American Masters

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Narrator

Laura takes her first teaching position at a school about eight miles south of De Smet. She is 16, and around this time, Almanzo Wilder begins to drive her to and from De Smet every weekend. What I remember most about the romance is that even when it's not clear that they're dating, but that Manzo still shows up and takes her home every weekend, she has not asked, he has not even says that he's gonna do it, he just understands and he does it. And he commits and shows his commitment that way. He's not even doing it so he can see her, he's doing it so she can see her family. That is the part of their courtship that made me understand actual courtship. (birds singing) -

Narrator

The courtship continues when Laura returns to De Smet and to being a student. During that year, she writes an essay which reads in part. -

Voiceover Actor

"Without an ambition to excel others and to surpass oneself, there would be no superior merit. To win anything, we must have the ambition to do so." There's that remarkable scene with Mr. Owen, which occurs in both "Pioneer Girl" and later in the "Little House" books themselves, where Mr. Owen compliments the young Laura on her first exposition, her first writing assignment. -

Voiceover Actor

"He looked at her sharply and said, 'You have written compositions before.' 'No, sir,' Laura said, 'This is my first.' 'Well, you should write more of them. I would not have believed that anyone could do so well the first time.'" What I think is remarkable about that is not only that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about the scene, both in "Pioneer Girl" and later in the "Little House" books, but that she kept the original writing assignment from Mr. Owen for all of those years. She still has that, and she has, and she kept all of her scraps of poetry. For me, that indicates that Laura Ingalls Wilder probably had the ambition to write very early on. -

Narrator

Laura's school days end when she takes another teaching job, this one closer to home and to Almanzo. By now, they have affectionate names for one another, Manly and Bessie. "'I was wondering if you wanted an engagement ring,' he answered, and I gave a startled gasp. 'That would depend,' I said, 'on who offered it to me.' 'Would you take it from me?' he asked. And I said, 'Yes.' Then he kissed me goodnight, and I went into the house, not quite sure if I was engaged to Manly or to the starlight in the prairie." -

Narrator

Laura refused to say the word obey in the wedding vows. It would set the tone for their lifelong partnership. -

Voiceover Actor

"She summoned all her courage and said, 'Almanzo, must ask you something. Do you want me to promise to obey you?' Soberly, he answered, 'Of course not. I know it is in the wedding ceremony, but it is only something that women say. I never knew one that did it, nor any decent man that wanted her to.' 'Well, I am not going to say I will obey you,' said Laura. 'I cannot make a promise that I will not keep, and Almanzo, even if I tried, I do not think I could obey anybody against my better judgment.' 'I'd never expect you to,' he told her."