An architect, who has recently married a new, younger wife, tries to re-connect with his ex-wife, who is being courted by another man.
Elmeri Vara from the General Stabilization Party, Selma Vuorinen from the Free Enlightenment Party, and Irja Solanen from the Independent Women's Party are competing for seats in parliament. When young Pertti and his classmates start a campaign with caricatures against Vara and Vuorinen, whom they consider unfit, Principal Reino has to decide whether to support the parliamentary candidates or his students, and how he feels about the candidacy of his beloved Irja.
The year is 1895 in a small village in Savo, where new ideas such as women's rights and folk high schools are vehemently opposed by Pastor Jussilainen, both in his home and in the parish. His wife Eveliina, the maids, and the conservative parishioners all experience his vehemence. However, the pastor meets his match when his mother-in-law arrives for a visit.
