4月10號
親愛的大富翁先生：
隨信附上您的五十元支票，非常謝謝您；不過我不認為自己應該收下這筆錢。我的零用錢足夠買自己需要的所有帽子了。我真後悔寫了那麼多關於帽店的蠢話，其實我只是少見多怪罷了。
無論如何，我並沒有在乞討！我也不願再接受您額外的恩惠。
您的喬若莎．艾伯特
4月11號
最親愛的叔叔：
您能原諒我昨天寫的那封信嗎？我一寄出去就後悔了。想取回來時，那個可惡的郵差卻不肯還給我。
現在是半夜，想起自己以怨報德就無法入睡。心裏除了痛罵自己是個卑鄙小人外，又能說些什麼呢！我將通往書房的門關上，以免吵醒了茱莉亞和莎莉；並從歷史筆記本上撕下一頁，坐在床上寫信給您。
我只想告訴您，您寄支票來是好意，我卻如此無禮，十分抱歉。您是一位這麼好心的老人，才會連一頂帽子這樣的小事都要費心，我本應滿心感激地把支票退回去才是。
可是不管怎樣，我都該還給您。這件事對我來說，跟其他女孩子擁有截然不同的意義。她們能理所當然地接受別人的東西；她們有爸爸、哥哥、姑姑和叔叔，而我卻沒有任何這種親人。我想像您是屬於我的，當然僅僅只是想像，我也知道您絕對不屬於我。我孤單一人獨自面對整個世界，一想起來就有些心驚膽戰，不過我把這些都拋在腦後，繼續假裝。只是，叔叔，您看不出來嗎？我不能再接受您的金錢多過於我所應受的。因為這些錢，有朝一日我必須全數歸還給您。更何況，即使我如願以償成為了一個偉大的作家，也無法償還如此巨大的債務。
我喜愛那些美麗的帽子和飾物，但是我不該拿我的未來做抵押。
您會原諒我的，不是嗎？原諒我這麼魯莽。我有一想到事情就衝動下筆的壞習慣，而且還沒來得及仔細想想，就寄出去了。雖然有時候我看起來魯莽又不知感恩，但是我真的不是故意的，我打心眼裏感謝您所給予我的生活、自由和獨立。我的童年充滿了陰鬱的反抗，而現在我時時刻刻都很快樂，幾乎不敢相信這一切是真的。我覺得自己像故事書中的女主角。
現在已是凌晨兩點一刻了，我要悄悄地溜出去寄信。您將會在上一封信寄達後不久，就收到這封。這樣您才不會有太長的時間把我想得太壞。
晚安，叔叔！
永遠都愛您的茱蒂
※※※※※※※※
10th April
Dear Mr. Rich-Man,
Here’s your cheque for fifty dollars. Thank you very much, but I do not feel that I can keep it. My allowance is sufficient to afford all of the hats that I need. I am sorry that I wrote all that silly stuff about the millinery shop; it’s just that I had never seen anything like it before.
However, I wasn’t begging! And I would rather not accept any more charity than I have to.
Sincerely yours,
Jerusha Abbott
11th April
Dearest Daddy,
Will you please forgive me for the letter I wrote you yesterday? After I posted it I was sorry, and tried to get it back, but that beastly mail clerk wouldn’t give it back to me.
It’s the middle of the night now; I’ve been awake for hours thinking what a Worm I am--what a Thousand-legged Worm--and that’s the worst I can say! I’ve closed the door very softly into the study so as not to wake Julia and Sallie, and am sitting up in bed writing to you on paper torn out of my history note-book.
I just wanted to tell you that I am sorry I was so impolite about your cheque. I know you meant it kindly, and I think you’re an old dear to take so much trouble for such a silly thing as a hat. I ought to have returned it very much more graciously.
But in any case, I had to return it. It’s different with me than with other girls. They can take things naturally from people. They have fathers and brothers and aunts and uncles; but I can’t be on any such relations with any one. I like to pretend that you belong to me, just to play with the idea, but of course I know you don’t. I’m alone, really--with my back to the wall fighting the world--and I get sort of gaspy when I think about it. I put it out of my mind, and keep on pretending; but don’t you see, Daddy? I can’t accept any more money than I have to, because some day I shall be wanting to pay it back, and even as great an author as I intend to be won’t be able to face a PERFECTLY TREMENDOUS debt.
I’d love pretty hats and things, but I mustn’t mortgage the future to pay for them.
You’ll forgive me, won’t you, for being so rude? I have an awful habit of writing impulsively when I first think things, and then posting the letter beyond recall. But if I sometimes seem thoughtless and ungrateful, I never mean it. In my heart I thank you always for the life and freedom and independence that you have given me. My childhood was just a long, sullen stretch of revolt, and now I am so happy every moment of the day that I can’t believe it’s true. I feel like a made-up heroine in a story-book.
It’s a quarter past two. I’m going to tiptoe out to post this off now. You’ll receive it in the next mail after the other; so you won’t have a very long time to think bad of me.
Good night, Daddy,
I love you always,
Judy
親愛的大富翁先生：
隨信附上您的五十元支票，非常謝謝您；不過我不認為自己應該收下這筆錢。我的零用錢足夠買自己需要的所有帽子了。我真後悔寫了那麼多關於帽店的蠢話，其實我只是少見多怪罷了。
無論如何，我並沒有在乞討！我也不願再接受您額外的恩惠。
您的喬若莎．艾伯特
4月11號
最親愛的叔叔：
您能原諒我昨天寫的那封信嗎？我一寄出去就後悔了。想取回來時，那個可惡的郵差卻不肯還給我。
現在是半夜，想起自己以怨報德就無法入睡。心裏除了痛罵自己是個卑鄙小人外，又能說些什麼呢！我將通往書房的門關上，以免吵醒了茱莉亞和莎莉；並從歷史筆記本上撕下一頁，坐在床上寫信給您。
我只想告訴您，您寄支票來是好意，我卻如此無禮，十分抱歉。您是一位這麼好心的老人，才會連一頂帽子這樣的小事都要費心，我本應滿心感激地把支票退回去才是。
可是不管怎樣，我都該還給您。這件事對我來說，跟其他女孩子擁有截然不同的意義。她們能理所當然地接受別人的東西；她們有爸爸、哥哥、姑姑和叔叔，而我卻沒有任何這種親人。我想像您是屬於我的，當然僅僅只是想像，我也知道您絕對不屬於我。我孤單一人獨自面對整個世界，一想起來就有些心驚膽戰，不過我把這些都拋在腦後，繼續假裝。只是，叔叔，您看不出來嗎？我不能再接受您的金錢多過於我所應受的。因為這些錢，有朝一日我必須全數歸還給您。更何況，即使我如願以償成為了一個偉大的作家，也無法償還如此巨大的債務。
我喜愛那些美麗的帽子和飾物，但是我不該拿我的未來做抵押。
您會原諒我的，不是嗎？原諒我這麼魯莽。我有一想到事情就衝動下筆的壞習慣，而且還沒來得及仔細想想，就寄出去了。雖然有時候我看起來魯莽又不知感恩，但是我真的不是故意的，我打心眼裏感謝您所給予我的生活、自由和獨立。我的童年充滿了陰鬱的反抗，而現在我時時刻刻都很快樂，幾乎不敢相信這一切是真的。我覺得自己像故事書中的女主角。
現在已是凌晨兩點一刻了，我要悄悄地溜出去寄信。您將會在上一封信寄達後不久，就收到這封。這樣您才不會有太長的時間把我想得太壞。
晚安，叔叔！
永遠都愛您的茱蒂
※※※※※※※※
10th April
Dear Mr. Rich-Man,
Here’s your cheque for fifty dollars. Thank you very much, but I do not feel that I can keep it. My allowance is sufficient to afford all of the hats that I need. I am sorry that I wrote all that silly stuff about the millinery shop; it’s just that I had never seen anything like it before.
However, I wasn’t begging! And I would rather not accept any more charity than I have to.
Sincerely yours,
Jerusha Abbott
11th April
Dearest Daddy,
Will you please forgive me for the letter I wrote you yesterday? After I posted it I was sorry, and tried to get it back, but that beastly mail clerk wouldn’t give it back to me.
It’s the middle of the night now; I’ve been awake for hours thinking what a Worm I am--what a Thousand-legged Worm--and that’s the worst I can say! I’ve closed the door very softly into the study so as not to wake Julia and Sallie, and am sitting up in bed writing to you on paper torn out of my history note-book.
I just wanted to tell you that I am sorry I was so impolite about your cheque. I know you meant it kindly, and I think you’re an old dear to take so much trouble for such a silly thing as a hat. I ought to have returned it very much more graciously.
But in any case, I had to return it. It’s different with me than with other girls. They can take things naturally from people. They have fathers and brothers and aunts and uncles; but I can’t be on any such relations with any one. I like to pretend that you belong to me, just to play with the idea, but of course I know you don’t. I’m alone, really--with my back to the wall fighting the world--and I get sort of gaspy when I think about it. I put it out of my mind, and keep on pretending; but don’t you see, Daddy? I can’t accept any more money than I have to, because some day I shall be wanting to pay it back, and even as great an author as I intend to be won’t be able to face a PERFECTLY TREMENDOUS debt.
I’d love pretty hats and things, but I mustn’t mortgage the future to pay for them.
You’ll forgive me, won’t you, for being so rude? I have an awful habit of writing impulsively when I first think things, and then posting the letter beyond recall. But if I sometimes seem thoughtless and ungrateful, I never mean it. In my heart I thank you always for the life and freedom and independence that you have given me. My childhood was just a long, sullen stretch of revolt, and now I am so happy every moment of the day that I can’t believe it’s true. I feel like a made-up heroine in a story-book.
It’s a quarter past two. I’m going to tiptoe out to post this off now. You’ll receive it in the next mail after the other; so you won’t have a very long time to think bad of me.
Good night, Daddy,
I love you always,
Judy
