LESSON 22
JEANNETTE AND JO
Mary Mapes Dodge, was born in New York City in 1838. She is the editor of the“St. Nicholas” magazine, and has written many stories for children.
1. Two girls I know—Jeannette and Jo,
And one is always moping;
The other lassie, come what may1,
Is ever bravely hoping.
2. Beauty of face and girlish grace
Are theirs, for joy or sorrow;
Jeannette takes brightly every day,
And Jo dreads each to-morrow.
3. One early morn they watched the dawn—
I saw them stand together;
Their whole day's sport, 'twas2 very plain,
Depended on the weather.
4. “'T will storm! ” cried Jo. Jeannette spoke low:
“Yes, but 'twill soon be over.”
And, as she spoke, the sudden shower
Came, beating down the clover3.
5. “I told you so! ” cried angry Jo:
“It always is a-raining4! ”
Then hid her face in dire despair,
Lamenting and complaining.
6. But sweet Jeannette, quite hopeful yet, —
I tell it to her honor, —
Looked up and waited till the sun
Came streaming in upon her.
7. The broken clouds sailed off in crowds,
Across a sea of glory.
Jeannette and Jo ran, laughing, in—
Which ends my simple story.
8. Joy is divine. Come storm, come shine,
The hopeful are the gladdest;
And doubt and dread, children, believe
Of all things are the saddest.
9. In morning's light, let youth be bright;
Take in the sunshine tender;
Then, at the close, shall life's decline
Be full of sunset splendor.
10. And ye who fret, try, like Jeannette,
To shun all weak complaining;
And not, like Jo, cry out too soon—
“It always is a-raining! ”
STUDY GUIDE
A. Word Definition
moping:complaining.
lassie:girl.
ever:always.
sorrow:sadness.
brightly:with a good attitude.
dreads:fears.
morn:morning.
sport:activities.
plain:clear.
dire:serious.
despair:deep sadness.
lamenting:sad about the loss of something.
crowds:groups.
divine:from God;holy.
tender:gentle.
close:end.
fret:worry.
shun:refuse.
B. Study Notes
1. Come what may: no matter what happens.
2. 't: it (old fashioned).
3. Clover is a common field plant which horses and other animals like to eat. Each clover plant usually has three leaves. In many cultures a clover plant with four leaves is very good luck.
4. A-raining: raining. Some old fashioned accents included adding a vowel sound such as “a-” before some words, giving the speech a song-like quality.
C. Comprehension Questions
1. How does Jeannette feel about life?
2. How does Jo feel about life?
3. How do you feel about life?
4. What do you think “come storm, come shine” means in the eighth stanza?
5. What emotions are the saddest of all things?
6. What is “life's decline” in the ninth stanza?
D. True or False—Write a “T” or “F” next each sentence to show that it is true (T) or false (F).
1. _____ Jeannette is a happy person.
2. _____ Jo prefers sunshine instead of rain.
3. _____ Jeannette is beautiful and Jo is ugly.
4. _____ People who are hopeful are the happiest.
5. _____ Jeannette and Jo played in the rain.