Season 1 Episode 4 “'Mr. Edwards’ Homecoming”- Little House on the Prairie

Charles Ingalls is in the larger town of Mankato getting supplies for Walnut Grove. While he is there, he sees a fight going on and decides to see what it’s all about. He discovers that the man causing all the commotion is his old friend Mr. Edwards, who is very drunk and challenging everyone in sight. Charles is able to calm him down and get him sober again. He convinces Mr. Edwards to come visit the family at Plum Creek.

When they arrive, Laura is sick in bed with infected tonsils and a high fever. Mr. Edwards becomes very concerned because it reminds him of when his own wife and child got smallpox and died. He blamed himself for their deaths because they lived far away from any doctor or town. Laura is very excited to see Mr. Edwards and is healthy in no time.
Charles and Caroline Ingalls again convince Mr. Edwards to live with them and Charles gets Mr. Edwards a job working in Walnut Grove’s sawmill. Caroline decides she is going to match Mr. Edwards up with Ms. Snider, a widow in town that works at the post office.
At first, Ms. Snider is not too impressed with Mr. Edwards. She thinks he is a heavy drinker because she has spotted him drinking from a whisky jug while working on the job. Mr. Edwards is very cordial to Ms. Snider, but she continues to avoid him. One morning she decides to see just what Mr. Edwards is drinking out of the jug by the wood pile. She takes a sniff and discovers that it is only water. Mr. Edwards sees her and offers her a drink. She apologizes for thinking the worst and takes a big drink of the cool water. The sawmill owner sees her drinking from the jug and begins to think that she has an alcohol problem!
Mr. Edwards soon wins over Ms. Snider’s attention by sending a letter to himself from the town of Mankato which Laura has put her favorite perfume on the paper at Mr. Edwards request. Ms. Snider and Mr. Edwards get a long very well, but when the topic of going to church comes up, Mr. Edwards refuses to attend and tells her that he doesn’t believe much in God anymore because of the deaths of his wife and daughter. Ms. Snider becomes cold towards him and he decides he is going to leave town. Caroline has a good talking to Mr. Edwards who decides to come to church the next day and sits with Ms. Snider who is very pleased.