha’s new, adventurous life, full of impressions and new friends. Thus, despite the fact that her childhood was not the land “of milk and honey” Jerusha was born under a lucky star. Actually, she was one of the few orphans to whom fate was kind and gave her a chance to one’s way in life.