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