JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<div class="view-content">

    <div class="first">content</div>
    <div class="first">content</div>
    <div class="second">content</div>
    <div class="third">content</div>
    <div class="third">content</div>

</div>

<br /> 
Output

<br />

<div id="foo">
    
</div>

JavaScript

$(function() {

    $('.first').wrapAll('<div class="column" /> <br/>')

    $('.second').wrapAll('<div class="column" /> <br/>')

    $('.third').wrapAll('<div class="column" /> <br/>')



    $("#foo").text($('.view-content').html());
    alert($('.view-content').html());
});