Mary cannot wait to leave her childhood home where her drunken and abusive father vents his rage on his family. When Mary marries Tommy she knows her dreams have come true and she feels safe and happy for the first time in her life. As the family grows, Mary looks forward to a rosy future. Fate soon intervenes and throws the little family into turmoil as poverty lurks at their door. Desperate, Mary is forced to give up her daughter, Ellen, into the care of a charity home. Little does she know that Ellen will be shipped to Canada as a servant. As Ellen struggles to survive, Mary tries desperately to find her lost daughter and bring her home.