Army captain "Big Jim" Tukker has a young son, Little Jim, who runs away from home. Once found, the unhappy boy is cheered by the news that he will soon be getting a new baby brother or sister. But when his mother dies in childbirth, his father takes to drinking, neglecting him.
Others intervene on the boy's behalf, including Sui Jen, the family servant. Efforts to shake Big Jim out of his depression fail until Sui Jen begins teaching the child Chinese philosophy and faith, going so far as to dress him in Chinese apparel. The boy's father realizes he must take a more personal interest in parenting, then discovers, to his astonishment, that Sui Jen is actually an officer in the Chinese army.