Mary has been raised on her father's hardscrabble farm. Now the local authorities have sent her to school, and she hates it. The other students make fun of her, she can't do her lessons. Eventually, she agrees to run away with a traveling patent medicine salesman, who promises to marry her... but has no intention of doing so.
By this time, D. W. Griffith had attained such an ease of composition that he needs only a couple of the half dozen or so titles he scatters through this movie; they are there, really, only to comment somewhat poetically, on what goes on.
There are, of course, some things in this movie that will offend the modern audience; the traveling show has a black-faced entertainer, and Edwin August as the teacher shows a romantic interest in his student. Still, both reflect the mores of the era... and since Little Mary is 20 years old, who can blame him?
By this time, D. W. Griffith had attained such an ease of composition that he needs only a couple of the half dozen or so titles he scatters through this movie; they are there, really, only to comment somewhat poetically, on what goes on.
There are, of course, some things in this movie that will offend the modern audience; the traveling show has a black-faced entertainer, and Edwin August as the teacher shows a romantic interest in his student. Still, both reflect the mores of the era... and since Little Mary is 20 years old, who can blame him?