Little House on the Prairie, Season 7

Mary:
[to Adam] When would you go to take the test?

Adam:
Well, I've only got four weeks to study for it, and I'm not going to be able to do any teaching during that time. I know it's going to be a real burden on you and Hester Sue.

Mary:
We can manage. Besides, summer break's coming up in three weeks.

Adam:
And I promised you a trip to Walnut Grove. I'll make it up to you. When I'm a lawyer, I'll have enough money to go anywhere in the world you want to go. Paris or Rome! Oh, Mary, I can do this! I got this feeling, like God came down, gave me my sight back and said, "Okay, let's see what you can do with it."

Adam:
[about the world] I just can't believe it. I can't believe the colors! It's so much more vivid than I remember. The greens and the blue in the sky, and the most vivid of all, the blue in your eyes.

Mary:
Adam!

Adam:
Well, it's true. I've never seen eyes as blue as yours. You are so beautiful!

Mary:
What if I hadn't been?

Adam:
What?

Mary:
What if I hadn't been beautiful? I mean, suppose you looked at me for the first time and thought, "Yuck, she's a toadface!"

Adam:
Well, I'd never think that. You'd be beautiful to me no matter what you look like. I love you, but I must admit, I am happy that you're beautiful.

Adam:
I don't even know where to begin. When this first happened, when I regained my sight, it had a great effect on me. The way I feel and think about things. I used to love teaching. I found it challenging and exciting, and and I really thought it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. But it just isn't. The more I talk to Mr. Davis and the more I study those law books, the more I realize I want to be a lawyer. I have to be a lawyer. I talked to Mr. Davis tonight, and he's arranged for me to go to Minneapolis and take the exam. If I get a good enough grade, I have a chance at a scholarship. I know that's a big "if," but I just have to try. Mary, I want this more than I've wanted anything in my whole life. I can do it. I just know I can do it.

Caroline:
Mary, is something wrong?

Mary:
No. Why do you ask?

Caroline:
Well, when a mother and daughter have been as close as we have, we tend to notice things about each other that other people wouldn't.

Mary:
Oh, it's nothing, really. It's just going to take a little getting used to, Adam's sight, I mean. It's like meeting someone again for the first itme.. He can see me and I can't see him. It's a very strange feeling.

Caroline:
For both of you. Remember, Adam's going to have a lot of adjusting to do, too.

Mary:
Oh, I know. I told you, it's nothing.

Charles:
Well, if you two are through reading each other's minds, I'd like to get some sleep.

Mary:
[to Professor Mayfield] My husband is Adam Kendall.

Professor Mayfield:
Adam. The name is familiar.

Mary:
Yes. He was taking the exam this past week.

Professor Mayfield:
Oh, yes, yes. He was unable to complete it.

Mary:
That really wasn't his fault.

Professor Mayfield:
Yes, I understand that. It was most unfortunate.

Mary:
I wanted to know if there's any way he could complete the test. It means so much to him.

Professor Mayfield:
I'm sorry, Mrs. Kendall, I wish there was a way, but we can't alter the rules no matter what the circumstances.

Mary:
Why not?

Professor Mayfield:
Pardon me?

Mary:
Why can't they be altered? I mean, this is a school of law, isn't it? If you have a bad law, the court changes it, doesn't it?

Professor Mayfield:
Yes, the court does have that power.

Mary:
Then if you have a bad rule, I think it should be changed.

Professor Mayfield:
I don't believe it is a bad rule. It is a necessary one.

Mary:
It's a bad rule when it has no compassion or concern for the individual.

Professor Mayfield:
Mrs. Kendall--

Mary:
My husband's gone through a lot in his lifetime. He was blinded in an accident when he was a boy. He lost his child in a fire. With all that, he's devoted his life to helping others, to teaching. Now, when it seems like something wonderful's going to happen, you turn against him with some rule! Now, you might think it's necessary, but I happen to think it's cruel!

Adam:
[to Mary] Sorry I'm late.

Mary:
Well, that's all right. How did it go? How did you do?

Adam:
I know how I did. That's why I'm late. I stayed while the professor graded my exam.

Mary:
And?

Adam:
And I did not make the top 3%.

Mary:
Oh. Well, that's all right. You'll just have to study harder and take the test again next year.

Charles:
That's right.

Adam:
There's not gonna be a next year. [smiles] I made the top 1%!

Mary:
Oh, Adam Kendall, I'm gonna kill you! [hugs him]

[After Harriet discovers that Willie has been peeking through Sylvia's bedroom window with the other boys]

Harriet:
How can you be a Peeping Tom?

Willie:
I can't. My name's Willie!

Doc Baker:
Albert, why don't you wait outside for a minute?

Albert:
Doc Baker, I want to know what's wrong with Sylvia. I was her beau until her Pa got mad and told her she couldn't see me anymore.

Doc Baker:
You were? For how long?

Albert:
I don't know, a few months. Why?

Doc Baker:
She's with child.

Albert:
What?

Doc Baker:
She's with child, son. Have you and her ever--?

Albert:
No. No.....no! I never.....I nev--oh, God! [runs out]

Laura:
Albert! He's not lying, Doc.

Doc Baker:
I believe him.

[After Mr. Webb learns that Sylvia is pregnant]

Mr. Webb [to Sylvia]:
You'll stay around the house from now on. I don't want you going into town. I'll go into the bank tomorrow and see about the farm getting sold.

Sylvia:
Where will we go?

Mr. Webb:
I don't know. Doesn't matter. Some place where folks don't know us. We'll tell them your husband was killed in an accident.

Sylvia:
You blame me for this, don't you? Don't you?

Mr. Webb:
You reap what you sow. [leaves the room]

Caroline:
Please leave, Mrs. Oleson.

Harriet:
Mrs. Ingalls, I am trying very hard to be your friend, and I would think you would show a little more appreciation. After all, you are going to be that child's grandmother!

Caroline:
Mrs. Oleson, I will go to Church on Sunday, and I will ask God to forgive me for this. [throws a ball of dough in Mrs. Oleson's face] On second thought, I think the good Lord would have done the same thing! [throws her apron down and walks away]

Charles:
Listen to me, Albert. I know you care for this girl. I know you feel sorry for her, but you can't marry someone because you feel sorry for them.

Albert:
I want to marry her because I love her! And the baby isn't mine, but it's part of her, of someone I love.

Charles:
It's not the same thing.

Albert:
Then you lied to me, Pa! I'm not your real son, but you said you loved me just the same. Were you lying?

[When Mr. Webb loads his gun to kill Albert]

Sylvia:
Pa, no! He's my friend! He was only here for a few minutes and then he left!

Mr. Webb:
What was he doing here? What was he doing?

Sylvia:
Nothing! Pa, please believe me. Believe me for once!

Mr. Webb:
I can't! How can I believe a whore?

Laura:
[voiceover] As the weeks passed, I noticed a great change in James and Cassandra. They became more and more withdrawn in my class. They were never allowed to come see Ma and Pa. Something was wrong in their new home, but they would never say a word about it.

James:
[to Albert] Why didn't you ever tell me you were an orphan?

Albert:
It just never came up, I guess. Being an orphan, it's not so bad.

James:
It's bad enough.

Albert:
[about the orphanage] Hey, listen. There are all these other kids and you'll have lots of friends.

James:
[near tears] I just wish I didn't have to go.

Albert:
I know. I know.

James:
Mr. Ingalls?

Charles:
Yeah, son?

James:
Couldn't Cassandra and I come and live with you?

Charles:
I'm afraid not, son.

James:
Why?

Charles:
Well, if you saw my house, you wouldn't ask that. It's kind of small. Way too small for the family I've got.

James:
Cassandra and me, we wouldn't take up much space, and we'd be real good about our chores. I mean, when she gets better.

Charles:
You don't know how much I wish I could say yes.

James:
Please. I don't want to go on that train.

Charles:
I'm sorry, son.

James:
[as he consoles Cassandra, who is crying] Cassandra? I meant what I said to Mr. Ingalls. You and me, we'll always be together. We're family. Even if there's never anyone else, we're gonna be just... [takes Cassandra's hand] just fine.

Charles:
Caroline, this is James.

Caroline:
Hello, James.

Charles:
And this is Cassandra.

Caroline:
Welcome to our home. [Cassandra bursts into tears and grabs Caroline around the waist] What in the world? Oh, it's all right. It's all right.

James:
[in a trance] Ma. She looks like.....Ma! I almost thought you were.

Caroline:
[to Cassandra, who doesn't want to leave Caroline and go to school] Those children sure do make lots of noise at recess. You know, you're smart not to go to school with James. My daughter's a very hard teacher. You'll see tonight. James is going to have a lot of homework. I'll help him with it, though. You'll be the lucky one. You'll be sleeping while James and I are working on his studies. Oh, I bet he won't be through until 8 or 8:30. I love it, though. I used to be a teacher, and I just love helping children with their homework. Yes, indeed. James and I will be spending a lot of evenings together.

Cassandra:
I want homework.

Caroline:
What?

Cassandra:
I want homework!

Caroline:
Well, if you want homework, you're gonna have to go to school. [Cassandra smiles, hugs Caroline tight, and runs off to school]

Cassandra:
I got an A on a test today!

Caroline:
Did you?

Charles:
That's not an easy thing to do. My daughter is pretty tough on grades.

Cassandra:
I really like her!

James:
I never used to have fun at school.

Charles:
Yeah, well, school can't all be fun.

James:
But most of it is.

Laura:
[voiceover] So James and Cassandra came to live with Ma and Pa and Albert and Carrie and baby Grace. The little house was full of love!