作者这样描述她：Jerusha’s anxious frown gave place to quick laughter. She was by nature a sunny soul, and had always snatched the tiniest excuse to be amused. 有人说爱笑的人运气不会太差，当然机会也给有准备的人。
许是作者继承了马克吐温的幽默细胞，茱蒂无疑亦是继承了作者的幽默。她觉得信的抬头写给王猛或者王小明有点不大合适，可是也不能叫亲爱的衣架子先生或者拴马桩先生吧？ Dear Hitching-Post or Dear Clothes-Pole.所以从惊鸿一瞥中，因影子似蜘蛛而命名To Mr. Daddy-Long-Legs Smith 长腿大大史密斯先森。
当她发现大学竟然这样美好，发出这样的感叹， 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。做梦我都没想到世界上会有这样的地方，为来不了这地方的每个女孩子感到遗憾。
勤奋快乐
当她以为米开朗基罗是一个基罗天使的时候，同学们都笑话她；当她以为知名诺奖获得者是一名大一新生时，更是学院级笑柄。她有时候觉得这种境遇很尴尬，但是她仍然正面地去解决问题：It’s very embarrassing at times. But now, when the girls talk about things that I never heard of, I just keep still and look them up in the encyclopedia. 去百科全书查。
她没有自怜自艾，跑去跟家人哭诉，因为她没有家人，只有长腿大大可以倾诉，只有解决问题一条路：用勤奋去补救。
即使是生病这样的事情，茱蒂也将它们视为有趣的事情；很多女孩子拥有一切，却不知道什么叫快乐，而幽暗童年中走过来的茱蒂却有别样的快乐观。生命中的每一刻都是快乐的。无论多么unpleasant things 发生，她都决定视为有趣经历，因此继续快乐。无论头顶是怎样一片天，她都随时快乐！
I know lots of girls (Julia, for instance) who never know that they are happy. They are so accustomed to the feeling that their senses are deadened to it, but as for me—I am perfectly sure every moment of my life that I am happy. And I’m going to keep on being, no matter what unpleasant things turn up. I’m going to regard them (even toothaches) as interesting experiences, and be glad to know what they feel like. “Whatever sky’s above me, I’ve a heart for any fate.”
感恩图报
第一次生病收到大大的花，她更是感恩极了。甚至不敢相信这快乐的真实性，每个生命的瞬间都是感恩。
Thank you, Daddy, a thousand times. Your flowers make the first real, true present I ever received in my life. If you want to know what a baby I am, I lay down and cried because I was so happy.
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.
在她的心里，大大是给自己带来自由和独立的那个人，所以当前的每个生命的瞬间的美好都难以相信是真切的。因此，她开始担心他，千万不要去碰酒，因为那对他的健康不好；她相信，她也很年轻有活力：
I hope you never touch alcohol, Daddy? It does dreadful things to your liver.
Youth has nothing to do with birthdays, only with alivedness of spirit, so even if your hair is gray, Daddy, you can still be a boy.
年轻与年岁无关，只与精神活力有关，所以即使您的发灰白，大大，您依然是个孩子。
坚强独立
当她收到大大给她额外的支票时，她还回了，并且附信表示自己必须还回去。她坚强地知道自己该独立，“一个人挺直脊背与世界叫板”。在她的心里，大大是既令她爱又支撑她的，她不可以太贪心。
Here’s your check for fifty dollars. Thank you very much, but I do not feel that I can keep it.
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.
You mustn’t get me used to too many luxuries. One doesn’t miss what one has never had; but it is awfully hard going without things after one has commenced thinking they are his—hers (English language needs another pronoun) by natural right. Living with Sallie and Julia is an awful strain on my stoical philosophy. They have both had things from the time they were babies; they accept happiness as a matter of course. The World, they think, owes them everything they want. Maybe the World does—in any case, it seems to acknowledge the debt and pay up. But as for me, it owes me nothing, and distinctly told me so in the beginning. I have no right to borrow on credit, for there will come a time when the World will repudiate my claim.
当她独立赚到第一笔钱时，她就开始还给她敬爱的大大了。并且准备逐步还清。
Before I begin—here’s a check for one thousand dollars. It seems funny, doesn’t it, for me to be sending a check to you? Where do you think I got it?
I’ve sold my story, Daddy.
Of course I’m glad to begin paying you—I owe you over two thousand more.
而同时，她知道，金钱部分，她可以通过自己努力还清，但余生她都要用感恩与爱戴报答她的恩人。
because it makes me happy to return it. I owe you a great deal more than the mere money, and the rest I will continue to pay all my life in gratitude and affection.
当下同理
茱蒂还提到了很多书，例如别的孩子都读过的mother goose, 《三个火枪手》、《Second Punic war》等等，也时常会讲一下自己的感受。但最打动人的，莫过于提到《简·爱》中小简爱时，她的同理心来自她童年的折射。
当我读到小简爱在免费学校里碰到小麻烦时，我很生气地出去散了散步。我很清楚她的感受。
When I was reading about little Jane’s troubles in the charity school, I got so angry that I had to go out and take a walk. I understood exactly how she felt.
当遇到可怜的女孩时，她唯一一次开口向大大要一百块钱。并说这个女孩比自己更需要帮助。
One hundred dollars would buy some coal and some shoes for the three children so that they could go to school, and give a little margin so that she needn’t worry herself to death when a few days pass and she doesn’t get work.
You are the richest man I know. Don’t you suppose you could spare one hundred dollars? That girl deserves help a lot more than I ever did. I wouldn’t ask it except for the girl; Your check for my family came yesterday. Thank you so much! I cut gymnasium and took it down to them right after luncheon, and you should have seen the girl’s face! She was so surprised and happy and relieved that she looked almost young; and she’s only twenty-four. Isn’t it pitiful?
I love the furs and the necklace and the liberty scarf and the gloves and handkerchiefs and books and purse—and most of all I love you! But Daddy, you have no business to spoil me this way. I’m only human—and a girl at that. How can I keep my mind sternly fixed on a studious career, when you deflect me with such worldly frivolities?
“我喜爱那些貂皮大衣和珠宝和手套和手巾和书本还有提包——而且最重要的是我爱您！不过，叔叔，您绝没有义务把我宠坏呀！我只是个平凡人——而且还是平凡的女孩子。您将这样尘世的礼物呈现在我面前时，我又怎能坚定我的意志在一个严肃的未来上面。”
Do you want me to tell you a secret that I’ve lately discovered? And will you promise not to think me vain? Then listen:
I’m pretty.
I am, really. I’d be an awful idiot not to know it with three looking-glasses in the room.
尽管自己的童年并不快乐，但她依然对自己和这个世界抱有希望：认为每个人，不管他长大后会遇到多少困难，都应该要给他一个快乐的童年来回首过往。并且如果我会有我自己的小孩，不管我是多么不快乐，我都要让他们得到一切的关爱直到他们长大为止！
But anyway, they are going to be happy. I think that every one, no matter how many troubles he may have when he grows up, ought to have a happy childhood to look back upon. And if I ever have any children of my own, no matter how unhappy I may be, I am not going to let them have any cares until they grow up.
这样的女孩子，在爱上Jervie少爷是，与所有女孩一样，是那样的感受。
I hate the moonlight because it’s beautiful and he isn’t here to see it with me.
我恨月色如此美丽，因为他无法在此与我共赏。
We are tramping over the hills and reading and writing, and having a nice, restful time. We climbed to the top of “Sky Hill” this morning where Master Jervie and I once cooked supper—it doesn’t seem possible that it was nearly two years ago. I could still see the place where the smoke of our fire blackened the rock. It is funny how certain places get connected with certain people, and you never go back without thinking of them. I was quite lonely without him—for two minutes.
我们隔山谈天，而且读书、写作还好好的休息一番。我们爬上以前杰夫主人与我煮晚餐的天山——似乎很难想像那已经是快要两年前的事了。我还可以看因为我们的生火而熏黑的石块。这真是很有趣，什么地方就会跟什么人联想在一起，而且都不用回想。没有他我觉得很孤单——有两分钟之久。
艾赛琳·麦金尼的哥哥格列·福特·麦金尼（Glenn Ford McKinney）是一名律师，为了不辜负他富有而成功的父亲的期望而艰难奋斗。他婚姻不幸，妻子是一个精神状况不稳定的女人，他们唯一的儿子，约翰，也有精神不稳定的迹象。面对这些压力，麦金尼只能通过频繁的外出打猎，驾帆艇出行与酗酒来逃避。他也因此几次进入疗养院。1909年这对夫妇分手，但在一个离婚并不常见，且很难被接受的年代，他们直到1915年才真正离婚。此间，女作家与这位朋友的哥哥秘密相恋，1915年终于结婚。第二年，作家诞下女儿，却因产褥热陨落。为了纪念她，她的女儿被命名为简（Jean）。
I don’t agree with the theory that adversity and sorrow and disappointment develop moral strength. The happy people are the ones who are bubbling over with kindliness.
