Nobody will deny that our modern life is very stressful. Every day we work hard trying to save time and to earn as much money as possible in order to possess cars, better houses and to have a big bank account. I heard someone once said that today we so busy that even if God wanted to speak to us He would have to leave a message on our answering machines. But still, as we’re human beings we can’t live without some rest to build up one’s strength, at least two days a week. On the whole, all people spend their weekends alike, but yet there’re some differences. Let’s for example compare an American and a Belarussian days-off. Well, as a weekend comes Americans like to let loose and to have a good time. Usually, a typical American weekend starts on Friday night and as a rule they may go to a bar for a happy hour, the time when drinks are half-price. But they don’t visit these all-night parties; instead they prefer to spend the evening at home. Saturday morning is the time for cleaning the house, washing the car, doing the laundry, and then comes the time for Saturday lunch. After that the American people either go on a beach, or play tennis, or just go for a walk. During their evening leisure time they may go to the cinema or theatre, but very often they go to watch a band in a bar, where the atmosphere is very relaxed and it is pleasant just to take in some jazz. American Sunday is the most peaceful day, when they sit in the garden or on the balcony over a cap of coffee and read newspapers. Sometimes they like to make up a picnic with their friends. Besides, the most popular meal for the weekend is the so-called brunch, during which the whole American family goes out to some restaurant that overlooks the ocean and spends there a few hours. In the evening they’re getting ready for a new working week or simply watching television.
Speaking about Belarussian days-off, in my opinion, they’re much busier than American ones, since in our country a lot of people either work or study on Saturday. So, our weekends begin only on Saturday afternoon. Actually, the Belarussians spend their weekend almost in the same way as the Americans do, but for our people Sunday tends to be much busier, as we have plenty of work, as household chores, going to the market in order to stock up for the next week or visiting grandparents in the country. To tell the truth, these activities are so tiresome and exhausting that at the end of the day you are way baked to do anything as to sit in front of TVset switching channels or just to read some plain book before going to bed.
As for me, certainly I’d like t have one more day-off, because with the only Sunday I’m unable to have a good rest and to build up my strength to be ready for the following working week.
18. Jerusha’s first steps at college
Jerusha Abbott was a 17-year-old orphan who had lived in the asylum since her childhood. And the only education she managed to receive was several years at school of the asylum and four years at the village high school. Jerusha was definitely a brilliant girl therefore she did well in certain branches at school. And her work in English could even be called excellent, that is why she was noticed by a rich man who decided to send her to college with the purpose to educate her to become a writer. Everything was new to Jerusha at college. Actually, it was a totally unknown world for her. This new reality was full of unfamiliar things, because at her 17 years old she had never before stepped outside the asylum and couldn’t picture the life behind its gates. She had never even dreamed there was such a place in the world as college. Every day was full of new impressions, and she was excited by every moment of her life.
Jerusha’s room was situated up in a tower. In fact, she was very lucky to get a single room, although freshmen usually didn’t get singles. There were also two other girls on the floor named Sallie McBride and Julia Pendleton. Jerusha got on well with Sallie who was a nice and cheerful girl, and soon made with her good friends. But Julia seemed to be too haughty as she came from one of the first families in New York.
Although Jerusha’s first days at college were very exciting, she also had to overcome some difficulties. The main problem was that despite she had got some education before, it was utterly little. For instance, Jerusha once got into a stupid situation: the teacher asked her who Michelangelo was, and she thought he was an archangel. So, to exclude similar incident Jerusha made an unbreakable rule: never to study at night, and instead of studying started to read books to fill eight blank years behind her. She read such books as “David Copperfield”, “Robinson Crusoe”, “Alice in Wonderland”, and many others. As a rule, one book was not enough for her hungry mind, so, she was reading four books at once. What is more, whenever, Jerusha came across with an unknown word she looked it up in the encyclopedia.
There’s no doubt, it was extremely difficult for Jerusha to catch up with other students, but nevertheless, she didn’t lose heart but worked hard, because she had a great desire to study and was motivated to become a writer. Probably, she understood that it was the only way to achieve her aims and to make one’s way in life.
19. Jerusha’s academic life in college: her failures and achievements
Jerusha Abbott was a 17-year-old orphan who had lived in the asylum since her childhood. And the only education she managed to receive was several years at school of the asylum and four years at the village high school. Jerusha was definitely a brilliant girl therefore she did well in certain branches at school. And her work in English could even be called excellent, that is why she was noticed by a rich man who decided to send her to college with the purpose to educate her to become a writer. Thus, Jerusha, so to say, got a “golden ticket” into the adult life. Actually, it was a totally unknown world for her. This new reality was full of unfamiliar things, because at her 17 years old she had never before stepped outside the asylum and couldn’t picture the life behind its gates. She had never even dreamed there was such a place in the world as college. Every day was full of new impressions, and she was excited by every moment of her life.
Alongside she had to come across with some difficulties, and the main problem was that the basic education she had got at the asylum wasn’t enough for the college. For example, Jerusha once got into a stupid situation: the teacher asked her who Michelangelo was, and she thought he was an archangel. So, to exclude similar incidents Jerusha made an unbreakable rule: never to study at night, and instead of studying started to read books to widen her horizons. She read such books as “David Copperfield”, “Robinson Crusoe”, “Alice in Wonderland”, and many others. As a rule, one book was not enough for her hungry mind, so, she was reading four books at once. What is more, whenever, Jerusha came across with an unknown word she looked it up in the encyclopedia.
Of course, it was very difficult for Jerusha to catch up with other students, and she even failed her first exams in mathematics and Latin. Nevertheless, she didn’t get knickers in a twist, but worked hard, and as a result, her next exams were passed with flying colours. She spent lots of hours reading books and writing her own stories. What is more, Jerusha took part in several literary competitions: when she was still a freshman her poem “From my Tower” was published on the first page of the Monthly. Moreover, one of her four stories was accepted by a magazine. Apart from that, she participated in the fifty-yard dash and even won it. Later on Jerusha got a scholarship that could cover her ward and tuition.
So, as we may see, Jerusha made her best to get a good education and to become a real author. Generally speaking, Jerusha Abbott didn’t waste time at college but had a very active life and enjoyed studying greatly, which made lots of good for her: Jerusha developed critical thinking, independence of character, a mind of her own, vivid imagination and confidence to help her face the realities of her further adult life.
20. Jerusha’s summer and winter holidays
Nobody will deny that having holidays is always a great fun for students. Firstly, they have days off from monotonous intense studying. Secondly, it is variety and relaxation from everyday routine. Besides, spending holidays reasonably, students can widen their horizons. I am convinced that all students like holidays and always look forward to them, and so does Jerusha Abbott. It must be said that Jerusha had never before dreamed there was such a thing as holidays, because she was an orphan and had spent all her childhood behind the walls of the asylum. When a freshman, Jerusha had her first vocation, which was the Christmas one, and she spent it in the college together with a girl from Texas named Leonora. The vocation was rather monotonous: every day they just walked across the country and explored the neighborhood. Still Jerusha didn’t fool away her time, but read a lot of various books in order to enlarge one’s vocabulary and to widen one’s horizons. Besides, it should be mentioned that Jerusha got a money as a Christmas present from her trustee and spent them very reasonably on the things she really needed, among which there were five hundred sheets of manuscript paper and a dictionary of synonyms.
During her next holidays Jerusha was staying on the farm of Mr. and Mrs. Semple “Lock Willow” of very hospitable people: Mr. and Mrs. Semple. Certainly, she didn’t know what kind of a thing a farm was and had never been on one before. Therefore, everything there was new and enjoyable for her. Jerusha had long conversations with the owners of the farm, helped them to look after the animals, and just took prolonged walks to green meadows. On the whole she liked the farm, and she even once said: “One must be mad to live in a city when there’s an opportunity to live on a farm”.
Her next vocation Jerusha had at Sally’s place, after which she under the great impression, because it was the first time she had been staying with a real family. Jerusha liked Sally’s relatives, as they were very nice, and even sitting at the table she had the jolliest time. But the greatest fun for Jerusha was the opportunity to attend the true ball.
In a few months Jerusha was very lucky to go to New York. She and her friends were going to do some spring shopping and to visit the theatre. Jerusha was very excited, because she had been neither in a hotel, nor in the theatre before. Apart from that, she was amazed by the hugeness of New York, by its different people, busy streets and big shops.
I should also mention that Jerusha and Sally became such close friends, that once Sally invited her to spend a few weeks at their camp. Actually, Jerusha had been working very hard and needed some healthful recreation. The weather was fine and she had a wonderful unforgettable time.
So, as we can see, all Jerusha’s holidays were full of strong impressions and new discoveries. She met a lot of new people and made good friends with some of them. What is more, she became more sociable, confident, independent in her thoughts and learnt to see through people better.
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.
