Matthew had gone to BRight RIver.

If  Marilla had said that Matthew had gone to Bright River to meet a kangaroo from Austealia Mrs. Rachel could not have been more astonished. She was actually stricken dumb for five seconds. It was unsuposable that Marilla was making fun of her, but Mrs. Rachel was almost forced to suppose it.

  "Are you in earnest, Marilla?" she demandes when voice returned to her.

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

Mrs. Rachel felt that she had received a severe mental jolt. She thought in exclamation points. A boy! Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert of all people adopting a boy! From an orphan saylum! 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 adked, 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 Hopetown in the spring. Her cousin lives there and Mrs. Spencer has visited her and knows all about it. So Matthew and I have talked it over off and on ever since. We though we'd get a boy. Matthew is getting up in years, you know-he's sixty-and he isn't so spy as he once was. 

His heart troubles him a good deal. And you know how desperate hard it's got to be get hired help. There's never anybody to be had but those stupid, half-grown little French boys; and taugh something he's up and off to the lobster canneries or the States. At first Matthew suggested getting a Barnado 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 for me,' I said." 'Give me a native born at least. There'll be a risk, no matter who we get. But I'll feel easier in my mind and sleep sounder at nights if we get a born Canadian.' So in the end we decied to ask Mrs. Spencer to pick us out one when she went over to get her little girl.