Daddy-Long-Legs
26 November 2018 03:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
While throwing out my old exercise-books I discovered the following document embedded amongst discussions of "My Family and Other Animals" and analyses of the character of Julia Pendleton.
It was evidently something we were set to do at school, and on reading on further in my schoolwork I discovered that it is actually fan-fiction for a 1912 novel entitled Daddy-Long-Legs (and having discovered the original on Project Gutenberg, I'm quite impressed by how well I managed to capture the character's canon voice!) Possibly the first piece of fan-fiction I ever did, if you don't count things like "write an account of the events of 'Romeo and Juliet' in the form of a newspaper article showing a clear bias towards either the Montague or Capulet side".
The funny thing is that I have absolutely no recollection of ever having read the novel at all -- and I thought I remembered every book I ever knew. We must have studied it in some detail, for there are three or four references to it in that term's work! The other funny thing is that my rough notes contain the instruction to use 'fudge episode', and yet this particular episode doesn't seem to appear in the book at all...
Nov 2nd
Dear Daddy-Long-Legs,
Julia and Sallie and I have been having very earnest discussions about our New Year's resolutions — at least Julia has been stating hers and suggesting ours! Sallie and I meekly agreed with everything she said and then went away and decided on something different. Unluckily Julia found out and is very offended.
Do you make New Year's resolutions, Daddy? I think that you might make one to write to me! But I mustn't complain, and you did send me a card — once.
If only you would write me a letter, it would help me to know what sort of a person you are. You know, Daddy, you can always tell a lot about a person by reading a letter they wrote. Is that why you won't write to me?
It's really very silly of you to keep your identity such a secret, but I expect you have your reasons — and they're probably selfish ones!
No, I didn't really mean it, Daddy dear.
I got into a very awkward discussion with Sallie about brothers this morning. She could talk about Jimmie McBride but I hadn't got anything to talk about except you, and I couldn't seem to compare you with Jimmie, as portrayed by Sallie — although I didn't recognise her description!
Were you ever a naughty little boy? I'm sure you weren't.
We made fudge again on Saturday. From my letters you must have the impression that we live on a perpetual diet of fudge! This batch was very successful — it would have been better if I had not accidentally broken the thermometer. The fudge got boiled a little too hard and almost became caramel.
However, I think I did very well to boil the mixture properly at all without a thermometer. After that we had a grand fudge-party — even Julia joined in!
There was such a rumpus that one of the Seniors came up to stop it. And would you believe it, the very next day the sermon was about behaving in a pious and lady-like fashion, and not losing femininity through education! I was sure that the clergyman was looking right at me. I could happily have vanished into the ground.
(Also I fancy that the cook will not be too pleased about the thermometer.)
I had a grand repentance session afterwards. Master Jervie came to see Julia and said that I was being very silly. Do you think he was right? I'm beginning to have dreadful suspicions myself.
Your very silly
and truly remorseful,
Judy Abbott