A boy ! Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert of all people adopting a boy ! From an orphan asylum ! Well , the world was certainly turning upside down ! She would be surprised at nothing after this ! Nothing ! `` What on earth put such a notion into your head ? '' she demanded disapprovingly . This had been done without her advice being asked , and must perforce be disapproved . `` Well , we 've been thinking about it for some time -- all winter in fact , '' returned Marilla . `` Mrs. Alexander Spencer was up here one day before Christmas and she said she was going to get a little girl from the asylum over in Hopeton in the spring . Her cousin lives there and Mrs. Spencer has visited here and knows all about it . So Matthew and I have talked it over off and on ever since . We thought we 'd get a boy . Matthew is getting up in years , you know -- he 's sixty -- and he is n't so spry as he once was . His heart troubles him a good deal . And you know how desperate hard it 's got to be to get hired help . There 's never anybody to be had but those stupid , half-grown little French boys ; and as soon as you do get one broke into your ways and taught something he 's up and off to the lobster canneries or the States . At first Matthew suggested getting a Home boy . But I said ` no ' flat to that .
` They may be all right -- I 'm not saying they 're not -- but no London street Arabs XXXXX me , ' I said .
From about as before for in of over to without