Welcome back, Little House fans! Today, we’re going to take a look back at Season 1, Episode 4 of Little House on the Prairie: Mr. Edwards’ Homecoming. This title is a little off-putting. If I remember correctly, Mr. Edwards is the “wildcat from Tennessee.” So, how can it be a homecoming for him to come to Missouri?
We open with a man in a rowboat, going to a busy dock. What man, which rowboat, and what dock, you might ask? I have no idea. I also have no idea why there’s a palm tree in the background. Let’s learn together.
A Chance Encounter
Ah. A sign. Mankoto Freight…something. Ok, so we have the where. Pa is in town. Something something about invoices before he walks off, looking around in wonder at this new world he’s visiting. In the Little House on the Prairie Pilot, Pa doesn’t like towns very much, but he’s seems to be liking them just fine about now.
As Pa walks past a window, it breaks. We hear a drunken man daring anyone to take him on. Hmmm. That drunken voice is familiar. Yep. It’s Mr. Edwards. It’s probably not a good idea for Ma to know about this, Pa. Pa walked through the crowded saloon, “Edwards?” he said as he approached. “It’s me, Ingalls.” It takes a few minutes for it to sink in, and then, drunk Mr. Edwards allows Pa to walk him out of the bar and dunk his head in the river a few times. That did the trick, and, to the background tune of “Old Dan Tucker,” Mr. Edwards agrees to come back to Walnut Grove with Pa.
Where’s he going to stay Pa? You don’t seem to have a spare bed where you are.
Mr. Edwards’ Makes a First Impression
Pa enters Walnut Grove with Mr. Edwards passed out in the back of his wagon. A hungover Mr. Edwards isn’t impressed. “This is it?” he asks, wondering where the saloon is. Pa informs him there is no saloon. Mr. Edwards homecoming isn’t going as well as he’d like.
Pa begins unloading goods for Oleson’s Mercantile and says hello to a Mrs. Snider as he enters. Mr. Edwards turns and spits on or close to the unfortunate Mrs. Snider, who isn’t impressed.
Mr. Edwards wonders if he should clean up some before seeing the family. Charles thinks they will be happy to see his unclean, smelling like a drunk self just as he is!
A Surprise for the Ingalls Family: Mr Edwards Comes Home
At home, Ma is nursing a feverish Laura who is suffering from tonsillitis. Jack barks, signaling Pa’s return. Mary runs out and gives Mr. Edwards a big hug. Ma is also very happy to see him. Carrie just giggles as Carrie does. Which isn’t much.
Ma asks how Mr. Edwards and Pa found each other, and Mr. Edwards lies and says it was at a party. Off to a good start. Mr. Edwards grabs Carrie and yells at her to “quit that growin’,” which isn’t creepy at all.
Ma tells Pa that Laura is sick and encourages them to go inside and give her a surprise. They tiptoe up the ladder to the tune of “Old Dan Tucker,” which is starting to get old. Pa checks in on Laura and says that he brought her a surprise from Mankato, and Mr. Edwards comes up the ladder.
Mr. Edwards hugs Laura and notices she’s burning up with fever and demands to know what Pa is doing for her and where the doctor is? Because no one is better at telling parents how to care for their sick kids than someone with no children. Pa assures Mr. Edwards that she’ll be fine. Mr. Edwards promises Laure that he will be there when her fever is over. Pa tells Laura to get some sleep. Pa tells Mr. Edwards that the best medicine for Laura was seeing him and shows him to the barn loft where he’ll be sleeping. Mr. Edwards is looking a little gloomy and apologizes for flying off the handle about Laura’s care.
Gather ’round, children, because there’s about to be a story..
Mr. Edwards’ Sad Tale
Apparently, Mr. Edwards was married at one time and had a daughter named Alice. Alice was a couple of years younger than Laura. It’s why he takes to Laura so. Anyway, both the wife and daughter and dead, and Mr. Edwards says it’s his fault. He brought smallpox to them on a homestead claim so far out in the woods that no one could hear his distress signals.
Pa said that it wasn’t Mr. Edwards’ fault, but Mr. Edwards blames himself for taking them so far away. And that’s why he flipped out when he felt Laura’s fever. This is a poignant moment right here.
Mr. Edwards asks if he could borrow a bar of soap and the creek so he can wash up for dinner. Hopefully not in his underwear. I’m still recovering from that.
At dinner, Mr. Edwards said that he forgot what a good cook Ma is. Ma responded that she hopes he’ll have seconds. This is Mr. Edwards, Ma. What do you think?
Mary serves up some seconds, and the Ingalls family members who aren’t in bed, and one who isn’t, encourage Mr. Edwards to stay in Walnut Grove. Even Carrie speaks for this one. Mr. Edwards makes a deal with Laura that he’ll stay if she gets back into bed.
The Set Up
In bed, Ma is eating popcorn, and Pa is reading a book, and Ma decides she’s setting up Mr. Edwards with the Widow Snider. Remembering how Mr. Edwards and the Widow met, I’m thinking this may not be the best of ideas.
The next day, Pa brings Mr. Edwards to Hanson’s Mill and gets him a job. Mr. Edwards gets to work. Do you know what is even more grating than hearing “Old Man Tucker” in the background all the time? Hearing Mr. Edwards sing it. As he’s singing, Mr. Edwards notices the Widow Snider walking by and starts gawking.
Next, we see Laura opening wide and saying, “Ah!” Doc Baker thinks her throat looks much better and says if her fever stays down, she can get out of bed that afternoon. Doc Baker whacks his head as he exits the loft.
The Jug of Water
Back at the mill, Mr. Edwards is washing his face in the water and spies a jug of booze sitting conveniently in the water. Unfortunately, it’s empty, but fortunately, he fills it with water to keep with him while he works. Across the road, the widow spies him drinking out of the judge and pulls down her shades.
Coming back to the Ingalls homestead, Mr. Edwards is happy to see Laura up and about. Mr. Edwards presents Laura with a bottle of lemon verbena so she can smell just like Mrs. Beadle. Mr. Edwards carries Laura into the house. Again, not creepy at all.
At night, Pa fiddles while Mary sews and Laura and Carrie rock on Mr. Edwards’s lap. The next morning, Ma asks Mr. Edwards to pick up their mail at the post office on the way home from work. This is the girl’s job, so you know Ma is up to something.
What a coincidence! The Widow Snider is the Post Mistress! Will wonders never cease?
Mr. Edwards asks for the Ingalls mail, and the Widow Snider informs him that there is no mail, but if he wants to pick it up, he has to get something in writing from Mr. Ingalls. She turns away from him and stamps a bunch of envelopes. As he walks across to the mill, Widow Snider watches him take a drink from his water jug and shakes her head in disgust.
When he’s not looking, she runs across the road and sniffs the jug. Not believing what she smells, she sniffs again. Then she dips her finger in. Before you can say, “love interest,” Mr. Edwards comes up behind Her Widowness and offers her a cup. Widow Snider says she owes him an apology. Mr. Edwards said that if she guessed he was a drinking man, she’d be right, and that he could also see why she wouldn’t want to hand the Ingalls’ mail over to a drunk. Sounds like Mr. Edwards has done a little growing up during his time away from the family. Apology accepted. They drink on it. Mr. Hanson sees the widow drinking from the jug and makes an assumption of his own.
Shirtless Pa Makes Appearance #1
Back at the homestead, a shirtless Pa is doing…something. Let’s pause for a second to remember what the real Charles Ingalls looked like. Picture him shirtless. Sorry for the visual. Anyway, Pa is working shirtless outdoors, which I have to say, is much nicer than seeing him in the same old sweaty armpit shirt. Mr. Edwards walks up the path in a VERY good mood, singing “Old Dan Tucker,” which I am 100% over at this point. A very pleased Ma gauges Mr. Edwards’ good mood and exclaimed, “It worked!”
We’re back from commercial, and it must be Sunday because the Reverend Alden is deep in the throes of a lecture. This one is on the evils of alcohol. Mr. Hanson gives the widow the side eye from across the aisle. As Widow Snider and Ma walk out of the church, Mr. Hanson brings up the sermon they just heard. The widow says that yes, whiskey does weaken men. “And women too,” said Mr. Hanson.
Can we take another pause here? Why is he putting this on Widow Snider when she was “drinking” with Mr. Edwards? Where’s his lecture? He may not be a churchgoer, but he was at the mill right after Mr. Hanson saw her “drinking.” He had nothing to say to Mr. Edwards about letting her drink from his jug?
Ma invites the widow over for dinner. She declines with thanks.
At dinner. Laura says grace. They’re having corn on the cob and something brown. We learn that at Sunday School, Susan Ziggler passed a note to Freddy Hopkins, and it made Amanda Butterfield jealous. Pa wonders what religious thing they learned. But Laura said Amanda wouldn’t talk to Freddy at school, but once she saw the not,e she got all mushy with him. Pa thinks this is all very interesting but the kids go to Sunday school to learn about religion.
Mr. Edwards Writes a Letter
After dinner, Mr. Edwards recruits Laura’s help in writing a letter, and he asks her to keep a secret. Not cool, Mr. Edwards! Adults should never ask kids to keep a secret from their parents.
Mr. Edwards takes his letter and stalks the mail wagon. He asks the drivers to mail his letter when they get to Mankato and gives them a penny for the stamp. They agree but don’t understand why he would mail a letter to Walnut Grove when he’s in Walnut Grove. Duh. Even I know the answer to this. He wants to make the widow jealous. Mr. Edwards walks away. Singing.
Some days later, I assume, Widow Snider is looking through the mail and spies a letter for Mr. Edwards. It smells like Lemon Verbena, the very thing he bought for Laura. He then pulls up a chair and reads his stinky fake letter right in front of the widow. Also, “Old Dan Tucker” is playing in the background, and I’m counting in my head how many seasons and episodes Mr. Edwards is in them because that’s how many times we’re going to hear this song.
Back at the mill, the widow walks by, and Mr. Edwards offers her a drink, and she takes a swig from his jug. Remind me to tell you about my aversion to backwash sometime. Mr. Edwards mentions that he’ll be going home soon for dinner. Apparently, Pa was catching a “whole mess of Pike.” The widow envies Mr. Edwards because she hasn’t had pike for ages. Mr. Edwards said if Caroline knew that she loved pike, she’d be inviting her to dinner. The widow observes that Caroline isn’t here right now. Well, Mr. Edwards is, and before long, the good widow has herself an invitation.
Back at the Little House on the Prairie, Ma is lamenting that the widow is going to be lonely. “Hello in the house!” yells Mr. Edwards as he pulls up in the widow’s ride. Ma looks out with satisfaction. Her work here is done.
After dinner, Pa plays his fiddle while Mr. Edwards dances with the ladies. A be-nightcapped Laura and Mary watch from the window in their bedroom. Mr. Edwards sees the widow’s home. She hates to think of him walking all the way back home, but Mr. Edwards doesn’t mind at all. Mr. Edwards says how grateful he was for the Ingalls to invite him to live in Walnut Grove, and the widow concurs. He invites her to fish, and they say their goodnights. Oh, good gravy. He’s singing again.
Not a Church Going Man
The widow fishes with Laura and Mr. Edwards. Mrs. Snider asks Laura what that lovely smell is and she says it’s Lemon Verbena, and Mr. Edwards gave it to her. The widow didn’t fall of the turnup truck yesterday and called Mr. Edward out for writing his own letter. Mr. Edwards confesses to wanting to make the Widow Snider jealous. She is not at all put off by this.
The next day, or another day anyway, who really knows these things? The widow runs across the road from the Post Office to the mill and has a swig of Mr. Edwards’ water. Mr. Hanson is none too amused by this. The couple has tea together, and Mr. Edwards invites the widow fishing Sunday before church, which is a big no-no.
The widow invites Mr. Edwards to join him for church and he tells her he doesn’t believe in church or god. Before you can say “deal breaker,” the widow tells him she can’t go fishing with him and Mr. Edwards is on his way. He pauses to say that he can’t figure her out and that it shouldn’t make a difference if he’s not a church going man. That she liked him before she knew that.
Whatever day this is later, Ma bumps into Mrs. Widow Snider as she’s walking into Oleson’s Mercantile. Ma says how much they enjoyed having her for dinner, which the Widow enjoyed too. Ma said she’d like to have her again, and the widow said she couldn’t, apologized, and walked away.
Mr. Edwards’ Homecoming
Later that night, Ma mentions that Mr. Edwards didn’t say two words at supper and says she’s going to talk to him. Pa said that if Mr. Edwards wanted them to know what was wrong, he’d tell them, but Ma feels responsible. More Old Dan Tucker background music ensues.
Ma climbs the ladder into Mr. Edwards’ loft, where she finds him packing. Ma said that she hoped he would have been happy in Walnut Grove. Mr. Edwards assured her he was happy there, but he’s a guy who likes to move around. Ma mentions that she saw Mrs. Widow Snider, and he told her about the church stuff. Mr. Edwards says if there were a God, how could he let his wife and daughter die?
Mr. Edwards said he’ll be gone by the time they get home from church. Ma says he’s punishing God for what happened to his family and exits the loft. Mr. Edwards tries to sing Old Dan Tucker and we’re glad it’s not working for him. On Sunday, at church, the congregation is singing “Bringing in the Sheaves,” and Mr. Edwards quietly enters and takes a seat next to Mrs. Widow Snider. Pa nudges Ma, and everyone smiles as they sing. Mr. Edwards sings with gusto, and I must say that it’s nice to hear something other than “Old Dan Tucker.”
