Saying Goodbye
The ten o'clock train pulled into Glen St. Mary station the next morning, snorting and steaming like one of the mythical dragons in Walter's tales of knights and ladies and great deeds of yore. The sight of it filled Jem with excitement, fear, and sadness, coupled with a strange sense of loss. Gone were the days of his youth; no longer would he be free to run gaily through the sun-dappled world of Rainbow Valley, unburdened with the cares of adult responsibility. For a moment he wished that he could be Peter Pan, that eternal spirit of youth in a new play by the Scottish playwright, Mr. J.M. Barrie, and refuse to grow up and accept the duties of manhood. But then an image of Faith emerged through his defiant thoughts and he quickly repented, deciding that growing up couldn't be all bad when one of the perks was reaching an age when he could finally divulge his feelings for that sweet creature of his fancy. He quickly resolved to see the road that lay before him with new eyes, on which he would ride forth like a gallant knight on his iron steed, ready to face all obstacles with courage and valor.
They had all come to see him off, Mother, Dad, Susan, brothers, sisters, the entire Meredith clan, and even Mary Vance. He said goodbye to each in turn, realizing in the process, how much they all meant to him. When he came to Faith, he hitched a nonchalant smile on his face, "Goodbye," he said casually, "don't get into too many scraps while I'm away Miss. Faith Meredith. I'm sure with Walter acting as your own personal bodyguard you don't have much use of me," he added in what he hoped was an offhand way.
"Jem Blythe, don't think for one minute that I'm going to accept a lecture as a proper goodbye," said Faith with mock severity, and to Jem's surprise she stepped forward and pulled him into a hug. "Now tell me you'll miss me while you're away and that you'll write me from time to time regarding the exciting activities of an Academy boy." Recovering from the initial shock of the hug, Jem gave Faith a genuine smile, assured her he would miss her most dreadfully, and promised to keep her up-to-date on life at Queen's.
The conductor was shouting his final warning, Jem hurried to board the train, turning for one last glance at the smiling, waving crowd behind him. He strained to remember each dear face, forcing his mind to record a mental snapshot which he could carry with him around the bend in the road.