all going to be the very best of friends, I'm sure."
The small boys were squirming, and Laura wanted to. She could not look at Miss Wilder's smiling any more.
She only wished that Miss Wilder would stop talking. But Miss Wilder went on in her smiling voice:
“None of us will ever be unkind or selfish, will we? I am sure that not one of you will ever be unruly, so there need be no thought of punishments here in our happy school. We shall all be friends together and love and help each other.”
The n at last she said, “You may take your books.”
There were no recitations that morning, for Miss Wilder was sorting the pupils into their classes. Laura and Ida, Mary Power and Minnie, and Nellie Oleson, were the only big girls. The y were the most advanced class, and the whole class until the big boys would come to school.
At recess they stayed in a group, getting acquainted.
Ida was as warm and friendly as she looked. “I'm only an adopted child,” she said. “Mother Brown took me out of a Home, but she must have liked me to do that, don't you think so?”
"Of course she liked you, she couldn't have helped it," Laura said. She could imagine what a pretty baby Ida must have been, with her black curls and big, laughing brown eyes.
But Nellie wanted all attention for herself.
“I really don't know whether we'll like it out here,”
Nellie said. “We are from the East. We are not used to such a rough country and rough people.”
“You come from western Minnesota, from the same place we did,” said Laura.
“Oh, that?” Nellie brushed away Minnesota with her hand. “We were there only a little while. We come from the East, from New York State.”
“We all come from the East,” Mary Power told her shortly. “Come on, let's all go outdoors in the sunshine.”
“My goodness, no!” said Nellie. “Why, this wind will tan your skin!”
They were all tanned but Nellie, and she went on airily, "I may have to live out in this rough country for a little while, but I shan't let it spoil my complexion.
In the East, a lady always keeps her skin white and her hands smooth." Nellie's hands were white and slender.
There was no time to go outdoors, anyway. Recess was over. Miss Wilder went to the door and rang the bell.
At home that night, Carrie chattered about the day at school until Pa said she was as talkative as a bluejay.
“Let Laura get a word in edgewise. Why are you so quiet, Laura? Anything go wrong?”
The n Laura told about Nellie Oleson and all she had said and done. She finished, “Miss Wilder shouldn't have let her take the seat away from Mary Power and Minnie.”
“Nor should you ever criticize a teacher, Laura,” Ma gently reminded her.
Laura felt her cheeks grow hot. She knew what a great opportunity it was, to go to school. Miss Wilder was there to help her learn, she should be grateful, she should never impertinently criticize. She should only try to be perfect in her lessons and in deportment. Yet she could not help thinking, “Just the same, she shouldn't have! It was not fair.”
“ S o the Olesons came from New York State, did they?” Pa was amused. “That's not so much to brag about.”
Laura remembered then that Pa had lived in New York State when he was a boy.
He went on, “I don't know how it happened, but Oleson lost everything he had in Minnesota. He hasn't a thing in the world now but his homestead claim, and they tell me his folks back East are helping him out, or he couldn't hang on to that till he makes a crop. Maybe Nellie feels she's got to brag a little, to hold her own. I wouldn't let it worry me, Laura.”
“But she had such pretty clothes,” Laura protested.
“And she can't do a bit of work, she keeps her face and her hands so white.”
“You could wear your sunbonnet, you know,” said Ma. “As for her pretty dresses, likely they come out of a barrel, and maybe she's like the girl in the song, who was so fine 'with a double ruffle around her neck and
The small boys were squirming, and Laura wanted to. She could not look at Miss Wilder's smiling any more.
She only wished that Miss Wilder would stop talking. But Miss Wilder went on in her smiling voice:
“None of us will ever be unkind or selfish, will we? I am sure that not one of you will ever be unruly, so there need be no thought of punishments here in our happy school. We shall all be friends together and love and help each other.”
The n at last she said, “You may take your books.”
There were no recitations that morning, for Miss Wilder was sorting the pupils into their classes. Laura and Ida, Mary Power and Minnie, and Nellie Oleson, were the only big girls. The y were the most advanced class, and the whole class until the big boys would come to school.
At recess they stayed in a group, getting acquainted.
Ida was as warm and friendly as she looked. “I'm only an adopted child,” she said. “Mother Brown took me out of a Home, but she must have liked me to do that, don't you think so?”
"Of course she liked you, she couldn't have helped it," Laura said. She could imagine what a pretty baby Ida must have been, with her black curls and big, laughing brown eyes.
But Nellie wanted all attention for herself.
“I really don't know whether we'll like it out here,”
Nellie said. “We are from the East. We are not used to such a rough country and rough people.”
“You come from western Minnesota, from the same place we did,” said Laura.
“Oh, that?” Nellie brushed away Minnesota with her hand. “We were there only a little while. We come from the East, from New York State.”
“We all come from the East,” Mary Power told her shortly. “Come on, let's all go outdoors in the sunshine.”
“My goodness, no!” said Nellie. “Why, this wind will tan your skin!”
They were all tanned but Nellie, and she went on airily, "I may have to live out in this rough country for a little while, but I shan't let it spoil my complexion.
In the East, a lady always keeps her skin white and her hands smooth." Nellie's hands were white and slender.
There was no time to go outdoors, anyway. Recess was over. Miss Wilder went to the door and rang the bell.
At home that night, Carrie chattered about the day at school until Pa said she was as talkative as a bluejay.
“Let Laura get a word in edgewise. Why are you so quiet, Laura? Anything go wrong?”
The n Laura told about Nellie Oleson and all she had said and done. She finished, “Miss Wilder shouldn't have let her take the seat away from Mary Power and Minnie.”
“Nor should you ever criticize a teacher, Laura,” Ma gently reminded her.
Laura felt her cheeks grow hot. She knew what a great opportunity it was, to go to school. Miss Wilder was there to help her learn, she should be grateful, she should never impertinently criticize. She should only try to be perfect in her lessons and in deportment. Yet she could not help thinking, “Just the same, she shouldn't have! It was not fair.”
“ S o the Olesons came from New York State, did they?” Pa was amused. “That's not so much to brag about.”
Laura remembered then that Pa had lived in New York State when he was a boy.
He went on, “I don't know how it happened, but Oleson lost everything he had in Minnesota. He hasn't a thing in the world now but his homestead claim, and they tell me his folks back East are helping him out, or he couldn't hang on to that till he makes a crop. Maybe Nellie feels she's got to brag a little, to hold her own. I wouldn't let it worry me, Laura.”
“But she had such pretty clothes,” Laura protested.
“And she can't do a bit of work, she keeps her face and her hands so white.”
“You could wear your sunbonnet, you know,” said Ma. “As for her pretty dresses, likely they come out of a barrel, and maybe she's like the girl in the song, who was so fine 'with a double ruffle around her neck and
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