CHAPTER	O
I.	O
Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
Lynde	O
is	O
Surprised	EVENT
|	O
MRS.	O
Rachel	O
Lynde	O
lived	O
just	O
where	O
the	O
Avonlea	O
main	O
road	O
dipped	O
down	O
into	O
a	O
little	O
hollow	O
,	O
fringed	O
with	O
alders	O
and	O
ladies	O
’	O
eardrops	O
and	O
traversed	O
by	O
a	O
brook	O
that	O
had	O
its	O
source	O
away	O
back	O
in	O
the	O
woods	O
of	O
the	O
old	O
Cuthbert	O
place	O
;	O
it	O
was	O
reputed	O
to	O
be	O
an	O
intricate	O
,	O
headlong	O
brook	O
in	O
its	O
earlier	O
course	O
through	O
those	O
woods	O
,	O
with	O
dark	O
secrets	O
of	O
pool	O
and	O
cascade	O
;	O
but	O
by	O
the	O
time	O
it	O
reached	O
Lynde	O
’s	O
Hollow	O
it	O
was	O
a	O
quiet	O
,	O
well-conducted	O
little	O
stream	O
,	O
for	O
not	O
even	O
a	O
brook	O
could	O
run	O
past	O
Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
Lynde	O
’s	O
door	O
without	O
due	O
regard	O
for	O
decency	O
and	O
decorum	O
;	O
it	O
probably	O
was	O
conscious	O
that	O
Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
was	O
sitting	O
at	O
her	O
window	O
,	O
keeping	O
a	O
sharp	O
eye	O
on	O
everything	O
that	O
passed	O
,	O
from	O
brooks	O
and	O
children	O
up	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
if	O
she	O
noticed	O
anything	O
odd	O
or	O
out	O
of	O
place	O
she	O
would	O
never	O
rest	O
until	O
she	O
had	O
ferreted	O
out	O
the	O
whys	O
and	O
wherefores	O
thereof	O
.	O

There	O
are	O
plenty	O
of	O
people	O
in	O
Avonlea	O
and	O
out	O
of	O
it	O
,	O
who	O
can	O
attend	O
closely	O
to	O
their	O
neighbor	O
’s	O
business	O
by	O
dint	O
of	O
neglecting	O
their	O
own	O
;	O
but	O
Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
Lynde	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
those	O
capable	O
creatures	O
who	O
can	O
manage	O
their	O
own	O
concerns	O
and	O
those	O
of	O
other	O
folks	O
into	O
the	O
bargain	O
.	O

She	O
was	O
a	O
notable	O
housewife	O
;	O
her	O
work	O
was	O
always	O
done	O
and	O
well	O
done	O
;	O
she	O
“	O
ran	O
”	O
the	O
Sewing	O
Circle	O
,	O
helped	O
run	O
the	O
Sunday-school	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
strongest	O
prop	O
of	O
the	O
Church	O
Aid	O
Society	O
and	O
Foreign	O
Missions	O
Auxiliary	O
.	O

Yet	O
with	O
all	O
this	O
Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
found	O
abundant	O
time	O
to	O
sit	O
for	O
hours	O
at	O
her	O
kitchen	O
window	O
,	O
knitting	O
“	O
cotton	O
warp	O
”	O
quilts	O
--	O
she	O
had	O
knitted	O
sixteen	O
of	O
them	O
,	O
as	O
Avonlea	O
housekeepers	O
were	O
wont	O
to	O
tell	O
in	O
awed	O
voices	O
--	O
and	O
keeping	O
a	O
sharp	O
eye	O
on	O
the	O
main	O
road	O
that	O
crossed	O
the	O
hollow	O
and	O
wound	O
up	O
the	O
steep	O
red	O
hill	O
beyond	O
.	O

Since	O
Avonlea	O
occupied	O
a	O
little	O
triangular	O
peninsula	O
jutting	O
out	O
into	O
the	O
Gulf	O
of	O
St.	O
Lawrence	O
with	O
water	O
on	O
two	O
sides	O
of	O
it	O
,	O
anybody	O
who	O
went	O
out	O
of	O
it	O
or	O
into	O
it	O
had	O
to	O
pass	O
over	O
that	O
hill	O
road	O
and	O
so	O
run	O
the	O
unseen	O
gauntlet	O
of	O
Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
’s	O
all-seeing	O
eye	O
.	O

She	O
was	O
sitting	EVENT
there	O
one	O
afternoon	O
in	O
early	O
June	O
.	O

The	O
sun	O
was	O
coming	EVENT
in	O
at	O
the	O
window	O
warm	O
and	O
bright	O
;	O
the	O
orchard	O
on	O
the	O
slope	O
below	O
the	O
house	O
was	O
in	O
a	O
bridal	O
flush	O
of	O
pinky-white	O
bloom	O
,	O
hummed	EVENT
over	O
by	O
a	O
myriad	O
of	O
bees	O
.	O

Thomas	O
Lynde	O
--	O
a	O
meek	O
little	O
man	O
whom	O
Avonlea	O
people	O
called	O
“	O
Rachel	O
Lynde	O
’s	O
husband	O
”	O
--	O
was	O
sowing	EVENT
his	O
late	O
turnip	O
seed	O
on	O
the	O
hill	O
field	O
beyond	O
the	O
barn	O
;	O
and	O
Matthew	O
Cuthbert	O
ought	O
to	O
have	O
been	O
sowing	O
his	O
on	O
the	O
big	O
red	O
brook	O
field	O
away	O
over	O
by	O
Green	O
Gables	O
.	O

Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
knew	O
that	O
he	O
ought	O
because	O
she	O
had	O
heard	EVENT
him	O
tell	O
Peter	O
Morrison	O
the	O
evening	O
before	O
in	O
William	O
J.	O
Blair	O
’s	O
store	O
over	O
at	O
Carmody	O
that	O
he	O
meant	O
to	O
sow	O
his	O
turnip	O
seed	O
the	O
next	O
afternoon	O
.	O

Peter	O
had	O
asked	EVENT
him	O
,	O
of	O
course	O
,	O
for	O
Matthew	O
Cuthbert	O
had	O
never	O
been	O
known	O
to	O
volunteer	O
information	O
about	O
anything	O
in	O
his	O
whole	O
life	O
.	O

And	O
yet	O
here	O
was	O
Matthew	O
Cuthbert	O
,	O
at	O
half-past	O
three	O
on	O
the	O
afternoon	O
of	O
a	O
busy	O
day	O
,	O
placidly	O
driving	EVENT
over	O
the	O
hollow	O
and	O
up	O
the	O
hill	O
;	O
moreover	O
,	O
he	O
wore	O
a	O
white	O
collar	O
and	O
his	O
best	O
suit	O
of	O
clothes	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
plain	O
proof	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
going	O
out	O
of	O
Avonlea	O
;	O
and	O
he	O
had	O
the	O
buggy	O
and	O
the	O
sorrel	O
mare	O
,	O
which	O
betokened	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
going	O
a	O
considerable	O
distance	O
.	O

Now	O
,	O
where	O
was	O
Matthew	O
Cuthbert	O
going	O
and	O
why	O
was	O
he	O
going	O
there	O
?	O

Had	O
it	O
been	O
any	O
other	O
man	O
in	O
Avonlea	O
,	O
Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
,	O
deftly	O
putting	O
this	O
and	O
that	O
together	O
,	O
might	O
have	O
given	O
a	O
pretty	O
good	O
guess	O
as	O
to	O
both	O
questions	O
.	O

But	O
Matthew	O
so	O
rarely	O
went	O
from	O
home	O
that	O
it	O
must	O
be	O
something	O
pressing	O
and	O
unusual	O
which	O
was	O
taking	O
him	O
;	O
he	O
was	O
the	O
shyest	O
man	O
alive	O
and	O
hated	O
to	O
have	O
to	O
go	O
among	O
strangers	O
or	O
to	O
any	O
place	O
where	O
he	O
might	O
have	O
to	O
talk	O
.	O

Matthew	O
,	O
dressed	O
up	O
with	O
a	O
white	O
collar	O
and	O
driving	O
in	O
a	O
buggy	O
,	O
was	O
something	O
that	O
did	O
n’t	O
happen	O
often	O
.	O

Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
,	O
ponder	O
as	O
she	O
might	O
,	O
could	O
make	O
nothing	O
of	O
it	O
and	O
her	O
afternoon	O
’s	O
enjoyment	O
was	O
spoiled	EVENT
.	O

“	O
I	O
’ll	O
just	O
step	O
over	O
to	O
Green	O
Gables	O
after	O
tea	O
and	O
find	O
out	O
from	O
Marilla	O
where	O
he	O
’s	O
gone	O
and	O
why	O
,	O
”	O
the	O
worthy	O
woman	O
finally	O
concluded	EVENT
.	O

“	O
He	O
does	O
n’t	O
generally	O
go	O
to	O
town	O
this	O
time	O
of	O
year	O
and	O
he	O
_	O
never	O
_	O
visits	O
;	O
if	O
he	O
’d	O
run	O
out	O
of	O
turnip	O
seed	O
he	O
would	O
n’t	O
dress	O
up	O
and	O
take	O
the	O
buggy	O
to	O
go	O
for	O
more	O
;	O
he	O
was	O
n’t	O
driving	O
fast	O
enough	O
to	O
be	O
going	O
for	O
a	O
doctor	O
.	O

Yet	O
something	O
must	O
have	O
happened	O
since	O
last	O
night	O
to	O
start	O
him	O
off	O
.	O

I	O
’m	O
clean	O
puzzled	O
,	O
that	O
’s	O
what	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
wo	O
n’t	O
know	O
a	O
minute	O
’s	O
peace	O
of	O
mind	O
or	O
conscience	O
until	O
I	O
know	O
what	O
has	O
taken	O
Matthew	O
Cuthbert	O
out	O
of	O
Avonlea	O
today	O
.	O
”	O

Accordingly	O
after	O
tea	EVENT
Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
set	EVENT
out	O
;	O
she	O
had	O
not	O
far	O
to	O
go	O
;	O
the	O
big	O
,	O
rambling	O
,	O
orchard-embowered	O
house	O
where	O
the	O
Cuthberts	O
lived	O
was	O
a	O
scant	O
quarter	O
of	O
a	O
mile	O
up	O
the	O
road	O
from	O
Lynde	O
’s	O
Hollow	O
.	O

To	O
be	O
sure	O
,	O
the	O
long	O
lane	O
made	O
it	O
a	O
good	O
deal	O
further	O
.	O

Matthew	O
Cuthbert	O
’s	O
father	O
,	O
as	O
shy	O
and	O
silent	O
as	O
his	O
son	O
after	O
him	O
,	O
had	O
got	O
as	O
far	O
away	O
as	O
he	O
possibly	O
could	O
from	O
his	O
fellow	O
men	O
without	O
actually	O
retreating	O
into	O
the	O
woods	O
when	O
he	O
founded	O
his	O
homestead	O
.	O

Green	O
Gables	O
was	O
built	EVENT
at	O
the	O
furthest	O
edge	O
of	O
his	O
cleared	O
land	O
and	O
there	O
it	O
was	O
to	O
this	O
day	O
,	O
barely	O
visible	O
from	O
the	O
main	O
road	O
along	O
which	O
all	O
the	O
other	O
Avonlea	O
houses	O
were	O
so	O
sociably	O
situated	O
.	O

Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
Lynde	O
did	O
not	O
call	O
living	O
in	O
such	O
a	O
place	O
_	O
living	O
_	O
at	O
all	O
.	O

“	O
It	O
’s	O
just	O
_	O
staying	O
_	O
,	O
that	O
’s	O
what	O
,	O
”	O
she	O
said	EVENT
as	O
she	O
stepped	EVENT
along	O
the	O
deep-rutted	O
,	O
grassy	O
lane	O
bordered	O
with	O
wild	O
rose	O
bushes	O
.	O

“	O
It	O
’s	O
no	O
wonder	O
Matthew	O
and	O
Marilla	O
are	O
both	O
a	O
little	O
odd	O
,	O
living	O
away	O
back	O
here	O
by	O
themselves	O
.	O

Trees	O
are	O
n’t	O
much	O
company	O
,	O
though	O
dear	O
knows	O
if	O
they	O
were	O
there	O
’d	O
be	O
enough	O
of	O
them	O
.	O

I	O
’d	O
ruther	O
look	O
at	O
people	O
.	O

To	O
be	O
sure	O
,	O
they	O
seem	O
contented	O
enough	O
;	O
but	O
then	O
,	O
I	O
suppose	O
,	O
they	O
’re	O
used	O
to	O
it	O
.	O

A	O
body	O
can	O
get	O
used	O
to	O
anything	O
,	O
even	O
to	O
being	O
hanged	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
Irishman	O
said	O
.	O
”	O

With	O
this	O
Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
stepped	EVENT
out	O
of	O
the	O
lane	O
into	O
the	O
backyard	O
of	O
Green	O
Gables	O
.	O

Very	O
green	O
and	O
neat	O
and	O
precise	O
was	O
that	O
yard	O
,	O
set	O
about	O
on	O
one	O
side	O
with	O
great	O
patriarchal	O
willows	O
and	O
the	O
other	O
with	O
prim	O
Lombardies	O
.	O

Not	O
a	O
stray	O
stick	O
nor	O
stone	O
was	O
to	O
be	O
seen	O
,	O
for	O
Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
would	O
have	O
seen	O
it	O
if	O
there	O
had	O
been	O
.	O

Privately	O
she	O
was	O
of	O
the	O
opinion	O
that	O
Marilla	O
Cuthbert	O
swept	O
that	O
yard	O
over	O
as	O
often	O
as	O
she	O
swept	O
her	O
house	O
.	O

One	O
could	O
have	O
eaten	O
a	O
meal	O
off	O
the	O
ground	O
without	O
over-brimming	O
the	O
proverbial	O
peck	O
of	O
dirt	O
.	O

Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
rapped	EVENT
smartly	O
at	O
the	O
kitchen	O
door	O
and	O
stepped	EVENT
in	O
when	O
bidden	EVENT
to	O
do	O
so	O
.	O

The	O
kitchen	O
at	O
Green	O
Gables	O
was	O
a	O
cheerful	O
apartment	O
--	O
or	O
would	O
have	O
been	O
cheerful	O
if	O
it	O
had	O
not	O
been	O
so	O
painfully	O
clean	O
as	O
to	O
give	O
it	O
something	O
of	O
the	O
appearance	O
of	O
an	O
unused	O
parlor	O
.	O

Its	O
windows	O
looked	O
east	O
and	O
west	O
;	O
through	O
the	O
west	O
one	O
,	O
looking	O
out	O
on	O
the	O
back	O
yard	O
,	O
came	O
a	O
flood	O
of	O
mellow	O
June	O
sunlight	O
;	O
but	O
the	O
east	O
one	O
,	O
whence	O
you	O
got	O
a	O
glimpse	O
of	O
the	O
bloom	O
white	O
cherry-trees	O
in	O
the	O
left	O
orchard	O
and	O
nodding	O
,	O
slender	O
birches	O
down	O
in	O
the	O
hollow	O
by	O
the	O
brook	O
,	O
was	O
greened	O
over	O
by	O
a	O
tangle	O
of	O
vines	O
.	O

Here	O
sat	O
Marilla	O
Cuthbert	O
,	O
when	O
she	O
sat	O
at	O
all	O
,	O
always	O
slightly	O
distrustful	O
of	O
sunshine	O
,	O
which	O
seemed	O
to	O
her	O
too	O
dancing	O
and	O
irresponsible	O
a	O
thing	O
for	O
a	O
world	O
which	O
was	O
meant	O
to	O
be	O
taken	O
seriously	O
;	O
and	O
here	O
she	O
sat	O
now	O
,	O
knitting	EVENT
,	O
and	O
the	O
table	O
behind	O
her	O
was	O
laid	O
for	O
supper	O
.	O

Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
,	O
before	O
she	O
had	O
fairly	O
closed	O
the	O
door	O
,	O
had	O
taken	O
a	O
mental	O
note	EVENT
of	O
everything	O
that	O
was	O
on	O
that	O
table	O
.	O

There	O
were	O
three	O
plates	O
laid	O
,	O
so	O
that	O
Marilla	O
must	O
be	O
expecting	O
some	O
one	O
home	O
with	O
Matthew	O
to	O
tea	O
;	O
but	O
the	O
dishes	O
were	O
everyday	O
dishes	O
and	O
there	O
was	O
only	O
crab-apple	O
preserves	O
and	O
one	O
kind	O
of	O
cake	O
,	O
so	O
that	O
the	O
expected	O
company	O
could	O
not	O
be	O
any	O
particular	O
company	O
.	O

Yet	O
what	O
of	O
Matthew	O
’s	O
white	O
collar	O
and	O
the	O
sorrel	O
mare	O
?	O

Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
was	O
getting	O
fairly	O
dizzy	O
with	O
this	O
unusual	O
mystery	O
about	O
quiet	O
,	O
unmysterious	O
Green	O
Gables	O
.	O

“	O
Good	O
evening	O
,	O
Rachel	O
,	O
”	O
Marilla	O
said	EVENT
briskly	O
.	O

“	O
This	O
is	O
a	O
real	O
fine	O
evening	O
,	O
is	O
n’t	O
it	O
?	O

Wo	O
n’t	O
you	O
sit	O
down	O
?	O

How	O
are	O
all	O
your	O
folks	O
?	O
”	O

Something	O
that	O
for	O
lack	O
of	O
any	O
other	O
name	O
might	O
be	O
called	O
friendship	O
existed	O
and	O
always	O
had	O
existed	O
between	O
Marilla	O
Cuthbert	O
and	O
Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
,	O
in	O
spite	O
of	O
--	O
or	O
perhaps	O
because	O
of	O
--	O
their	O
dissimilarity	O
.	O

Marilla	O
was	O
a	O
tall	O
,	O
thin	O
woman	O
,	O
with	O
angles	O
and	O
without	O
curves	O
;	O
her	O
dark	O
hair	O
showed	O
some	O
gray	O
streaks	O
and	O
was	O
always	O
twisted	O
up	O
in	O
a	O
hard	O
little	O
knot	O
behind	O
with	O
two	O
wire	O
hairpins	O
stuck	O
aggressively	O
through	O
it	O
.	O

She	O
looked	O
like	O
a	O
woman	O
of	O
narrow	O
experience	O
and	O
rigid	O
conscience	O
,	O
which	O
she	O
was	O
;	O
but	O
there	O
was	O
a	O
saving	O
something	O
about	O
her	O
mouth	O
which	O
,	O
if	O
it	O
had	O
been	O
ever	O
so	O
slightly	O
developed	O
,	O
might	O
have	O
been	O
considered	O
indicative	O
of	O
a	O
sense	O
of	O
humor	O
.	O

“	O
We	O
’re	O
all	O
pretty	O
well	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
.	O

“	O
I	O
was	O
kind	O
of	O
afraid	O
_	O
you	O
_	O
were	O
n’t	O
,	O
though	O
,	O
when	O
I	O
saw	EVENT
Matthew	O
starting	EVENT
off	O
today	O
.	O

I	O
thought	EVENT
maybe	O
he	O
was	O
going	O
to	O
the	O
doctor	O
’s	O
.	O
”	O

Marilla	O
’s	O
lips	O
twitched	EVENT
understandingly	O
.	O

She	O
had	O
expected	O
Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
up	O
;	O
she	O
had	O
known	O
that	O
the	O
sight	O
of	O
Matthew	O
jaunting	EVENT
off	O
so	O
unaccountably	O
would	O
be	O
too	O
much	O
for	O
her	O
neighbor	O
’s	O
curiosity	O
.	O

“	O
Oh	O
,	O
no	O
,	O
I	O
’m	O
quite	O
well	O
although	O
I	O
had	O
a	O
bad	O
headache	EVENT
yesterday	O
,	O
”	O
she	O
said	EVENT
.	O

“	O
Matthew	O
went	EVENT
to	O
Bright	O
River	O
.	O

We	O
’re	O
getting	O
a	O
little	O
boy	O
from	O
an	O
orphan	O
asylum	O
in	O
Nova	O
Scotia	O
and	O
he	O
’s	O
coming	O
on	O
the	O
train	O
tonight	O
.	O
”	O

If	O
Marilla	O
had	O
said	O
that	O
Matthew	O
had	O
gone	O
to	O
Bright	O
River	O
to	O
meet	O
a	O
kangaroo	O
from	O
Australia	O
Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
could	O
not	O
have	O
been	O
more	O
astonished	O
.	O

She	O
was	O
actually	O
stricken	O
dumb	EVENT
for	O
five	O
seconds	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
unsupposable	O
that	O
Marilla	O
was	O
making	O
fun	O
of	O
her	O
,	O
but	O
Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
was	O
almost	O
forced	O
to	O
suppose	O
it	O
.	O

“	O
Are	O
you	O
in	O
earnest	O
,	O
Marilla	O
?	O
”	O
she	O
demanded	EVENT
when	O
voice	O
returned	EVENT
to	O
her	O
.	O

“	O
Yes	O
,	O
of	O
course	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
Marilla	O
,	O
as	O
if	O
getting	O
boys	O
from	O
orphan	O
asylums	O
in	O
Nova	O
Scotia	O
were	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
usual	O
spring	O
work	O
on	O
any	O
well-regulated	O
Avonlea	O
farm	O
instead	O
of	O
being	O
an	O
unheard	O
of	O
innovation	O
.	O

Mrs.	O
Rachel	O
felt	O
that	O
she	O
had	O
received	O
a	O
severe	O
mental	O
jolt	EVENT
.	O

She	O
thought	EVENT
in	O
exclamation	O
points	O
.	O

A	O
boy	O
!	O

Marilla	O
and	O
Matthew	O
Cuthbert	O
of	O
all	O
people	O
adopting	O
a	O
boy	O
!	O

From	O
an	O
orphan	O
asylum	O
!	O

Well	O
,	O
the	O
world	O
was	O
certainly	O
turning	O
upside	O
down	O
!	O

She	O
would	O
be	O
surprised	O
at	O
nothing	O
after	O
this	O
!	O

Nothing	O
!	O