時間是個雕刻家，磨滅了純真，雕琢了堅強，縱使喜歡的事情結束了，也不必為之沮喪。迎風起舞的日子，成長了的花兒在綠山牆怒放。

Mrs．Rachel Lynde lived jfist where the Avonlea main roipped down into a little valley．Her property WaS edged withtrees and flowers，and crossed by a stream that had its SOurce away backin the woodehind the 0ld Cuthbert ce．It WaS said t0 be wild and

 winding in its earlier course through those woods，but by the time it

 passed by the Lynde's house，it WaS。quiet，well—conducted little stream．This waecause not even a stream could run past Mrs．Rachel Lynde's

 door without due regard for civility and manners．It probably was

 conscious that Mrs．Rachel was sitting at her window,keeping a sharp

 eye on everything that passed，and that if she noticed anything OUt of

 ce，she would never rest until she had found OUt why it refused t0actintheproperway．

  She was sitting there one afternoon in early June．The sun wascoming in at the window warm and bright．Thomas Lynde，a quietlittle man whom Avonlea people called“Rachel Lynde’s huand”，Was nting his late turnip seed in the field across the hill．MatthewCuthbert ought to have been nting his on the big red field away overby Green Gables．Mrs．Rachel knew that because she had heard him saytO Peter Morrison in town the evening before that he meant to nthis turnip seed the next afternoon Peter had asked him，of course，forMatthew Cuthbert was a very quiet man，and had never been known tovolunteer information about anything in his whole life．

  And yet here was Matthew Cuthbert，at half-past three on theafternoon of a busy day,driving his wagon down over the hill．M0reoveL he wore a white collar and hiest suit of clothes，whichshowed inly that he was going OUt of Avonlea．Now,where wasMatthew Cuthbert going and why Was he going there?

  Had it been any other man in Avonlea，Mrs．Rachel might havegiven a pretty good guess as to both questions．But Matthew SO rarelywent from home that it mue something urgent and unusual whichWaS t him．He was the shyest man alive，and hated tO have tO goamong strangers or to any ce where he might have to talk．Despiteher best efforts，Mrs．Rachel couldmake no guessastOwhat hemight

&nbe“P tO，and SO she could no longer enjoy her afternoon．

  “I'll just step over tO Green Gables after tea and find OUt from

 Marilla where he’。gone and why,’’the worthy woman finally

 concluded．“Something must have happened since last night tO start

 him off,and 1 won’t have a minute’S peace of mind or conscience

......