Set in Waltonville, a small town in the aftermath of the Civil War. The novel revolves around Mrs Lister, her son Richard Lister, who is graduating from the college, and Dr. Green, a former student of Walton College who has returned as a physician. The town is depicted as quiet and traditional, with class distinctions and little interaction with the outside world. Dr. Green is described as a serious and self-educated man, while Richard Lister's mother is a middle-aged woman who adheres to the dress code of her time.