We heard last week she was going , so we sent her word by Richard Spencer 's folks at Carmody to bring us a smart , likely boy of about ten or eleven . We decided that would be the best age -- old enough to be of some use in doing chores right off and young enough to be trained up proper . We mean to give him a good home and schooling . We had a telegram from Mrs. Alexander Spencer today -- the mail-man brought it from the station -- saying they were coming on the five-thirty train tonight . So Matthew went to Bright River to meet him . Mrs. Spencer will drop him off there . Of course she goes on to White Sands station herself . '' Mrs. Rachel prided herself on always speaking her mind ; she proceeded to speak it now , having adjusted her mental attitude to this amazing piece of news . `` Well , Marilla , I 'll just tell you plain that I think you 're doing a mighty foolish thing -- a risky thing , that 's what . You do n't know what you 're getting . You 're bringing a strange child into your house and home and you do n't know a single thing about him nor what his disposition is like nor what sort of parents he had nor how he 's likely to turn out . Why , it was only last week I read in the paper how a man and his wife up west of the Island took a boy out of an orphan asylum and he set fire to the house at night -- set it ON PURPOSE , Marilla -- and nearly burnt them to a crisp in their beds . And I know another case where an adopted boy used to suck the eggs -- they could n't break him of it . If you had asked my advice in the matter -- which you did n't do , Marilla -- I 'd have said for mercy 's sake not to think of such a thing , that 's what . '' This Job 's comforting seemed neither to offend nor to alarm Marilla . She knitted steadily on . `` I do n't deny there 's something in what you say , Rachel . I 've had some qualms myself . But Matthew was terrible set on it . I could see that , so I gave in .
It 's so seldom XXXXX sets his mind on anything that when he does I always feel it 's my duty to give in .
Carmody Island Marilla Matthew Rachel Sands Spencer fire night right