I love it when Nellie passes their very expensive gift to Harriett, then Harriett gives it to Willie and Willie gives it to Nels. Look at Dr. Baker's face! So funny!
Haha . . . That's interesting, because I kept thinking that that box was really nice throughout this whole episode. I remember thinking that at least the girls would have that box to keep things in when this whole ordeal is over.
The girls did have good intentions but I think they were still wrong in using up the church money that wasn't theirs. But I'm glad everything worked out and I liked the lesson Rev. Alden talks about in the story.
They didn't buy the box. It was the case that the medicines came in. The Reverend decided to put a good spin on it and take the case to represent the love and thought behind Laura and Mary's actions while at the same time actually getting something that he happened to actually want. Also, the intentions behind their actions were good. For goodness sake, Mary and Laura are children, and children hardly ever know what's best.
@Lyca31 This episode aird only a year and three moinths after the episode in which Ma made those dresses. They were actually a bit big for the girls when new, so it makes sense that they still fit the girls.
Of course they were wrong for lying. They wanted to get him a nicer present, which was the good intention. It doesn't make it right, and there still isn't an excuse, but you can't write them off as evil children for that. I'm sure the reverend would have gladly accepted the Bible, but he probably already had several. I agree though that they should have been made to admit to the town what they had done, and should have worked to pay them back for what they stole.
I bet Rev Alden would have felt bad if he knew that Nellie and Willie had bought him a new bible for his birthday... and strange but no matter how much bigger and taller get they never outgrow those blue Sunday best dresses :)
@MsSarcia He's not a priest. I believe the real Rev. Alden was a Lutheran. Moreover, the moral is about unconditional love, charity, and forgiveness. He saw the intentions behind the girl's actions and was touched as the man was in his story.
The punishment was making them admit to the Reverend what they did. I would much rather get spanked or grounded than have to own up to something like that to the Reverend of all people. Also why would Nels punish them? He had nothing to do with it.
@micaelamontes73 I understand that they were children, but I still feel that forgiveness is more important than discipline whether it is in the case of a child or an adult, especially considering how sorry they were.
It seem that they only bought a different gift but did not consult the others of their intentions. Since they did not steal, a private apology would suffice.
@FlowerChild65 I think you are forgetting that Mary and Laura are children and not adults. Rev. Alden saw that their motivation in using the Sunday School fund was to buy a better gift rather than to manipulate and lie. Sometimes you just have to look beyond the act itself. Reprimanding someone is done so that the person can recognize their mistake and change. Laura and Mary admitted their mistake and Rev. Alden demonstrated God's heart by forgiving the girls.
@MsSarcia They may have done all of the above but it was not for "their own greedy needs and wants", they wanted to get the reverend an even better gift, they weren't to gain from any of it.
@phantasm091 I believe it would have been blown up with the rest of the sets. When the show was canceled after season 9, Landon decided he wanted to blow up all the sets (as a way of kind of flipping off NBC). So the demolition we see in the final episode is real.
@MsSarcia Wow I hope that when you make a mistake or exhibit thoughtless behavior someone else extends more grace to you than what you're advocating for Mary and Laura. We all need a bit of grace when we screw up - even though we may deserve retribution for what we did wrong. I'm certainly glad that God doesn't deal with us the way your form of "justice" dictates.
I suppose you're right about the fire one, but I don't think the burnt encyclopedia was quite the same. I'm just saying that of course children are going to do bad things. And in this show, they want dramatic plots, so a lot of episodes are about the children doing wrong. As a child, I probably lied to my parents a million times because I was afraid of getting into trouble, but every incident wasn't recorded and made into a 45 minute show. Does that make me a bad person?
Why such hateful language? They are children who are generally good, but they make mistakes. That's a big part of the show. And what do you mean by they continued making the same mistake? They didn't do this in a later episode. They made different mistakes, but what child doesn't? You can't expect children to be perfect after being punished for one mistake. That's what makes this show good, the characters are far from ideal and are actually realistic. If you don't like the show, don't watch it.
I'm not on a soapbox. The only thing that really bothered me is that you hate the characters so much that you use hateful and ugly language toward them. You're so bitter toward these T.V. characters,yet you still sit here and watch. If they bother you so much that you find it necessary to swear about them, don't watch this show. I'm sure that all Mary and Laura were thinking about when in church was how much they just wanted to run out of there, steal some more money, and live a life of crime.
@MsSarcia The job of a man of God is not to condemn, berate or punish but to act like the Jesus would. You seriously think Jesus would have named and shamed two girls who had the best intentions infront of the congregation. Humiliating their mother and father and family name? You should read the parable of the men who were given talents, even if things don't work out, God likes those who seek to better things and to multiply. They weren't wise, but they definitely do not deserve judgement!
Your comment only shows that you did not understand mine. You say that children should respect adults, yet you don't. You ask why any of the comments should bother me, and they don't. I was merely trying to understand why you have the opinion you do, for it is rare that a person does not empathize with the protagonist of a story. You say that I shouldn't criticize you for voicing your opinion, yet you criticized me for mine and then personally insulted me, having nothing to do with the show.
You also should learn how to make your points without using crude language, it only makes it sound like you are uneducated and don't have any real points to make. I think you are the one confusing mistakes with evil.
