Katariina, an orphaned girl from the north, travels to Helsinki to live with her distant relative Mauri, who has been appointed her guardian. The unpretentious child of nature irritates, amuses, and charms Mauri, who is accustomed to high society, and his bachelor friends.
Old Virtanen is a respected night watchman at a textile factory and a single father to his daughter Aino, who is about to graduate from high school. The heartless factory owner Kuusela fires Virtanen, who is forced to look for a new job. When Aino, who is in love with the manager's son Veikko, disappears after her graduation party, her father, who has fallen ill with worry, is overcome with despair.
Sinikka, the young mistress of the Lenteelä house, gets into a relationship with her neighbor Antti while her husband Jukka is away at the front. The couple becomes the subject of gossip throughout the village, and Sinikka, feeling guilty, seeks reconciliation from her husband and the community. Her mother-in-law, who is hostile towards her daughter-in-law, also wants reconciliation.
