Matthew Cuthbert and the sorrel mare walked leisurely and leisurely the eight miles to Bright River. It was a pleasant road, lined with neatly arranged farms, and now and then a small grove of gum fir trees passed through it, or a valley where wild plum trees stretched out their misty branches. The air is filled with the aroma of apple orchards and meadows. The grass followed the slope and stretched towards the distant horizon shrouded in blue-gray and purple mist. At this time, "the little birds sang heartily, as if this was the only beautiful summer time in the whole year."
Matthew followed the instructions all the way. He drove the carriage happily in his own way, except when he met women, and he had to nod to them - because in Prince Edward Island, people should nod to everyone they meet on the road, whether they know them or not.
Matthew was afraid of all women except Marilla and Mrs. Rachel. He always felt uneasy that these incredible people were secretly laughing at him. He may be right to think so, because he is a strange-looking man with a thick build, long iron-gray hair hanging down to his stooped shoulders, and a big soft brown beard that he started growing when he was twenty. . In fact, he looked about the same when he was twenty as he did when he was sixty, except that he lacked a bit of grey.
When he came to Bright River, there was no sign of the train. Thinking that he had arrived too early, he tied his horse in the yard of the Bright River Inn and walked to the railway station. There were almost no people on the long platform, and the only one I saw was a little girl sitting on a pile of wooden boards at the end of the platform. As soon as Matthew noticed it was a girl, he sidled past her as quickly as possible without even looking at her. If he looked at her for a moment, he would not fail to notice the nervous persistence and expectation contained in her posture and expression. She was sitting there waiting for something or someone, and because she had nothing else to do but sit and wait, she sat there and waited with all her concentration.
Matthew met the station master. He was locking the ticket office door and getting ready to go back for dinner. Matthew asked him if the five-thirty train was arriving soon.
“The five-thirty train has already arrived and left half an hour ago,” said the energetic senior staff member. “But there is a passenger left for you—a girl. She was sitting on the pile of wooden boards over there. I asked her to go to the waiting room, but she told me very seriously that she liked to stay outside, "There is a wider space where I can use my imagination." ’ she said. I have to say, she’s really a weird kid.”
“I don’t expect to pick up a girl,” Matthew said blankly, “I’m here to pick up a boy. It should be here. Mrs. Alexander Spencer brought him to me from Nova Scotia." The stationmaster whistled.
"I guess there must be some mistake," he said. "Mrs. Spencer took the girl off the train and left her in my care. She said you and your sister She was taken out of the orphanage and said you would come to pick her up soon. That's all I know - I didn't hide any other orphans around here." "I don't understand. Hugh said helplessly, wishing with all his heart that Marilla had been there to deal with the situation.