Dr. Eli Watt, a widower, relocates to a small town, feeling disheartened by his unsuccessful pursuit of a significant career in New York. He takes on the responsibility of raising his son, Jimmy, and Letty, an infant left motherless at birth. Letty’s father, blaming Watt for the mother’s death, abandons her. Although Watt aspires to return to his research work, various obstacles continually arise, such as an epidemic, the demands of his children, or the needs of his often unappreciative patients. Over time, he gradually realizes that his future still holds promise and that his past may not have been as unsuccessful as he once thought.