Guest post by Lauri Goforth
The chapter starts with Laura deciding not to share with Ma and Pa about Mrs. Brewster and the knife. She decides that they wouldn’t let her go back and she’d never be able to teach school again. After all there’s only one more week. I’m with Ma and Pa – tell them! Pa’s on the School Board, he could probably pull some strings because risking your life isn’t part of the deal.
Life threatening drama out of the way, we get back to the romance. Laura thinks Almanzo will be happy to not have the long, cold drives. Almanzo thinks Laura is more interesting than checkers or the saloon. This panics Laura into thinking she must be interesting. He offers her a chance to drive Prince and Lady, but she demurs. And Spoiler Alert: she’s too little to drive Prince and Lady, but willing to try Barnum. Interesting choice. Almanzo then talks about Starlight, our friend from back in Farmer Boy. Starlight is living out his retirement in Father Wilder’s pasture. I wonder if that’s true or just a nice tale for the young reader.
The time passes quickly, and we’re <gulp> at the Brewster’s. Almanzo says he knows that it’s hard on her, but they’ll be going the other way on Friday. (He leaves out any reference to Laura making him pancakes soon at this time.)
Each day passes, Laura barely sleeps the last night afraid of what could happen during the last night. Everyone is well behaved the last day. Laura encourages them to take any chance they have to go to school or to study at home like President Lincoln. She hands out namecards to each student. At 10, I may have written Laura’s inscription to Ruby on the back of the namecard I bought in DeSmet. She’s surprised that they all have gifts for her. They thank her. Clarence apologizes for being mean. I still lean towards Clarence having a little crush on the teacher.
The students leave, and Almanzo picks Laura up. I love this next quote,
“You won’t get there any faster, pushing,” Almanzo said once, and she laughed aloud to find that she was pushing her feet hard against the cutter’s dashboard.”
It comes to mind as I’m trying to hurry my life towards something. Or when I was coming home from a two week business trip. Except now, pressing harder on the floorboard will get the driver home faster, if not safer.
Soon they arrive home, Laura realizes Almanzo said “Goodbye” not “See you on Sunday”. Of course this must be the last sleigh ride.
…………..or so Laura thinks…………
I love that Laura was strong. I mean she was so young and to not tell her parents about something so terrifying?! It amazes me what a difference there is from then to now! Now if you took a child’s cell phone away there would be an all out war!
Long time reader, first time commenter
What stands out to me the most, I think, is how Laura thinks enough about Almanzo saying “goodbye” that she feels she ought to point it out. It’s a sort of turning point….I think the long, cold drive home gave them a kind of bond. She’s starting to think about him outside the parameters of just being a ride home and finding herself saddened that there would be no more time with him. Laura has always faced hard times with Ma and Pa, and now she has faced a rough time with Almanzo and gotten past it with him, and I think it makes her realize, Hey! Maybe this guy is just too-too after all…..Sparks~they be a flyin’!
Long before in “Farmer Boy” we learned that AAlmanzo was a boy to think things through, like when Father Wilder had him explain how to grow potatoes to another man in Malone. At age 9, Almanzo knew a lot about farming, and how to invest 50 cents buying a young pig that would bring him a return on his investment. So now in his mid-twenties there is a more serious investment to be made –in cultivating a relationship with a future wife. He said he made those long cold drives and there was nothing in it for him, but wasn’t there? He cared about Laura, and knew she was the type of woman he wanted, even when she was so young.
Daniel,
I love your post and comments as a male. Almanzo certainly was investing in his future as he ‘courted’ Laura.
Has anyone read the new ‘Farmer Boy Goes West’ by Heather Williams? I am in the middle of it and so far the portrayal of our hero at age 13 doesn’t show him to have the capable farming skills that he would certainly have had by that age. Much less the investing as a future independent farmer. More later after I finish the book.
Connie in Colorado
“This panics Laura into thinking she must be interesting.”
I never thought about this before! It’s just more proof that THGY is STILL so relevant today. I mean, who hasn’t felt that before? No wonder these books are so timeless.
P.S. “Almanzo thinks Laura is more interesting than checkers or the saloon.” Now THAT’S true love!