When fans finish the Little House series, they often move on to other things Laura wrote, including her columns in The Missiouri Ruralist. Although some fans don’t like these as they are different in tone and style the “Little House” books, I always did. -SSU
Guest post by Ann Weller Dahl
Few people realize that by no means should Laura Ingalls Wilder be classified solely as a “children’s author” because for 15 years before penning what came to be known as her classic “Little House” books, she was a journalist for a regional publication titled The Missouri Ruralist. In her bi-weekly columns under the heading The Farm Home and later, As a Farm Woman Thinks, she expressed a wholesome, upbeat philosophy of life, ideas as meaningful to us today as they were in the 1910s and early 1920s when they were written. Think about these:
Why should we need extra time in which to enjoy ourselves? … Perhaps it is our spirit and attitude toward life and its conditions that are giving us trouble instead of the shortage of time.
There is time enough for things that matter, if the time is rightly used.
Not long ago a friend said to me “Growing old is the saddest thing in the word.” I cannot agree with her. We gain infinitely more with the years than we lose in wisdom, character, and the sweetness of life.
Life is often called a journey. Usually when referred to in these terms, it is also understood that it is a “weary pilgrimage.” Why not call it a voyage of discovery and take it in the spirit of happy adventure?
It takes thought and planning to have the household machinery run smoothly. … The woman who can do this … has proven her executive ability and business talent.
An opinion, supported by a good reason, kindly stated, should not offend.
In a composite letter written just 10 years before she died at the age of 90, Mrs. Wilder expressed this: … But the real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful, to make the most of what we have, to be happy with simple pleasures, and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong.
Editor’s Note: Laura’s Missouri Ruralist articles have passed out of copyright since they were almost all published in 1923 or before and therefore are available in many formats.
Some are available in Little House Sampler and Little House Reader, both edited by William T. Anderson. Most are available in the books by Stephen W. Hines (these are edited and he’s released the collection in slightly different formats three times under different titles some in multi-volume sets, search for him as an author). Finally you can find the scanned image and transcript for each article on Nancy Cleaveland’s Pioneer Girl website. -SSU
Comments2
Thanks, Ann.
In our documentary LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE: THE LEGACY OF LAURA INGALLS WILDER we detail Laura’s evolution as a writer, which started with the diary she wrote on her journey to Mansfield with Almanzo and Rose. But as you state above Laura’s writing really took off in her articles and columns for the Missouri Ruralist, which were written for adults.
We can’t forget that Laura’s initial attempt to novelize her life was also crafted for adults. Laura only considered writing for children at the suggestion of an editor who had rejected her original manuscript. Laura and Rose then collaborated to write WHEN GRANDMA WAS A LITTLE GIRL, which evolved to LITTLE HOUSE IN THE WOODS and finally into LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS in 1932. Its all streamlined in the documentary. Really fun.
In my opinion, the most comprehensive collection of Laura’s Missouri Ruralist columns is found in LAURA INGALLS WILDER, FARM JOURNALIST: WRITINGS FROM THE OZARKS (330 pages, edited by Stephen W. Hines, 2007, University of Missouri Press). The book contains columns published between 1911 and 1924.
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