Book 7 14. THE SCHOOL BOARDS VISIT Little House On The Prairie By Laura Ingalls Wilder

the school board’s visit

laura thought that nellie olson looked

surprised and disappointed when she and

carrie came into the schoolhouse next

morning

nelly might have expected they would not

come back to school

oh i’m glad you come back mary powers

said

and ida gave laura’s arm a warm little

squeeze

you wouldn’t let her meanness keep you

away from school would you laura ida

said

i wouldn’t let anything keep me from

getting an education

laura replied i guess you wouldn’t get

an education if you were expelled from

school

nellie put in laura looked at her

i’ve done nothing to be expelled for and

i won’t do anything

you couldn’t be anyway could you with

your father on the school board

said nellie i wish you’d stop talking

about paws being on the school board

laura burst out

i don’t know what business it is of

yours if

the bell began to ring then and they all

went to their seats

carrie was carefully good and in

obedience to paw

laura was well behaved too she did not

think then of the bible verse

that speaks of the cup and the platter

that were clean only on the outside

but the truth is that she was like that

cup and platter

she hated miss wilder she still

felt a burning resentment against miss

wilder’s cruel unfairness to carrie

she wanted to get even with her outside

she was shining clean with good behavior

but she made not the least effort to be

truly good

inside the school had never been so

noisy

all over the room there was a clatter of

books and feet and a rustle of

whispering

only the big girls and carrie sat still

and studied

whichever way miss wilder turned

unruliness and noise swelled up behind

her

suddenly there was a piercing yell

charlie had leaped to his feet his hands

were clapped to the seat of his trousers

a pen he yelled a pen in my seat

he held up a bent pin for miss wilder to

see

her lips pressed tight together this

time she did not smile

sharply she said you may come here

charlie

charlie winked at the room and went

trudging up to miss wilder’s desk

hold out your hand she said as she

reached inside her desk for her ruler

for a moment she felt about for it then

she looked into the desk

her ruler was not there she asked

has anyone seen my ruler not a hand was

raised

miss wilder’s face went red with anger

she said to charlie go stand in that

corner face to the wall

charlie went to the corner rubbing his

behind as if he still felt the pin prick

clarence and alfred laughed aloud miss

wilder turned toward them quickly and

even more quickly charlie looked over

his shoulder and made such a face at her

that all the boys burst out laughing

charlie was so quick that she saw only

the back of his head when very quickly

she turned to see what caused the

laughter

three or four times she turned quickly

this way and that and charlie turned

more quickly

making faces at her the whole school was

roaring

only laura and carrie were able to keep

their faces perfectly straight

even the other big girls were strangling

and choking in their handkerchiefs

miss wilder wrapped for order she had to

wrap with her knuckles she had no ruler

and she could not keep order she could

not watch charlie every minute and

whenever her head was turned he made a

face at her and laughter broke out

the boys were not breaking their promise

to laura but they were contriving to be

even naughtier than they had promised

not to be

and laura did not care truth to tell she

was pleased with them

when clarence slid out of his seat and

came up the aisle on all fours

she smiled at him at recess

she stayed in the schoolhouse she was

sure the boys were planning more

mischief and she meant to be where she

could not hear them

after recess the disorder was worse

the boys kept paper wads and spit balls

flying on their side of the room

all the smaller girls were whispering

and passing notes

while miss wilder was at the blackboard

clarence went down the aisle on hands

and knees

alfred followed him and charlie

light-footed as a cat

ran down the aisle and leapfrogged over

their backs

they looked for laura’s approval and she

smiled at them

what are you laughing at laura miss

wilder asked sharply turning from the

blackboard

why was i laughing laura looked up from

her book and sounded surprised

the room was quiet the boys were in

their seats

everyone seemed to be busily studying

well see that you don’t

miss wilder snapped she looked sharply

at laura

then turned to the blackboard and almost

everyone but laura and carrie

burst out laughing all the rest of the

morning

laura was quiet and kept her eyes on her

lessons only stealing a glance at carrie

now and then

once carrie looked back at laura laura

put a finger to her lips and carrie bent

again over her book

with so much noise and confusion behind

her whichever way she turned miss wilder

grew confused herself

at noon she dismissed school half an

hour early

and again laura and carrie were asked to

explain their early arrival at home

they told of the disorder in school and

paul looked serious

but all he said was you girls be very

sure that you behave yourselves

now remember what i say they did

next day the disorder was worse the

whole school was almost

openly jeering at miss wilder laura was

appalled at what she had started by only

two smiles at naughtiness

still she would not try to stop it she

would never forgive miss wilder’s

unfairness to carry

she did not want to forgive her now that

everyone was teasing

baiting or at least giggling at miss

wilder nelly joined in

she was teacher’s pet but she repeated

to the other girls everything that miss

wilder said

and laughed at her one day she told them

that miss wilder’s name was eliza jane

it’s a secret nellie said she told me a

long time ago but she doesn’t want

anyone else out here to know it

i don’t see why i’da wondered eliza jane

is a nice

name i can tell you why said nelly

when she was a little girl in new york

state a dirty little girl came to school

and miss wilder had to sit with her

and nellie drew the others close and

whispered

she got lice in her hair

they all backed away and mary power

exclaimed

you shouldn’t tell such horrid things

nelly

i wouldn’t only ida asked me said nelly

why nelly olsen i did no such thing ida

declared

you did so listen nelly giggled

that isn’t all her mother sent a note to

the teacher

and the teacher sent the dirty little

girl home so everyone knew

about it and miss wilder’s mother kept

her out of school a whole morning to

fine comb her hair

miss wilder cried and cried and she

dreaded so to go back to school that she

walked slow

and was late at recess her whole class

made a ring around her and kept yelling

lazy lousy lizzy jane

and from that day to this she just can’t

bear her name

as long as she was in that school that’s

what anyone called her that got mad at

her

lazy lousy lizzie jane

she said it so comically that they

laughed though they were a little shamed

of doing so

afterward they agreed that they would

never tell nelly anything because she

was

two-faced the school was so noisy that

it was not really school anymore

when miss wilder rang the bell all the

pupils joyfully

trooped in to annoy her she could not

watch

every one of them at once she could

hardly ever catch anyone

they banged their slates and their books

they threw paper wads and spitballs they

whistled between their teeth and

scampered in the aisles

they were all together against miss

wilder

they delighted in harassing and baffling

and

hounding her and jeering that feeling

against miss wilder

almost frightened laura no one could

stop them now

the disorder was so great that laura

could not study

if she could not learn her lesson she

could not get a teacher’s certificate

soon enough to help keep mary

in college perhaps mary must leave

college

because laura had twice smiled at

naughtiness

she knew now that she should not have

done that yet she did not really repent

she did not forgive miss wilder

she felt hard and hot as burning coal

when she thought of miss wilder’s

treatment of carrie

one friday morning ida gave up trying to

study in the confusion and began to draw

on her slate

the whole first spelling class was

making mistakes on purpose and laughing

at them

miss wilder sent the class to the board

to write the lesson

then she was caught between the pupils

at the board and those in the seats

ida was busily drawing swinging her feet

and humming a little tune in her throat

without knowing it

and laura kept her fists clamped to her

ears and tried to study

when miss wilder dismissed school for

recess ida showed laura the picture she

had drawn

it was a comic picture of miss wilder so

well done

that it looked exactly like her only

more

so under it ida had written

we have lots of fun going to school

laugh and grow fat

is the only rule everyone laughs until

their sides ache again

at lazy lousy lizzy jane

i can’t get the verse just right somehow

ida said

mary power and many were admiring the

picture and laughing and mary powers

said

why don’t you get laura to help you she

makes good verses oh

will you laura please ida asked laura

took the slate

and the pencil and while the others

waited she thought of a tune

and fitted words to it she meant only to

please ida and perhaps

just a little to show off what she could

do she wrote in the place of the verse

that ida had erased

going to school is lots of fun from

laughing

we have gained a ton we laugh until we

have a pain

at lazy lousy lizzie jane

ida was delighted and so were the others

mary powers said i told you laura could

do it

at that moment miss wilder rang the bell

the whole recess had gone as quickly as

that

the boys came in making all the noise

they could

and as charlie passed by and caught

sight of the slate ida laughed and let

him take it

oh no laura cried in a whisper but she

was too late

until noon the boys were slipping that

slate from one to another and laura

feared that miss wilder would capture it

with ida’s drawing and her handwriting

on it

laura breathed a great sigh of relief

when the slate came

slipping back and ida quickly cleaned it

with her slate rag

when they all went out to the crisp

sunny outdoors to go home for dinner

laura heard the boys chanting all along

the road to main street

going to school is lots of fun from

laughing we have gained a ton

we laugh until we have a pain at lazy

lousy

lizzy jane laura gasped

she felt sick for a minute she cried out

they mustn’t we must stop them oh mary

power minnie come on hurry she called

boys charlie clarence

they don’t hear you minnie said we

couldn’t stop them anyway

already the boys were separating at main

street they were only talking but laura

had no more than

sight and relief when one began to chant

again and others joined in

going to school is lots of fun both up

and down main street they yelled

lazy lousy lizzy jane

oh why haven’t they better since laura

said

laura said mary power there’s just one

thing to do

don’t tell who wrote that ida won’t i

know i won’t

and many won’t will you minnie cross my

heart minnie promised

but what about nelly olsen she doesn’t

know

she was talking with miss wilder the

whole recess mary power reminded them

and you’ll never tell will you laura not

unless parma

asks me straight out said laura likely

they won’t think to and then nobody will

ever know

mary power tried to comfort laura while

they were eating dinner charlie and

clarence passed by chanting

that frightful verse and paul said that

sounds like some song i don’t know

you ever hear a song before about lazy

lousy lizzy jane

i never did said mo it doesn’t sound

like a nice song

laura did not say a word she thought she

had never been so miserable

around the schoolhouse the boys were

chanting that verse

nellie’s brother willie was with them

inside the schoolhouse

ida and nelly were standing at the

window farthest from miss wilder

she must have known that nellie had told

nellie was furious she wanted to know

who had written that first but ida had

not told her

and none of the others would no doubt

her brother willie knew or would find

out

he would tell her and then she would

tell miss wilder

after school that night and again on

saturday the boys could be heard

chanting those words

in the bright clear weather they were

all outdoors

laura could almost have welcomed a

blizzard to shut them in

she had never felt so ashamed for she

had spread nellie’s mean

tattletailing farther than nellie ever

could have

she blamed herself yet she still blamed

miss wilder far

more if miss wilder had been only

decently fair to carrie

laura never could have got into such

trouble

that afternoon mary power came to visit

often on saturday afternoon she and

laura visited and worked

together they sat in the pleasant sunny

front room

laura was crocheting a nubia of soft

white wolf for mary’s christmas present

in college

and mary power was knitting a silk

necktie for her father’s

christmas ma rocked and knitted or

sometimes read

interesting bits to them from the church

paper the advance

grace played about and carey sewed a

nine-patch quilt block

those were such pleasant afternoons the

winter sunshine

streamed in the room was pleasantly warm

from the coal

heater kitty grown now to a cat

stretched and lazily purred in the

sunshine on the rag rug or curved

purring against the front door asking

with the meow

to be let out to watch for dogs

kitty had become famous in town she was

such a pretty cat

such a clean blue and white with slender

body and long

tail that everyone wanted to pet her but

she was a one-family cat

only the family could touch her when

anyone else stooped to stroker she

flew snarling and clawing into his face

usually someone screeched don’t touch

that cat

in time to save them she liked to sit on

the front doorstep

and look about the town boys and

sometimes the men

would set a new dog on her to see the

fun kitty sat

placidly while the dog growled and

barked but she was always ready

when the dog rushed she rose in air with

a heart-stopping

yowl and landed squarely on the dog’s

back with all claws

sunk into it the dog went away from

there

they went in a streak kitty silently

riding and the dog keowling

when kitty thought she was far enough

from home she dropped off but the dog

went on

then kitty walked home with proudly

upright tail

only a new dog could be set on kitty

nothing could be a greater pleasure than

those saturday afternoons when mary

power’s friendliness was added to the

coziness of home

and kitty might furnish exciting

entertainment

now laura could not truly enjoy even

this

she sat dreading to hear the boys

chanting that verse again

and in her chest was a gloomy weight

i should make a clean breast of it to

pau and ma

she thought she felt again a scalding

fury against miss wilder

she had not meant to do harm when she

wrote that verse

she had written it at recess not in

school hours

it was all too difficult to explain

perhaps as ma had said

it would blow over least said soonest

men did

yet at that moment perhaps someone was

telling paul

mary power was troubled too they both

made mistakes and had to unravel

stitches

never had they accomplished so little in

a saturday afternoon

neither of them said a word about school

all the pleasure was gone from school

they were not looking forward to monday

morning

that monday morning was the worst yet

there was no pretense of study the boys

whistled and catcalled and

scuffled in the aisles all the little

girls but

carrie were whispering and giggling and

even moving from seat to seat

miss wilder’s quiet please please be

quiet

could hardly be heard there was a knock

at the door

laura and ida heard it they sat nearest

the door

they looked at each other and when the

knock came again

ida raised her hand miss wilder paid no

attention

suddenly a loud knock sounded on the

entry’s inner door

everyone heard that the door opened and

the noise died away to silence

the room grew deathly still as paw came

in

behind him came two other men whom laura

did not know

good morning miss wilder said paul the

school board decided it was time to come

visit the school

it’s about time that something was done

miss wilder returned

she flushed red and then went pale while

she answered

good morning to the other two men and

welcomed them with par to the front of

the room

they stood looking over it every pupil

was perfectly still

and laura’s heart pounded loud we heard

you have been having a little trouble

the tall solemn man said gravely but

kindly

yes and i am very glad at this

opportunity to tell you gentlemen the

facts of the case

ms wilder replied angrily it is laura

ingalls who makes all the trouble in

this school

she thinks she can run the school

because her father is on the school

board

yes mr ingles that is the truth she

brags that she can run this school

she didn’t think i would hear of it but

i did she flashed a glance of angry

triumph at laura

laura sat dumbfounded she had never

thought that miss wilder would tell a

lie

i am sorry to hear this miss wilder said

paw

i am sure that laura did not intend to

make trouble

laura raised her hand but paul lightly

shook his head at her

she encourages the boys to be unruly too

that is the whole trouble with them miss

wilder declared

laura ingalls eggs them on in every kind

of mischief and disobedience

paul looked at charlie and his eyes were

twinkling

he said young man i hear you got

punished for sitting on a bent pin

oh no sir charlie replied a picture of

innocence

i was not punished for sitting on it sir

but for getting up off it

the jolly member of the school board

suddenly choked a laugh into a cough

even the solemn man’s mustache twitched

miss wilder flushed

dark red paw was perfectly sober

no one else felt like smiling slowly

and weightly pause said miss wilder

we want you to know that the school

board stands with you to keep order in

this school

he looks sternly over the whole room all

you scholars must obey miss wilder

behave yourselves and learn your lessons

we want a good school and we are going

to have it

when paul spoke like that he meant what

he said and it would happen

the room was still the stillness

continued after the school board had

said good day to miss wilder and gone

there was no fidgeting no whispering

quietly every pupil studied and class

after class recited diligently in the

quiet

at home laura was quiet too wondering

what paul would say to her

it was not her place to speak of what

had happened until he did

he said nothing about it until the

supper dishes were washed and they were

all settled for the evening around the

lamp

then laying down his paper he looked at

laura and said slowly

it is time for you to explain what you

said to anyone that you could give miss

wilder the idea that you thought you

could run the school because i am on the

school board

i didn’t say such a thing and i did not

think so paul

laura said earnestly i know you didn’t

said paw

but there was something that gave her

such an idea think what it could have

been

laura tried to think she was not

prepared for this

question for she had been defending

herself in her mind and declaring that

miss wilder had told a lie

she had not looked for the reason why

miss wilder told it

did you speak to anyone about my being

on the school board

paul prompted her nellie olsen had often

spoken of that but laura had only wished

that she wouldn’t

then she remembered the quarrel when

nelly had almost slapped her

she said nelly olsen told me that miss

wilder said you haven’t much to say

about the school even if you are on the

school board

and i said she had been so angry that it

was hard to remember exactly what she

had said

i said that you have as much to say

about the school as anybody

then i said it’s too bad your father

doesn’t own a place in town maybe if you

weren’t just

country folks your father could be on

the school board

oh laura ma said sorrowfully

that made her angry i wanted to said

laura i meant to make her mad

when we lived on plum creek she was

always making fun of mary and me because

we were country girls

she can find out what it feels like

herself laura

laura ma protested in distress how

can you be so unforgiving that was

years ago she was impudent to you too

and mean to jack lara said and tears

smarted in her

eyes never mind paul said

jack was a good dog and he’s gone to his

reward

so nellie twisted what you said and told

it to miss wilder

and that’s made all this trouble i see

he took up his paper well laura

maybe you have learned a lesson that is

worthwhile

just remember this a dog that will fetch

a bone

will carry a bone for a little while

there was silence

and carrie began to study her spelling

then ma

said if you will bring me your album

laura

i would like to write in it laura

fetched her album from her box upstairs

and moss sat at the desk and carefully

wrote in it with her little pearl

handled pen

she dried the page carefully over the

lamp and returned the album to laura

on the smooth cream-colored page in

maw’s fine handwriting

laura read if wisdom’s ways you

wisely seek five things observe with

care

to whom you speak of whom you speak

and how and when and where

your loving mother cl ingles

de smet november 15 1881

name cards

after all the preparation for winter it

seemed that there would be no winter

the days were clear and sunny the frozen

ground was bare of snow

the fall term of school ended and miss

wilder went back to minnesota

the new teacher mr clewett was quiet but

firm

a good disciplinarian there was not a

sound in school now except the low

voices of classes reciting

and in the rows of seats every pupil

diligently studied

all the big boys were coming to school

cap garland was there

his face tanned dark red brown and his

pale hair and pale blue eyes seeming

almost white

his smile still flashed quick as

lightning and

warmer than sunshine everyone remembered

that he had made the terrible trip with

almanzo wilder last winter to bring the

wheat that saved them all from dying of

hunger

ben woodworth came back to school and

fred gilbert

whose father had brought in the last

mail after the train stopped running

and arthur johnson minnie’s brother

still there was no snow at recess and at

noon the boys played baseball and the

big girls did not play outdoors anymore

nelly worked at her crocheting ida and

minnie and mary power stood at the

window watching the ball games

sometimes laura stood with them but

usually she stayed at her desk and

studied

she had a feeling of haste almost a fear

that she would not be able to pass the

examinations and get a teacher’s

certificate when she was sixteen

she was almost fifteen now oh come on

laura

come watch this ballgame ida coaxed one

noon you have a whole year to study

before you need to know so much

laura closed her book she was happy that

the girls wanted her

nellie scornfully tossed her head i’m

glad i don’t have to be a teacher she

said

my folks can get along without my having

to work

with an effort laura held her voice low

and answered sweetly

of course you needn’t nelly but you see

we aren’t poor relations being helped

out by our folks back east

nelly was so angry that she stammered as

she tried to speak and mary power

interrupted her coolly

if laura wants to teach school i don’t

know that it’s anybody’s business

laura is smart she will be a good

teacher

yes ida said she’s far ahead of

she stopped because the door opened and

cap garland came in

he had come straight from town and he

had in his hand

a small striped paper bag hello girls he

said looking at mary power and his smile

lighted up as he held out the bag to her

have some candy nelly was quick

oh kathy she cried taking the bag

how did you know that i like candy so

much

the nicest candy in town too she smiled

up into his face with a look that laura

had never seen before

cap seemed startled then he looked

sheepish

would you girls like some nelly went on

generously and quickly she offered each

one the open bag then taking a piece

herself

she put the bag in her skirt pocket cap

looked pleadingly at mary power but she

tossed her head and looked away and

certainly he said

well i’m glad you like it and went out

to the ball game

the next day at noon he brought candy

again again

he tried to give it to mary power and

again nellie was too quick oh

cathy you are such a dear boy to bring

me

more candy she said smiling up at him

this time she turned a little away from

the others she had no

eyes for anyone but cap i mustn’t be a

pig and eat it all myself

do have a piece cappy she coaxed

he took a piece and she rapidly ate all

the rest while she murmured to cap how

nice he was and so tall and strong

cap looked helpless yet pleased

he would never be able to cope with

nellie laura knew

mary power was too proud to enter into a

competition with her

angrily laura wondered must a girl like

nelly be able to grab what she wants

it was not only the candy until mr

clewett rang the bell

nelly kept cap by her side and listening

to her the others pretended not to

notice them

laura asked mary power to write in her

autograph album

all the girls but nelly were writing in

each other’s albums

nelly did not have one mary powers sat

at her desk and carefully wrote with ink

while the others waited to read the

verse when she finished it

her writing was beautiful and so was the

verse she had chosen

the rose of the valley may wither the

pleasures of youth pass away

but friendship will blossom forever

while all other flowers decay

lara’s album had many treasures in it

now

there was the verse that ma had written

and on the next page

was ida’s in memories golden casket

drop one pearl for me your loving friend

ida be right every now and then

cap looked helplessly at them over

nellie’s shoulder but they paid no

attention to him

or nellie minnie johnson asked laura to

write in her album and laura said

i will if you’re right in mine i’ll do

my best but i can’t write as beautifully

as mary

does her writing is just like copper

plate minnie said and she sat down and

wrote

when the name that i write here is dim

on the page

and the leaves of your album are yellow

with age

still think of me kindly and do not

forget

that wherever i am i remember you

yet minnie johnson

then the bell rang and they all went to

their seats

that afternoon at recess nellie sneered

at autograph albums

they’re out of date she said i used to

have one

but i wouldn’t have one of those old

things now no one believed her

she said in the east where i come from

it’s name cards that are all the rage

now

what are name cards ida asked

nellie pretended to be surprised then

she smiled

well of course you wouldn’t know i’ll

bring mine to school and show you but i

won’t give you one because you haven’t

one to give me

it’s only proper to exchange name cards

everybody’s exchanging name cards now

in the east they did not believe her

autograph albums could not be out of

style because theirs was almost new

ma had brought laras from vinton iowa

only last september

on the way home after school minnie

johnson said

she’s just bragging i don’t believe she

had name cards i don’t believe there’s

any such a thing

but next morning she and mary power were

so eager to see laura

that they waited for her to come out of

the house mary power had found out

about name cards jake hopp who ran the

newspaper

had them at the newspaper office next to

the bank

they were colored cards with colored

pictures of flowers and birds

and mr hop would print your name on them

i

don’t believe nelly olsen has any many

still declared

she only found out about them before we

did and she plans to get some and

pretend they came from the east

how much do they cost laura asked that

depends on the pictures and the kind of

printing mary told them

i’m getting a dozen with plain printing

for 25 cents

laura said no more mary power’s father

was the tailor and he could work all

winter

but now there was no carpentering work

in town and would be none till spring

paw had five to feed at home and mary to

keep in college

it was folly even to think of spending

25 cents for mere pleasure

nelly had not brought her name cards

that morning minnie asked her

as soon as they gathered around the

stove where she was warming her hands

after her long chilly walk to school

my goodness i forgot all about them she

said

i guess i’ll have to tie a string on my

finger to remind me

minnie’s look said to mary power and

laura i told you so

at noon that day kat did bring candy

again and as usual nelly was nearest the

door

she began to coo oh kathy

and just as she was grasping the bag of

candy laura reached and whisked it from

her surprised hand

and gave it to mary power everyone was

startled even laura

then camp’s smile lighted his whole face

he glanced gratefully at laura and

looked at mary

thank you mary said to him we will all

enjoy the candies so much

she offered it to the others while as he

went out to the ball game

cap gave one backward look a grin of

delight

have a piece nelly mary power invited

i will nellie took the largest piece

i do like cap’s candy but as for him poo

you may have the greenie mary power

flushed but she did not answer

laura felt her own face flame i guess

she’d take him well enough

if you could get him she said you knew

all the time he was bringing the candy

to mary

my goodness i could twist him around my

finger if i wanted to

nelly bragged he isn’t such a much

it’s that chum of his i want to know

that young mr wilder with the funny name

you’ll see

she smiled to herself i’m going riding

behind those horses of his

yes she surely would laura thought

nellie had been so friendly with miss

wilder it was a wonder that miss

wilder’s brother had not invited her for

a ride before now

as for herself laura knew she had

spoiled any chance of such a pleasure

mary power’s name cards were finished

the next week and she brought them to

school

they were beautiful the cards were the

palest green

and on each was a picture of a bobolink

swaying and singing on a spray of

goldenrod

beneath it was printed in black letters

mary power

she gave one to many one to ida and one

to laura

though they had none to give her that

same day

nellie brought hers to school they were

pale yellow

with a bouquet of pansies and a scroll

that said

four thoughts her name was printed in

letters like handwriting

she traded one of her cards for one of

mary’s

next day many said she was going to buy

some her father had given her the money

and she would order them after school if

the other girls would come with her

ida could not go she said cheerfully

i ought not to waste time because i’m an

adopted child you see i have to hurry

home to help with the housework as much

as i can

i couldn’t ask for name cards father

brown is a preacher and such things are

a vanity

so i’ll just enjoy looking at yours when

you get the mini

isn’t she a deer mary power said after

ida had left them

no one could help loving ida laura

wished to be like her

but she wasn’t secretly she so

wanted name cards that she almost felt

envious of mary power and many

in the newspaper office mr hopp and his

ink spotted apron

spread the sample cards on the counter

for them to see

each card was more beautiful than the

last and lara was mean enough to be

pleased that

nellie’s was among them it proved that

she had bought her cards there

they were every pale lovely color some

even had

gilt edges there was a choice of six

different bouquets

and one had a bird’s nest settled among

the flowers

two birds on its rim and above them the

word

love that’s a young man’s card mr hop

told them

only a young fella is brash enough to

hand out a card with love

on it of course mimi murmured flushing

it was so hard to choose among them that

finally mr hop said

well take your time i’ll go on getting

out the paper

he went back to inking the type and

laying sheets of paper on it

he had lighted the lamp before many

finally decided to take the pale blue

card

then guiltily because they were so late

they all hurried home

paul was washing his hands and ma was

putting supper on the table when laura

came in

breathless quietly ma asked where have

you been laura

i’m sorry ma i only meant to take a

minute laura apologized

she told them about name cards of course

she did not say that she wanted some

paul remarked that jake was up and

coming bringing out such novelties

how much do they cost he asked and laura

answered that the cheapest cost

25 cents a dozen it was almost bedtime

and laura was staring at the wall

thinking about the war of 1812 when paul

folded his paper laid it down and said

laura yes paw you want some of these

newfangled name cards don’t you paw

asked

i was just thinking the same thing

charles said ma

well yes i do want them laura admitted

but i don’t need them pause eyes smiled

twinkling at her as he took from his

pocket some coins and counted out two

dimes and a nickel

i guess you can have them half pint he

said here you are

laura hesitated do you really think i

ought to

can we afford it she asked laura

ma said she meant are you questioning

what your paw does

quickly laura said oh paw thank you

then ma said you are a good girl laura

and we want you to have the pleasures of

other girls of your age

before school tomorrow morning if you

hurry you can run up the street and

order your name cards

in her lonely bed that night without

mary laura

felt ashamed she was not truly good

like ma and mary and ida brown at that

very minute she was so happy to think of

having name cards not only because they

were beautiful

but partly to be meanly even with nellie

olsen

and partly to have things as nice as

mary power and minnie had

mr hop promised that the cards would be

ready on wednesday at noon

and that day laura could hardly eat her

dinner

ma excused her from doing the dishes and

she hurried to the newspaper office

there they were delicate pink cards

with a spray of pinker roses and blue

cornflowers

her name was printed in thin clear type

laura elizabeth ingles

she had hardly time to admire them for

she must not be late to school

a long block from 2nd street she was

hurrying along the board sidewalk

when suddenly a shining buggy pulled up

beside it

laura looked up surprised to see the

brown morgans

young mr wilder stood by the buggy his

cap in one hand

he held out his other hand to her and

said like a ride to the schoolhouse

you’ll get there quicker

he took her hand helped her into the

buggy

and stepped in beside her laura was

almost speechless with surprise

and shyness and the delight of actually

riding behind those

beautiful horses they trotted gaily but

very slowly and their small ears

twitched listening for the word to go

faster

i’m i i’m laura ingalls laura said

it was a silly thing to say of course he

must know who she was

i know your father and i’ve seen you

around town for quite a while he replied

my sister often spoke of you such

beautiful horses what are their names

she asked

she knew quite well but she had to say

something

the near one is lady and the other is

prince he told her

laura wished he would let them go faster

as fast as they could go

but it would not be polite to ask she

thought of speaking about the weather

but that seemed silly

she could not think of anything to say

and in all this time they had gone only

one block

i have been getting my name card she

heard herself saying

that’s so he said mine are just playing

cards i brought them out from minnesota

he took one from his pocket and handed

it to her

he was driving with one capable hand

keeping the lines in play between his

gloved fingers

the card was plain and white printed on

it

in old english letters was almanzo james

wilder

it’s kind of an outlandish name he said

laura tried to think of something nice

to say about it she said

it is quite unusual it was wished on me

he said grimly

my folks have got a notion there always

has to be an almanzo in the family

because way back in the time of the

crusades there was a wilder

went to them and an arab or somebody

saved his life

el manzur the name was they changed it

after a while in england

but i guess there’s no way to improve it

much

i think it’s a very interesting name

said laura honestly

she did think so but she did not know

what to do with the card

it seemed rude to give it back to him

but perhaps he did not mean her to keep

it

she held it so that he could take it

back if he wanted to

the team turned the corner at second

street in a panic

laura wondered whether if he did not

take back his card

she should give him one of hers nelly

had said it was proper to exchange name

cards she held his card a little nearer

to him so that he could see it plainly

he went on driving do you do you want

your card back

laura asked him you can keep it if you

want to

he replied then do you want one of mine

she took one out of the package and gave

it to him

he looked at it and thanked her it is a

very pretty card he said as he put it in

his pocket

they were at the schoolhouse he held the

reins while he sprang out of the buggy

took off his cap and offered his hand to

help her down

she did not need help she barely touched

his glove with her mitten tip as she

came

lightly to the ground thank you for the

ride

she said don’t mention it he answered

his hair was not black as she had

thought it was dark brown

and his eyes were such a dark blue that

they did not look pale in his darkly

tanned face

he had a steady dependable yet

lighthearted look

hello wilder capgarland greeted him and

he waved an

answer as he drove away mr clewett was

ringing the bell

and the boys were trooping in as laura

slipped into her seat

there was barely time for ida to squeeze

her arm

delightedly and whisper oh i

wish you could have seen her face when

you came driving up

mary power and minnie were beaming at

laura across the aisle

but nellie was looking intently away

from her