History Heartwarming / LittleHouseOnThePrairie

* Things look pretty bleak for Walnut Grove in Part Two of "There's No Place Like Home," as to whether anyone will help the Ingalls, Garvey, and Oleson families restore the town; and especially crossing over with {{Tearjerker}}}, Lars Hanson's deteriorating condition from a stroke due to the perceived demise of the town that he had founded. Lo and behold, groups of adults and children show up on the assigned cleanup day. When Lars hears the church bell on Sunday, and looks out the window to see the town virtually as it was before, he is mentally revived and demands that Jonathan help him clean up and get dressed. Despite both Jonathan and Doc Baker's protests, Lars is able to hobble to the church as the congregation speechlessly watch from the steps, shakes Reverend Alden's hand, and apologizes to God and essentially the community for not having faith. As he and the congregation make their way into the church, Laura narrates that four months later Lars died in his sleep, happy that his legacy and the town would live on. (For a while, anyway....)

* In "School Mom", Caroline fills as a schoolteacher and learns about an older boy, Abel Makay, who can't read, and feels too embarrassed to keep up with the rest of the class which consists of much younger kids. She enlists the kids in a collective effort to help Abel learn how to read, and insists on her efforts even after Abel briefly gives up when Mrs. Oleson intervenes by accusing Caroline of favoring one student over the others. By the end of the episode, when Miss Beadle goes back, Abel reads a goodbye message to Caroline, thanking her and praising her for her work as a teacher, followed by a round of applause from the class. Next season will mention that Abel is studying full time.

* In "Town Party, Country Party", Laura befriends a girl named Olga who can't keep up and play with the other children because of a club foot. Charles gets the idea to modify Olga's shoes to even out her legs but her protective father refuses the help. Charles goes behind his back and does it anyway with the help of Olga's grandmother. Olga's father is furious until he sees his daughter happily running and playing with the other girls and the sight moves him to tears.

* A meta example: In her book, Alison Arngrim says she gets asked all the time if Michael Landon "loved" her and the other kid actors on the show. She never knew how to answer that question, but she did make it clear that he ''respected'' them as fellow professional actors, even calling out a producer who was trying to pay some extras with bubblegum rather than actual money.

* In "A Harvest of Friends", Charles makes a deal with a sleazy businessman to finish a job in exchange for seed sacks with the Ingallses' two oxen as collateral in case he can't finish it, but he's injured after falling off a tree. The seeder decides to collect the collateral a day before the time is up, but a determined Charles insists on trying to finish the job and collapses in the process. Laura and Mary (who had followed him all the way from home) decide to try and finish it for him, stacking seed bags in the barn, even though one bag is too heavy for ''both'' of them. When all seems lost, a group of citizens (including Dr. Baker, Nels Oleson, Lars Hanson) show up and start stacking the rest of the bags, allowing the Ingalls family to keep their oxen and assuring their stay in Plum Creek. All for a newcomer who'd only just started settling down on the town.
* In "School Mom", Caroline fills as a schoolteacher and learns about an older boy, Abel Makay, who can't read, and feels too embarrassed to keep up with the rest of the class which consists of much younger kids. She enlists the kids in a collective effort to help Abel learn how to read, and insists on her efforts even after Abel briefly gives up when Mrs. Oleson intervenes by accusing Caroline of favoring one student over the others. By the end of the episode, when Miss Beadle goes back, Abel reads a goodbye message to Caroline, thanking her and praising her for her work as a teacher, followed by a round of applause from the class. Next season will mention that Abel is off to College.
* In "The Richest Man in Walnut Grove", after Hanson is forced to close the mill and cannot pay Charles two months' back pay, which means Charles cannot pay off their large tab at the Mercantile, the whole family pitches in to help: Mary sews to earn money while Laura does her chores as well as her own, Caroline helps with the farm work, and Charles (who emotionally mutters "What a family") toils at two jobs. When Charles pays off the tab, Mr. Oleson (whose family is the wealthiest in town) wonders which of them is richer.

* In "A Harvest of Friends", Charles makes a deal with a sleazy businessman to finish a job in exchange for two oxen but he's injured after falling off a tree. The oxen's owner decides to collect the collateral a day before the time is up, but a determined Charles insists on trying to finish the job and collapses in the proccess. Laura and Mary (who had followed him all the way from home) decide to try and finish it for him, stacking seed bags in the barn, even though one bag is too heavy for ''both'' of them. When all seems lost, a group of citizens (including Dr. Baker, Nels Oleson, Lars Hanson) show up and start stacking the rest of the bags. All for a newcomer who'd only just started settling down on the town.
* In "School Mom", Caroline fills as a schoolteacher and learns about an older boy, Abel Makay, who can't read, and feels too ashamed to keep up with the rest of the class which consists of much younger kids. She enlists the kids in a collective effort to help Abel learn how to read, and insists on her efforts even after Abel briefly gives up when Mrs. Oleson intervenes by accusing Caroline of favoring one student over the others. By the end of the episode, when Miss Beadle goes back, Abel reads a goodbye message, thanking her and praising her for her teaching skills.

* In "A Harvest of Friends", Charles makes a deal with a sleazy businessman to finish a job in exchange for two oxen but he's injured after falling off a tree. The oxen's owner decides to collect the collateral a day before the time is up, but a determined Charles insists on trying to finish the job. When he collapses, Laura and Mary (who had followed all the way from home) decide to try and finish it for him, stacking seed bags in the barn, even though one bag is too heavy for ''both'' of them. When all seems lost, a group of citizens (including Dr. Baker, Nels Oleson, Lars Hanson) show up and start stacking the rest of the bags. All for a newcomer who'd only just started settling down on the town.
* In "School Mom", Caroline fills as a schoolteacher and learns about an older boy, Abel Makay, who can't read, and feels too ashamed to keep up with the rest of the class which consists of much younger kids. She enlists the kids in a collective effort to help Abel learn how to read, and insists on her efforts even after Abel briefly gives up when Mrs. Oleson intervenes by accusing Caroline of favoring one student over the others. By the end of the episode, when Miss Beadle goes back, Abel reads a goodbye message, thanking her and praising her for her teaching.

** From the same book Lew helping Martha get craft supplies when she's stuck in bed, including giving her his own knife. Even the gruff, no-nonsense Cook is touched and calls them quite a pair. Bonus points for Martha never doubting he'd do everything he could to help her. And in the end Lew insists she keep the knife so Martha gives him one of her home-made dolls for his little sister.

* In "A Harvest of Friends", Charles makes a deal with a sleazy businessman to finish a job in exchange for two oxen but he's injured after falling off a tree. The oxen's owner decides to collect the collateral a day before the time is up, but a determinated Charles insists on trying to finish the job. When he collapses, Laura and Mary (who had followed all thevway from home) decide to tey and finish it for him, stacling seed bags in the barn, even though one bag is too heavy for ''both'' of them. When all seems lost, a group of citizens (including Dr. Baker, Nels Oleson, Lars Hanson) show up and start stacking the rest of the bags. All for a newcomer who'd only just started settling down on the town.
* In "School Mom", Caroline fills as a schoolteacher and learns about an older boy, Abel [=McKay=], who can't read, and feels to ashamed to keep up with the rest of the class which consists of much younger kids. She enlists the kids in a collective effort to help Abel learn how to read. By the end ofbthe episode, when Miss Beadle goes back, Abel reads a goodbye message, thanking her and praising her for her teaching.

* In ''The Long Winter,'' Mr. Edwards, who hasn't seen the Ingallses since Laura and Mary were tiny, reconnects with the family for the first time in years and takes supper with them. Learning that Mary's gone blind and that the family is saving to send her to college, he slips a twenty-dollar bill into Mary's lap and leaves without mentioning it. They never see him again. Bear in mind that twenty dollars in 1880 would be around ''$550'' in 2020, more the Ingalls women earned feeding and housing boarders morning, noon, and night for a month. Remember, too, that Mr. Edwards once walked eighty miles in the snow to deliver the Ingalls girls' Christmas gifts. [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe All for the privilege of a lonely bachelor sitting at a supper table and getting to feel he was part of a family again.]]

* In ''By the Shores of Silver Lake,'' Mr. Edwards, who hasn't seen the Ingallses since Laura and Mary were tiny, reconnects with the family for the first time in years and takes supper with them. Learning that Mary's gone blind and that the family is saving to send her to college, he slips a twenty-dollar bill into Mary's lap and leaves without mentioning it. They never see him again. Bear in mind that twenty dollars in 1880 would be around ''$550'' in 2020, nearly as much as the Ingalls women had earned feeding and housing boarders morning, noon, and night for the past month. Remember, too, that Mr. Edwards once walked eighty miles in the snow to deliver the Ingalls girls' Christmas gifts. [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe All for the privilege of a lonely bachelor sitting at a supper table and getting to feel he was part of a family again.]]

** Speaking of the gifts, she gives Laura and Carrie handmade beaded jewelry with alternating colors, and they both note that the alternation is perfect. Mary comments that it's easy because someone who can see sorts the beads by color, but she would also have to keep perfect track of which color she uses when, since she can't check to see what color she just used and which comes next if she's not sure. But Mary doesn't see it that way at all, and is just delighted that she can do craft work again (she of all the girls particularly enjoyed sewing and the like before she lost her sight).

* In ''By the Shores of Silver Lake,'' Mr. Edwards, who hasn't seen the Ingallses since Laura and Mary were tiny, reconnects with the family for the first time in years and takes supper with them. Learning that Mary's gone blind and that the family is saving to send her to college, he slips a twenty-dollar bill into Mary's lap and leaves without mentioning it. They never see him again. Bear in mind that twenty dollars in 1880 would be around ''$550'' in 2020, nearly as much as the Ingalls' women had earned feeding and housing boarders morning, noon, and night for the past month. Remember, too, that Mr. Edwards once walked eighty miles in the snow to deliver the Ingalls girls' Christmas gifts. [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe All for the privilege of a lonely bachelor sitting at a supper table and getting to feel he was part of a family again.]]

* Mr. Edwards, who hasn't seen the Ingallses since Laura and Mary were tiny, reconnects with the family for the first time in years and takes supper with him. Learning that Mary's gone blind and that the family is saving to send her to college, he slips a twenty-dollar bill into Mary's lap and leaves without mentioning it. They never see him again. Bear in mind that twenty dollars in 1880 would be around ''$550'' in 2020, nearly as much as the Ingalls' women had earned feeding and housing boarders morning, noon, and night for the past month. Remember, too, that Mr. Edwards once walked eighty miles in the snow to deliver the Ingalls girls' Christmas gifts. [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe All for the privilege of a lonely bachelor sitting at a supper table and getting to feel he was part of a family again.]]