Student Tom Polden lives in difficult conditions at home. His mother lives constantly on the memories of her deceased husband. Her little hat shop is rather poor and the economy is peal. Tom constantly hear about the magnificent father, and becomes a big blow when he overhears his father shot himself because he had embezzled a substantial amount of money.
When a popular doctor, leading the job to get a hospital to town, celebrates his 60th birthday there's a big party. But a new doctor discovers malpractice. But when the doctor is ill with a bad appendix, the tables are turned.
Hans Nielsen Hauge was a Norwegian reformer in the early 1800's both financially and spiritually.