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Book.littlehousehappyyears These Happy Golden Years is the eighth book written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was published in 1943 and illustrated by Garth Williams.

Plot[]

This book is a beautiful, sweet story of how Laura Ingalls and Almanzo Wilder were engaged. Their relationship, (begun mysteriously in Little Town on the Prairie), was furthered when Almanzo began taking Laura to her new teaching job, 12 miles away from town at the Brewster schoolhouse, and basically impossible to reach. Laura, apart from wondering why the—very handsome—Almanzo is taking these long, hard drives, has teaching troubles. Will she manage Clarence, Charles, Martha, Ruby and Tommy in her small but tough job? Laura learns to laugh, live, teach, manage, and finally... love, when Almanzo takes her away to the new little house.

Plot summary[]

Laura begins teaching at the Brewster school. It is hard work, because Laura is nervous, and Clarence, a student who is older than she, deliberately tries to challenge her authority by defying her instructions. At night, she lives with the Brewster family, which brings no comfort to Laura, as the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Brewster is very tense and argumentative, to the point that Laura even sees Mrs. Brewster dangling a butcher knife over her husband in bed late one night. Laura's main comfort is the fact that Almanzo Wilder makes the long drive to take her home every weekend, even though the weather is bitterly cold.

Laura's term ends on a good note, with all the students thankful to her for her teaching. Winter turns to spring, and Almanzo takes Laura out for weekly buggy rides. He is breaking in new teams of horses to drive before he sells them, which can make for tough rides as the horses are very jumpy and often refuse to stand still when Laura is getting on and off, or else take off running through the town and across the open prairie, however, Laura enjoys the rides and even manages to drive the horses sometimes. One day, Almanzo shows up with Laura's old nemesis Nellie Olsen, as she had asked him to take her riding and he did not know that Laura and Nellie were bitter enemies. During the ride, Laura deliberately scares the horses to make Nellie nervous, and then suggests that they take a roundabout road so that Nellie is dropped off at her home first. When Almanzo asks if Laura will go riding again next week, Laura says that if he intends to take Nellie, he need not stop for Laura. Next week, Almanzo comes for Laura alone. One day, Almanzo asks how Laura would like an engagement ring from him, and Laura replies that it will depend on the ring.

Almanzo takes Laura to singing school in town. They have a fun time, and during break the men give candy to the ladies. On the way home in the evening after the last session of singing school, Almanzo slips a ring on Laura's finger, asking Laura how she likes it. Laura replies that she likes the ring, and she would like to keep it, thus accepting Almanzo's marriage proposal. She allows him to kiss her goodnight.

Next winter, Almanzo goes back east to visit his family. Laura feels very lonely, even though he has left his buggy and one of his horses with her family, so she and her sisters can go riding. At Christmas, Almanzo shocks Laura by showing up in the midst of the wind and snow for a surprise visit. He gives Laura a gold pin for a Christmas present, and the whole family has a happy time of fellowship and singing together.

In the spring and summer, Laura is busy preparing for her upcoming marriage, and Almanzo is busy farming, tending to his homesteads, and building a house for them to live in. Almanzo breaks news to Laura that his mother and sister are coming west to take charge of their wedding, intending to give them a big church wedding, which Laura and Almanzo neither want nor are able to afford. To avoid this, they get married immediately in a small, private ceremony with the local pastor. As her family bids her farewell, Laura rides away with Almanzo to their new home.==Little House Books==

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