Charles quotes from Little House on the Prairie

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.

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.

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.

Charles

Jed, I can't believe you're saying this to me! First, you talk about giving the children a choice--

If everything had turned out the way I planned, things would be kinder all around.

Charles

Kinder? Don't you tell me about kinder! Things don't turn out the way you want and then you want to take my children!

I'm sorry, I truly am. But Charles, take my advice. Don't go up against me, because you won't win.

Charles

We'll see about that. You bring your judge and you bring your lawyer. We'll see about that!

Eliza Jane

[to Almanzo] What are you doing?

Almanzo

I'm building a house for me and my family to live in.

Eliza Jane

Why? We're moving to Minneapolis. You can't build a house here!

Charles

Eliza Jane--

Eliza Jane

Look, this came today! It's a job, Almanzo. A proper job! One you can handle from your wheelchair. Now you don't have to worry about this silly farm anymore.

Charles

Maybe Almanzo doesn't think this is a silly farm.

Eliza Jane

He'll be a lot better off once we get him to Minneapolis.

Charles

He doesn't want to spend the rest of his life in that chair!

Eliza Jane

It's not my doing that he's in the wheelchair.

Charles

Isn't it? It seems to me that as long as you were doing everything for him, he had no reason to get out of it.

Almanzo

[to Eliza Jane] I'm standing on my own two feet and I don't want you to take that away from me.

Eliza Jane

Almanzo!

Almanzo

You've always been my big sister. I've listened to you, looked up to you. I always thought you knew what was best for me.

Eliza Jane

I do want what's best for you!

Almanzo

I know you do. But you need to let me decide what that is from now on.

Eliza Jane

This job! It's what we've been waiting for!

Almanzo

It's what you've been waiting for. I want to be a farmer. That's all I've ever wanted out of the whole world. After we finish raising the house and working the fields for next year's crops two weeks ago, I didn't know what I was going to do. Now I do.

Eliza Jane

[backs away and starts crying] After everything I've done for you, I can't believe you're going to throw it all away! [runs off]

Almanzo

[to Charles] I didn't want to hurt her like that.

Charles

She'll be all right.

Charles, uh...I was just gonna have a drink, Charles. With what everything that's happened, you could probably use one as much as me.

Charles

My son could lose his leg because of your drinking.

It was an accident, Charles. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Charles

Isaiah, what's happened to you?

What's happened? I lost my son, my wife. Grace sent me on my way. Says she don't want me near her or the children.

Charles

Why?

Because I drink. I drink! I can't find whiskey, I drink cough remedies. I drink.

Charles

Then why in God's name don't you stop?

Because I can't. Don't you understand that? I can't!

Charles

All I understand is that your drinking cost you your family and almost cost me my son's life. [walks away] Go away, Isaiah. I don't want you near me or my family again.

[to Charles] What you're asking for is a miracle.

Charles

I've spent my whole life believing in God's word. Why shouldn't I ask for a miracle?

Charles

I'm sorry.

Don't be.

Charles

It's just that I made so many friends here. The best friends I ever had in my life. It's hard leaving them.

You say that like we're never gonna see each other again. We will. We're kind of like a bad penny, always turning up.

Charles

Watch over my family, will you?

You know I will. I'm proud you asked me.

Charles

[about Albert] I just keep wondering where I went wrong. A man couldn't have asked for a better son than him.

It's hard to say. He just got caught in a bad crowd.

Charles

But it all happened so fast. Granted, I worked late every night, and I didn't spend the time with him that I should have.

Oh, now, don't be blaming yourself for working hard. The boy should have understood that. You've got no reason to feel guilt. You know what I think? I think we go about raising kids all wrong. The minute they get old enough to work, then the father ought to just quit and go off and lay in a hammock somewhere! Right? Let the kids take over. The man's done his share.

[to Charles] If I were to drop the charges against your boy, what would you do? You can't just let it go on like this.

Charles

To be honest, I don't know.

You've got to get the boy out of the environment that he's in now.

Charles

But how?

I think that if I were you, I'd take him back home to your little town.

Charles

Oh, I wish I could, but I can't. I can't pull up stakes now. My wife has a job here. The children have their schooling, their new friends.

Do you have any family there?

Charles

Yeah. I have my daughter and her husband.

Maybe he could live with them.

Charles

Without us?

Mr. Ingalls, if things remain as they are, he's going to be living away from home, anyway, in a workhouse.

Charles

[as his eyes fill up with tears] I know you're right, but away from the family. Maybe I can talk to my wife. Does that mean that you'll drop the charges?

[smiles] Yes. We could go on down to the station house right now if you want. You won't get a good night's sleep after having a cup of my coffee, anyway.

Charles

[to Charles] Your mother and I had a talk.

Albert

Oh?

Charles

And we decided that it would be best for you if you were out of the city, so I'm going to take you back to Walnut Grove.

Albert

I don't want to go back. I have friends here. I like it here.

Charles

Albert, what you want and what's going to be are two entirely different things.

Albert

I'm not going.

Charles

You'll do what I say.

Albert

And if I don't?

Charles

If you don't, then I'll ask Mr. Gibson to change his mind and press charges against you.

Albert

You would do that?

Charles

I've have to do that. I'm not going to sit back and watch you destroy your life, and your mother's, and mine. I'm not going to do that. You're not the only one in this family. You're hurting all of us and I'm not going to let it happen anymore.

Bye, Ma. Bye, Pa. Bye, Carrie. [hugs them all and leaves for school]

Charles

[to Caroline] That's an awful lot of good-byes for someone who's going to be home for supper.

Caroline

[to Charles] And boots for you! The first nickel we spend goes on boots.

Charles

Well, what's the matter with these? They were just starting to get comfortable on me.

Caroline

I was afraid that one morning, you'll pull them up and they'd slide clear up to your knees!

Charles

What did you girls learn in Sunday School today?

Mary

Susan Zigler passed a note to Freddy Hopkins and it made Amanda Butterfield jealous!

Charles

I meant about religion.

Charles

How was school today?

It was fine, Pa.

Mary

Not for me. My day was awful and it's all because of that numbskull Johnny Johnson!

Caroline

What on Earth? Why, he seemed like such a nice lad.

Mary

He went off and put my initials on the sweetheart tree for everyone to gape at. I don't even like him! Willie's right, he looks like a scarecrow, and he's scatterbrained as well!

[standing up] How could you be so mean? Johnny Johnson's the best-looking boy in the whole school. You're the numbskull! [runs out]