- ...Yes it does. - I can see that.
I'd like to propose a toast...
to our Elizabeth,
who has chosen the most noble profession a woman can choose.
I pray that you shape the minds
of a new generation of our citizens.
Congratulations.
- Elizabeth! - Elizabeth!
Thank you, Daddy.
Bon appetit.
Dear Sis, I'm so pleased that John and I
...could celebrate with you
before we head home to New York.
So what now, Elizabeth?
When will you receive your school placement?
I meet with Superintendent Higgins tomorrow to discuss it.
I hear he's very handsome
and he's very unattached, too.
Surprising as it may seem, little sister,
a school where I can do the most good it more important to me
than what Mr. Higgins looks like.
Hear, hear.
Speaking of handsome, a little bird told me
that Edward Montclair has returned home.
From where?
Becoming a Mountie.
A Mountie?
Well his father thought
he was frittering his life away
so he persuaded him, shall we say,
to enter the academy.
I'm told the the academy can be hard on the young man.
Please, we're speaking about Edward,
a perpetual idler if ever there was one.
You're just being blasé about him
because he's the opposite of you.
He's carefree.
And you don't like anything you can't control,
which includes men.
At least, one worth being with.
Isn't that right, Mother?
Don't ask me. Ask your father.
Well, your mother certainly tamed this old merchant marine.
Oh, William!
It's true, and I thank you for it.
Without you, I would not have been blessed so abundantly.
And look at your handiwork.
A devoted wife and mother.
A devoted soon-to-be teacher,
and, God help us,
our own young spirited adventurer.
Better be an adventurer then end up an old schoolmarm
never any chances in life and love.
Julie Thatcher, apologize please.
This evening is for your sister.
Valedictorian.
Graduated summa cum laude.
Impeccable marks from all of your professors.
- This is very impressive, Miss Thatcher. - Thank you.
And just so you know, I am fully equipped
with all the latest teaching theories,
such as the fore-grounding method as means of explaining
the difference between the poetic and everyday language...
Yes, yes, trusted me. I'm very aware of how well-equipped you are.
What I mean is, I have a confession, Miss Thatcher.
I have been following your aspirations for some time.
You have?
There was a symposium of the Teachers College
some months ago and I noticed you.
I hope you don't mind, but I inquired about you.
Well, I suppose that's...
Miss Thatcher, may I call you Elizabeth?
The truth is, I am very pleased
that I now have this opportunity
to enter your life at a time when I can be helpful.
Thank you, Mr. Higgins.
Now, in terms of your obligations,
are there any distraction,
say any hobby or suitors at the moment?
None whatsoever.
There is an opening at Weston Day School.
Grade six class.
Weston? Oh, Mr. Higgins, to teach at a school
with such an abiding regard for truth and excellence
among its students...
You won't be disappointed, I promise!
Please, you must call me Thomas.
Thank you, Thomas.
Now, in return for such a fine placement,
there are obvious favors that would demonstrate your gratitude.
- Mr. Higgins... - Uh-uh.
I mean, Thomas.
I will do my utmost to instill a love of learning in my students
which will make you proud you hired me.
Yes...
Actually that wasn't the kind of gratitude I had in mind.
Oh.
Oh, my.
Mr. Higgins, I am only interested in the teaching position.
Not in... anything else.
May I expect the paperwork for my placement to Weston in the post?
Well, that is entirely up to you.
Perhaps I need to speak with my father about this conversation.
I see.
Clearly we have the wrong impression of each other.
I apologize.
But just out of curiosity,
when the children in your classroom aren't behaving up to snuff,
will you also call on Daddy to straighten them out?
Oh, yes. Yes, I'm sure we can find just the right school
for a woman of your... integrity.
Waiter.
Miss Elizabeth?
A letter for you just came in the post.
From Mr. Higgins.
Yes, thank you, Emma.
Yes, ma'am.
A train ticket?
It's west of here.
Still further west...
Ah, Coal Valley. Just west of the Rockies.
Everyone, look who I found down at the club.
May I have the pleasure of introducing Constable Edward Montclair.
Mrs Thatcher.
Oh, my. You actually graduated.
Yes, ma'am.
Which has turned him into quite a bore.
He's so serious now.
- Congratulations. That's quite an achievement. - Thank you, sir.
Edward, now that you're part of Northwest Mounted Police,
would you please explain to our daughter
that the West is no place for a refined young lady.
Constable Montclair's opinion is not necessary, Mother.
I am capable of making my own decision.
And I have a mind to say yes to Mr. Higgins.
Wait. Are you saying Mr. Higgins gave her an assignment out west?
In the middle of God-forsaken nowhere.
Mother, the West is hardly God-forsaken.
I've read there are plenty of people there.
For instance, cowboys, whiskey runners, outlaws,
men so eager for wives that they might even steal them if they have to.
Young lady, how do you know all this?
Because of the di... I mean...
Her romance novels.
I'm not ashamed to open my mind to literature of the world.
And it's not only cowboys and outlaws and Mounties.
There are Indians all over the West.
I'm sure most are peaceable,
although you might want to consider bobbing your hair
in case any of them feel the need for a fresh scalp.
Julie, that's enough! Is what she says true?
Well, obviously, I can't speak from first hand experience,
but my training suggests that dangers out West are, indeed, real.
We all know Elizabeth is afraid of her own shadow.
She's not going anywhere,
especially, if it's not within walking distance from home.
Is that so?
Well, as far as I'm concerned, we are through
discussing this ridiculous idea.
Is that understood, Elizabeth?
No, it is not, Mother.
This is decision I will make alone.
But I will take your position into consideration.
Good night.
Auntie Elizabeth?
When I stepped off the train in Pain Springs...
I was greeted by a small, precocious young girl named Perlie.
Along with her father Mr. Leverly.
Wearing gold rimmed spectacles and dressed all in black,
Mr. Leverly loaded my suitcases into his black wagon of death,
also knows as a hearse.
He was, in fact, the undertaker.
As the hearse continued traveling across the wide open prairie,
the little girl wouldn't stop talking.
She covered every topic under the sun,
from pickling pickles to her father's occupation of picking people
and everything in between."
You can have pickles. Do you like pickles?
Yes. Yes, I do.
Me too. The saltier the better.
But I hate it when one of my hairs gets in the pickle jar, don't you?
I'll bet you have long pretty hair underneath that bonnet.
We finally arrived at the place
I would call home for the next year.
They referred to it as the teacherage.
That's everything.
Thank you so much for all of your help.
Good day, Miss Thatcher.
See tomorrow for school, Teacher Lady!
I look forward to it, Perlie.
A teacher...
She was a teacher out West.
Only moments after the hearse left, I eagerly made my way
from the teacherage to the gleaming new schoolhouse
so I could begin preparing for my first day of school.
Good morning, children.
My name is Miss Thatcher
and I'm very pleased to be your new teacher.
Yes, Johnny.
That is a wonderful question.
A proportion is a special form of an algebra equation.
Let me give you an example.
Let's say we have a crate of apples and oranges
and they are at a ratio of four-to-five.
Now, if we have seven apples,
then how many oranges do you think that...
Excuse me?
Is someone there?
Excuse me?
Oh!
I'm so sorry.
The undertaker asked me to make you some firewood.
When I came in before, you were... talking.
I didn't want to disturb you.
I was just... only practicing. Thank you.
I'm Elizabeth Thatcher, the new teacher,
I suppose you've gathered that much.
Yes, ma'am.
I'm sorry. I'm not accustomed to small-town thinking.
Not that the thinking is small,
but the town itself is quite small
so one would assume that everyone knows everyone else's business.
Forgive me. I'm rambling.
I wouldn't know, ma'am.
However, if there are any supplies you might need,
I'm heading into town on Saturday.
Oh, no, no. I'm quite all right as I am. Thank you.
Then I'll be on my way.
Why did I just turn him down?
Mister!
I'm embarrassed to say I think I was too quick
in declining your offer.
I'll be by Saturday, around eight to get you.
I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name.
Wynn. Wynn Delaney.
Well then, Mr. Delaney, I would be much obliged.
Ma'am.
Wa-ha!
I can clearly see where this is headed.
No wonder she was keeping it hidden.
It's no different than a romance novel.
I worked long into the night making lists
of all the school supplies I would need from town,
along with preparing my first lessons.
I wanted so badly to make a strong first impression
on my students and their parents.
Wolves!
I knew it! Where did you find that?
The question is, where did you find it?
In Mother and Father's safe.
Do they know?
Do you really have to ask that?
So you stole it!
I borrowed it.
And then you stole it from me.
And Mother's going to be furious
when I tell her you were reading it!
Really you don't think she'd be more disturbed
knowing her little adventurer read it first?
Our secret then?
What I don't understand is why it even has to be a secret.
It was so many years ago.
I know.
How far have you gotten?
The wolves.
No wonder you jumped out of your skin.
Just imagine if you were truly there.
You don't think I could rise to the occasion?
If our auntie was in over her head trying to teach school
on the prairie... you would be drowning.
Please! You have no idea what I'm capable of.
I know what you're not capable of.
For example, sleeping with the lights off.
It's because I need light to read and study late at night,
and then I sometimes fall asleep with it on.
You wouldn't last one week without the comforts of home.
Without Mama and Daddy there to keep you safe.
You're wrong!
Fine, then prove it.
How am I supposed to do that?
Spend the next week alone in the old groundkeepers' cottage.
Eat and sleep there, cook your own meals,
do your own laundry, with no help from the staff.
And if I win this little wager, what of yours
will be mine at the end of the week?
My admission that I was wrong to underestimate you,
along with my full blessing for you to pursue this teaching position
in the middle of nowhere.
Deal.
A touch of comfort for you, sister.
With deep admiration, Julie.
Well, this is a surprise.
All right, Auntie. It's just you and me now.
My first days were filled with every possible disaster,
starting with this pack of ravenous wolves that kept me up half the night
before my first day of class.
Yes?
Coming!
One moment.
Yes.
I'm Miss Thatcher.
Yeah, we know.
The parents are wondering if you will be coming to class to teach today?
Oh! Goodness gracious.
Yes. Please, please, please pass the message on that I will be there...
momentarily.
Thank you.
Good morning, my name is Elizabeth Thatcher, and...
but you, of course, may call me Miss Thatcher.
I... I... I do apologize for my tardiness this morning.
This is not something I will be encouraging here at school.
I had a bit... a bit of a sleepless night.
I am very pleased to be your teacher.
And I very much hope to show you the many joys of learning
this year at school.
So let's begin then, shall we?
Then I had to deal with troublemakers, like Carl,
who take pleasure in goading unsuspecting teachers
into touching things they shouldn't.
See, children, the woods are filled with interesting things
we can learn to spell!
Well, these do have three leaves,
but I don't believe these are clover.
Oh, I guess you're right.
How do you spell "poison"?
Poison? P - O - I - S -O - N.
As in "Poison Ivy"?
No, she wouldn't.
To a Lothario unfaithful to his wife.
- Miss Thatcher. - Mr. Delaney.
Is it still convenient for me to come by
and take you into town Saturday?
Yes, of course.
You ready to go, son?
Phillip Delaney? Of course.
Oh, Miss Thatcher...
Phillip's mother and me are grateful
that you're here teaching the children.
Well, I'm grateful for the opportunity.
Afternoon, then.
The plot thickens.
Where are the lovely flowers I left you?
From now on, I'm just going to call you Carl.
Evil Carl. Conniving Carl. Cruel Carl.
It wouldn't be an authentic wager,
if I didn't introduce some of the shenanigans from the diary.
Besides, the poison ivy complemented the orchids perfectly.
Don't you think?
Don't scratch. You'll scar.
Did you just come to gloat? Or is there another reason for your visit?
I just wanted to let you know that while you're apparently
having boiled potatoes for dinner,
Frederick is preparing us a scrumptious meal.
Just admit it, Elizabeth. It's not worth it.
Call it quits and come back to civilization.
Never. I'll never give it to you,
as I know our Auntie never gave in to that scoundrel Wynn Delaney.
Don't be so sure of that.
Please tell me she doesn't fall for him.
That would make her too much like you.
For me to know and you to find out.
What on the earth are you doing?
Relieving the itch.
A wild-west cure for what ails me.
Didn't know your pampered sister
was resourceful, did you?
Like I said, I'm not losing this wager.
Good evening.
As I rode into town with Mr. Leverly,
I relished the thought of Wynn Delaney finding my note at the door.
I had successfully rebuffed the charms of the rapscallion
who believed himself to be so irresistible.
" My apologies for any inconvenience."
Okay.
Good decision Auntie.
Once in the town, my first order of business at the mercantile
had to do with rebuffing another kind of pest.
That of the mouse variety.
I purchased several of these killing devices,
but arming them proved more difficult than I anticipated.
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to. Well, I sort of did.
I'm a murder.
This isn't a love story. It's a horror story.
Good morning.
Good morning, dear.
The poison ivy may have been a little too much.
You spoke to her?
I have my spies.
I'm to the office.
We're taking on new government shipping business.
I'll be back in time for dinner.
Good day, sir.
Your father was far too gentle with you.
I wanted him to disallow you from seeing boys
for an entire year.
Oh, Mother, it was just a silly little prank.
Scratching could scar her beautiful complexion.
Not possible. The layer of potato paste was like an elephant hide.
Besides, someday you'll be thank me.
Why is that?
She's dug her heels in
about this offer of a teaching position out West.
That what this is about?
She's trying to prove herself worthy in yours eyes and Father's eyes.
This "silly wager" is my way of dampening her spirit.
I don't want her to leave home any more than you do, Mother.
I fear she's more serious about this than I thought.
Miss Thatcher, is everything all right?
Don't do that. It's going to cause it...
It's going to cause the ash to combust.
When the fire gets going well, you can turn that over
to slow it down some.
But to get it started, you just turn that upright.
Thank you for explaining the proper use of a stove.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go get cleaned up.
It's coming down out there.
I could give you a ride over to teacherage on my horse if you'd like.
Mud will get deep pretty quick on the prairie.
I would not like. Excuse me.
"If you'd like, I can take you to teacherage on my horse."
Why certainly. I'll just sit in front of a married man
and he can put his big strong arms
around me to keep me safe and dry!
Are you sure you're okay?
Yes, I'm perfectly all right! Thank you.
Good day!
"This rogue of a man, Mr. Delaney,
is in need of a swift kick to his moral posterior.
And I am just the one to deliver it!"
Oh, my!
I didn't know. I was...
I'm afraid you'll have to excuse my daughter.
This depravation in preparing to teach out West
has left her a little unhinged.
And very red.
Yes.
Well, you need not deprive yourself any longer, Ms. Thatcher.
I believe you'll find this opportunity more suitable than the last.
Weston.
Why the change of heart?
Let's just say I saw the error of my ways
and realized what a quality candidate you really are.
Well, I'll need to think about it.
What's to think about?
It's perfect, and it's not out West.
That's all right, Mrs. Thatcher.
I agree. She needs to weigh up her options.
But won't they be needing a speedy reply?
No, no. No, I think we should let her think it over.
Good day, Miss Thatcher.
I'm not sure we should be doing this.
Well I am.
It's her decision.
Yes, but she can very stubborn
and she doesn't know what's best for her.
And you do?
Yes. And I'm not leaving anything to chance.
We are going to help save her from a life of misery
and perhaps even death.
That's what a Mountie is supposed to do, right?
All I know is the old Edward would had done this
just for the fun of it.
Right broken window.
Mission accomplished.
Good-bye Coal Valley. Hello, Weston.
Please, help! They 're everywhere!
This doesn't sound good.
She'll be fine.
Help me! Somebody!
- How many were in the box? - Ten.
Elizabeth?
Miss Elizabeth?
Are you all right?
Please help me!
Oh, Daddy!
What is it?
It was awful! They were everywhere!
What is it? What's happened?
What was everywhere?
Mice! The cottage is infested with them!
Mice! Oh, my word!
Elizabeth, are you all right?
We heard screaming and we came running.
You win, little sister.
I'm not cut out for prairie life. It's too much.
I'll ring Mr. Higgins in the morning
to accept the teaching position at Weston.
I'm not made of the same stuff as Auntie Elizabeth.
- Where did you get that? - I...
How dare you take something from our safe without permission?
Elizabeth didn't take it.
I did.
You have no right to steal from our safe!
Steal? Well, at least I don't bribe people.
What do you mean by that?
Perhaps I should take my leave.
I apologize, Edward. Thanks for your concern.
I'm so sorry, Elizabeth.
I was only trying to keep you from making a terrible mistake.
What have you done, woman?
I went to see Mr. Higgins.
I offered him... remuneration...
if he would find a position for you that would keep you here
under my wing.
You paid him to offer me a position?
I only did it to protect you.
I... You're only 22.
I can't have you just out there somewhere,
all alone in that wilderness.
The world is too dangerous.
It appears I'm not fit to go West
or worthy teaching here either.
I was told you wanted to see me, young man?
Yes, sir.
I have made a tremendous error in judgment,
and I have a confession to make.
What happened to her Daddy?
Aunt Elizabeth?
Why all the secrecy? Did she meet with a tragic end?
The truth, Beth, is that we don't know.
Except for a short visit after her teaching post in Pain Springs,
my little sister left home and just never came back.
But we're her family.
Beth...
Sometimes life takes a young person on their own path.
They receive a higher calling,
a calling that become more important them than anything else...
even family.
So mother kept her from us because she was afraid
of losing us to the world
- ...like you lost Aunt Elizabeth. - Exactly.
Not, perhaps, how nature intended birds in the nest,
but human emotion is more complex.
When I was reading her diary, I found myself
desperately wanting to follow in he footsteps.
Perhaps it's no accident that you are Elizabeth's namesake.
But when I consider who I am,
I feel unequal to the call.
I feel the fears rise up in me.
I wonder if all this bluster about going West
is just me trying to prove I'm not a shrinking violet.
Edward came to see me today,
to confess to stacking the deck against you.
How so?
Julie persuaded him to help her release the mice into the cottage.
So, he hasn't changed.
Actually, he has.
I don't believe the old Edward
would have had the moral fiber to face me.
That still doesn't change the fact that I was terrified.
People who live in fear tend to do plenty of nothing.
Except, perhaps, rob themselves of the possibility of joy.
I don't want to be afraid anymore.
Then be confident of who you are.
Commit to something, an idea, a vision of world.
Something... something that is grander than yourself.
I don't want you to miss out on God's purpose for your life.
I love you, Beth.
Today I had to put me foot down
and say "Enough's enough."
I thought we could use nature to help us with our spelling.
For instance, this lovely little spruce. Spruce... S - P - R - U - C - E.
Now you all try it.
Spruce. S - P - R - U - C - E.
Good. Boulder. B - O-U - L - D - E - R.
- Yes Andy? - May I use the privy?
Children, please let's remember to use the privy before school
so we don't have quite so many interruptions, all right?
How do you spell "accident"?
You know, accident, like someone had an accident in their pants?
Carl! Perhaps you can spell "accident" for the class?
Andy, you may be excused.
Children, eyes up here, please.
Perhaps you can spell a synonymous for accident,
such as "calamity" or "misfortune".
Or do you even know what a synonym is?
Children, it is easy to humiliate one another with our words
or in other ways.
But let's all strive to treat each other
the way we would like to be treated.
With respect.
Now I want you all to stay right here
and look around for other things
we can learn to spell together in nature.
I will be gone for a moment.
Well, I went searching for Andy,
who I knew was hurting deeply from being humiliated.
I prayed for the right words that would comfort him.
Andy. Are you all right?
I didn't know what was happening until too late.
Oh.
I want you to run home and get some nice, dry clothes, all right?
Will you tell the class what I did?
Oh, no. Of course not.
Accidents happen to everyone.
In fact, I have a secret of my own.
When I was your age, I used to wet my bed
because I was so very afraid of the dark.
So there. Now we doth know something about the other
that no one else will know.
You're really a good teacher, Miss Thatcher.
Thank you, Andy.
I want to be.
It will be all right.
Julie wake up. Wake up.
What is it?
I'm going.
Going where? It's the middle of the night.
No, I mean, I'm taking the teaching job in Coal Valley.
No, you're not.
Now go to bed so I can get back to sleep.
I'm serious.
I believe it's what I'm supposed to do.
No. I won't listen to you.
I don't want you to go.
I'll hate you if you do.
I mean it. I'll hate you if you leave me.
Julie, you're not losing me.
I'm going to write you about everything that happens
so that even thought I'm so far away
neither one of us will ever feel alone.
Julie, please.
Do you have the list I made you?
Yes, Mama. For the hundredth time, I promise to dress warmly
and keep dry and not go after dark.
There's snow up there in winter on those prairies,
so remember to wear your woolen socks.
Stay buttoned up. You don't want to catch cold.
Forgive me, I must keep this brief.
Because if I don't... I'm already doing everything in my power
to hold the dam back.
I love you, Daddy.
And I, you, Beth. And I, you.
All aboard!
- Here, I want you to take this. - Oh.
So you can embrace new frontiers without fear of getting lost.
And most importantly, so you can always find your way home.
Now go. Go and find out what God's got in store for you.
Okay.
Elizabeth! Wait!
I'm sorry for what I said.
I do believe your story will have a happy ending.
You're going to get married, and have children,
and have adventures and hardships
and more adventures for years and years to come.
Someone once said this to me:
"Better to be an adventurer than end up an old schoolmarm."
I can't imagine who said that.
My best friend did.
All right, Auntie Elizabeth,
time us to get reacquainted.
Teressa?
Come see me, please.
Yes, Miss Thatcher.
Andy is not having good day, is he?
No, ma'am.
I think perhaps it's best if you walk him home, all right?
Yes, ma'am.
I'm going to take you home.
He is really sick, ain't he?
His folks should take him to the doctor.
They ain't got no money.
It sounds as though things are hard for Andy and Teressa's family.
Well, maybe... we could help them.
How?
We could take in a collection like they did to build the school.
We could do one of them penny circuses.
I say we do a box social! People like to eat good food.
Why can't we do both?
What do you think, Miss Thatcher?
Well, I think that's a fine idea.
Don't climb over.
Get to it, Phillip. Have your fun. Bye.
Miss Thatcher?
I'm so happy to finally meet you.
I'm Lydia Delaney, Phillip's mama.
I'm so pleased to meet you as well.
I love having Phillip in my class.
Not half as much as him.
Neither he nor Wynn can stop talking about you when they come home.
All right, folks.
Excuse me.
Folks, gather around!
It's time to get this bidding started on our box social here!
Now, folks, remember that we're raising money
for little Andy Moran's hospital visit, and so let's turn those pockets out.
Now, our first bid will be on a box lunch
with our very own teacher, Miss Thatcher.
Let's start the bidding at one dollar.
One dollar!
One dollar.
I hear one dollar. Do I hear two?
Two dollars.
Two dollars. The undertaker is good for two dollars.
How about three?
Three dollars!
Four dollars!
Four dollars. I hear four dollars.
We have a standing bid of four dollars. Do I hear five?
Five dollars!
Five dollars! Ladies and gentlemen, five dollars.
Nicely done son. Now do I hear six dollars?
Six dollars!
Six dollars. I hear six dollars, young man.
Do I hear seven?
Do I hear six-fifty?
Six-fifty, anyone?
Is six dollars all there is, folks?
All right, Mr. Leverly, it's going once...
and it's going twice...
- And it's... - Seven dollars!
Well, we now have a standing bid of seven dollars.
So do I hear eight?
I'm ready to go to my top bid of ten dollars.
Well, Mr. Delaney, we've got a standing bid of ten dollars.
Have you got anything to say about that?
Fifteen dollars.
Fifteen dollars! Fifteen dollars, folks!
Mr. Leverly?
It's going once...
It's going twice...
And it's sold to Mr. Wynn Delaney for fifteen dollars, folks!
And I can hope you choke on it.
Miss Thatcher?
Yes, come in.
Edward, what are you doing here?
Just checking to make sure you're safe and comfortable in your car.
Yes, I am. But my question stands. Why are you here?
Your father didn't inform you?
Inform me of what?
Excuse me. Coming through.
I'm your escort, Elizabeth.
He asked me to see you safely Coal Valley
on my way to my first posting.
Well, he had no right. And I don't need an escort.
Well, clearly, he thinks differently.
Clearly. But the fact remains that I can take care of myself just fine.
So feel free to get off the train.
Well, it's moving a little fast.
I don't mean right this moment...
but at the next stop.
Very well. Because that's where we'll be meeting the stagecoach
at 07:00 hours taking us the rest of the way to Coal Valley.
I'd be happy to.
I don't think you heard me.
I don't need or want your company.
Well, then you can just pretend that I'm not here.
But just so as you're clear, I will be on that stagecoach.
And I will see you safely to your destination, rains or shine.
Good evening, Elizabeth.
I never got a chance to apologize for the mice.
I don't feel like talking right now, if it's all right with you.
Of course, I understand.
Despite the money we raised for Andy's medical treatment
Wynn Delaney has sunk to new lows bidding on a picnic lunch with me.
And now he's given me no choice but to confront the situation head on.
However, I know that doing that is going to come at the risk
of harming his lovely wife and family.
Miss Thatcher?
Mrs. Delaney.
Oh, I feel just awful I didn't think to invite you to our ladies' quilting.
I just assumed you would be busy.
Oh, no. Not at all. But that's not why I'm here.
- But perhaps at a more convenient time. - I see.
Miss Thatcher! You're here.
I was just about to leave to come pick you up.
Let me get my hat out of the lean-to.
It have to tell you, I'm surprised Wynn bid on the picnic with you.
That is, in fact, why I'm here.
Mrs. Delaney...
I... I want to make it perfectly clear
that I have never made any advances towards your husband.
My husband? What are you saying?
I'm sorry I intruded. I think it's best I go.
Not until you explain yourself, Miss Thatcher.
I... I only felt if I confronted this directly
that perhaps we could stop...
Stop what?
Mrs. Delaney, surely you see...
I know of no other way to tell you.
Your husband is a womanizing swine.
How dare you say such a thing!
My husband is the kindest, noblest soul on earth.
And the fact that you stand here making these horrible accusations
while he lays in a hospital bed is disgusting and pathetic!
Lydia? Is there a problem here?
Our dear teacher is either ill or has been drinking,
because she just called my Phillip a swine
and accused him of having romantic feeling for her.
You're not Phillip's father?
Uncle.
Oh, my Lord.
Oh, Miss Thatcher, please, come and sit with us.
Let me get you something cold to drink.
No, I'm very sorry. I don't know how...
I'm very sorry. I'll go.
My profound disgrace, however, did not stop Wynn
from making good on what turned out to be a splendid picnic.
Thank you. I had a wonderful time.
Elizabeth...
I mean, Miss Thatcher, I'm sorry.
Elizabeth, please.
I was thinking... and I don't mean to be presumptuous,
but there's a... there's a very special dance next weekend, and...
I was wondering if you might like to accompany me
if your time isn't already spoken for.
It must be quite a dance.
Yes, it is.
You'd have to take the train and spend the night in a hotel.
My intentions are most proper
and I'd be seeing to all of your arrangements.
It would give me a chance to visit Andy in the hospital.
You're always thinking of your students.
I accept.
O-okay. Okay, good.
Well...
So Wynn Delaney, you aren't just a farmer.
What is he then?
He's like you, a Mountie.
He was caring for his brother's wife and child
while his brother was recovering from an injury
and tending their farm.
Sounds like something a Mountie would do.
My aunt had no idea until he took her to a special Mounties' Ball.
I've been told it's quite the grand event.
From what I'm reading, it is.
I hope to get there someday.
I'm sure they have nothing like that in Coal Valley.
Yeah, probably not.
May I have this dance, Miss Thatcher?
Oh, I don't think that would be a good...
Please. Just in case I do ever make it to the Mounties' Ball.
I'm suddenly sleepy.
I want to get a good night's rest before our journey tomorrow.
Right. Of course.
Good night, then.
Good night.
After the rapture of going
with Wynn to the Mounties' Ball,
I began to sense he was pulling away from me.
You must be relieved to have Mr.Delaney back home safe and sound.
Yes, but I couldn't have made it through this without Wynn's help.
And you're wondering what happens to Wynn now that Phillip's home?
I have feelings for him, and I think he feels the same.
That's putting it mildly, dear.
Taking you all the way to Calgary is saying something on a Mountie's salary.
Do you think he'll ever settle down?
He gave you the why-a-Mountie-can- never-marry speech, didn't he?
I can't lie to you. He believes it deeply.
I can't believe that a man and a woman who are truly devoted to one another
couldn't find a way to make it work.
I agree.
But if anybody's going to prove that to him, I believe it's you.
Whoa.
- Elizabeth. - Wynn.
I mended that part of the fence where the herd's been getting out.
Good. Well then you can go get yourself cleaned up
and take Elizabeth back home.
Of course.
Do all Mounties fear falling in love?
Fear? No, why? Is that what happened to your aunt?
Yes. Wynn Delaney gave my aunt his why-a-Mountie-can-never-marry speech.
Well, if you think about it would be quite hard
raising a family, settling down.
Especially when you're constantly putting your life on the line
and moving from post to post, following a higher duty.
Someone's in a hurry.
Get off now!
This can't be good.
Stay here!
Dear Lord, please help us.
All right, put your hands in the air.
Now put your hands up!
- A Mountie. - That's it.
No sudden moves.
But what about them?
I believe that belongs to me.
Edward!
Believe it or not it was I who the gun pointed at his head.
Until they showed up.
Nothing but dresses, shoes, and books.
Where is the money?
You think we'd be foolish enough to travel with money?
Please, that's mine.
Not anymore.
My father gave it to me. It's value is very little. Please.
Where's the money?
- I'll give you the money. - Elizabeth...
It's hidden under the coach bench. Just lift the leather cushion.
That's more like it.
Let's go.
Yah! Get on!
Please. Please. My compass.
Sorry, ma'am. I need it.
It's easy to get lost on this prairie.
Glad my father had you come along to protect me.
- You're a teacher, aren't you, Elizabeth? - Yes.
All right, so you can count.
There were three of them and there was one of me.
And more to the point, there's one of you.
What would have happened if I had of taken them on and lost?
How would you get to Coal Valley then?
I promised your father that I would get you there safely,
and I'm not shirking that duty.
I'm sorry. You're right.
What do we do now?
We need to get moving.
How? They shooed the horses away.
We have feet, don't you, Elizabeth?
You grab the other one.
No, no, no, we're not taking the trunks.
We can't leave them here.
They can be replaced.
Well, I just can't.
I need to at least bring my school supplies.
It contains all of my important teaching manuals,
my literature collection.
Look, I'm sorry. Truly I am.
But they won't ever make it to Coal Valley.
They're too heavy and it's too far.
And the sooner you realize that, the better. Come on.
I can't go any further.
Leave the trunk.
- I can't. - You must.
I'm not talking about the trunk.
It's my feet. I can't walk.
I'm in too much pain.
May I?
Okay, I'll carry you.
But I can't do that and carry the trunk.
Okay.
Put this on. It'll keep you warm.
What was I thinking? I just want to go home.
I know it's hard, but we need to keep going.
I'm not cut out for this.
Maybe it's providence, this happening to us.
Oh, lovely. Please explain.
Maybe God is making you stronger,
more resilient for Coal Valley.
Like your own basic training.
Is that what it was like for you?
For the first few weeks, I hated my father
for forcing me into the service.
I said what you said. I want to go home.
I didn't see the purpose of the pain, of pushing myself.
You know, especially in light of my years growing up.
I thought our life was about how much you get out of the world.
You know, what's my share.
Like it's my birthright.
And then one day, providence struck.
We were on basic training, trekking across a pond.
Suddenly I broke through the ice
and before I knew it, the current had ferried me away from the hole.
Oh, my Lord!
I remember seeing the blurry forms of my comrades
calling out to me through the ice.
Then they were gone. They had abandoned me.
And as I started to run out of air,
I realized how small we are in this universe,
how every breath, every moment is a gift.
How did you survive?
My friends. They hadn't abandoned me as I had thought they did.
They simply raced ahead of the current
and chipped through the ice just in time to pull me out.
And as I was being hauled out,
I realized that every one of them had put their lives on the line for me.
I mean, they could have all drowned, all of them.
I knew then. I knew it was my purpose
to put my life on the line for others.
Living your purpose.
My father said very much the same to me.
I took the liberty of reading ahead. I hope you don't mind.
I'd like to read something to you.
"I devoted all of my energy to my beautiful students,
but there was a deep void in all of us.
Despite the best efforts of the doctors
our fundraiser had provided,
it wasn't enough to save little Andy. "
Why did he have to leave?
Why didn't God make him better?
For a boy, he was really nice.
Yeah, Miss Thatcher, Andy was real nice.
Why didn't God make him better?
'Cause God don't care, that's why.
That's not true, Carl.
I agree with Carl.
We can't all assume that God doesn't care because Andy passed on.
What's assume mean?
Assume means to believe something
when you don't have any proof.
Like you assumed Uncle Wynn was my daddy.
Yes. Like that.
We all assume many things,
but sometimes we're not right to do that.
Mama assumes it's her fault, because she didn't take Andy
to the doctor when she first saw he was sick.
You see, we all assume much of the time.
And maybe we do that with God as well.
So if we can't assume God doesn't care,
than we can't assume he does. Right?
Yes, Carl. That's right.
But all of us, including me, need to dig for what is true.
For example, I care about you all,
and I love you so very much.
And where does that love come from if not from God?
This is you.
If there's one thing I learned during basic training
it's recognizing the good and bad in people.
You're going to change the world, Elizabeth,
with your gifts.
Just like your aunt did.
Well, I guess there are some students waiting for me.
Whoa.
Elizabeth, we're here.
Next equation: Four times five times eight.
Can I help you?
Yes, I'm Elizabeth Thatcher.
Miss Thatcher. You're two days late.
Yes, I... you see, our stage was robbed.
We were left stranded by there outlaws.
We had to come most of the way on foot.
Constable Montclair braved all to see me safely here.
- Constable, do you mind if a word in private with Miss Thatcher? - Of course.
Mrs. Stanton, will you join us please?
Next equation, seven times three times six.
Miss Thatcher, I'm very sorry for your hardships.
I'm Frances Tunnelcliffe. This is Abigail Stanton.
It's very nice to meet you.
You might say we're the school board.
You're very young to be a teacher.
I'm realizing I'm perhaps not what you were expecting.
But to be honest, I wasn't expecting the town to be so empty,
or the school to be in a saloon.
A schoolhouse would be far more appropriate, if it hadn't burned down.
Miss Thatcher, Superintendent Higgins did tell you
what happened here, didn't he?
Tell me what?
Three months ago, there was a terrible explosion at the mine.
And 47 brave men lost their lives.
Many of these youngsters became fatherless that day.
Yes, along with my three.
We asked Mr. Higgins to send his very best teacher.
One who would not shrink at the challenges of Coal Valley.
This teaching post is one of the only things in this entire town
the coal company doesn't own anymore.
The mothers, all of us who have managed to hang on
decided that we weren't going to let Pacific Northwest Mining
be responsible for our children's education any longer.
So if you take this job, it'll be us paying your salary.
Miss Thatcher, please understand something.
We're are all very proud of the work that our husbands and sons did in that coal mine.
We knew it was an essential risk
for the good of our growing nation.
But for many of the women in this town,
these children are all they have left.
And we want them to grow up having choices about what to do, where to go.
Even if it means leaving this town behind.
So whomever we entrust them to
has got to be fearless in their ability to help them reach their dreams.
I believe in those same ideals, ma'am.
You won't just be teaching them to read and write.
You'll be fighting for their future.
To put it bluntly, are you woman enough, Miss Thatcher?
Miss Thatcher, I know I speak for everyone
in saying that we are most grateful for your love of our children this year.
Thank you.
Children, may I have your attention?
My name is Elizabeth Thatcher,
and it will be my great joy to be your new teacher.
I hope you will never be afraid of approaching me with your questions.
Where to?
The first rule in my classroom will always be:
"There are no bad questions".
Miss Thatcher, may I have a word with you immediately?
Excuse me, children.
The men who held up our stage coach are just leaving town now.
So if you'll excuse me,
I have some money and compass to retrieve.
But there are three of them.
I like those odds.
Edward, I don't care about the money,
and I can live without the compass.
I know. But it's my duty to apprehend the bad guys.
Just as it's yours to teach these children.
Now if you remember, I read ahead.
Some Mounties do end up settling down.
Excuse me again, children. I'll be right back.
Edward! Edward!
I didn't get to tell you I...
I... I just wanted to say please come back safely.