Maisie's marriage.

The main character in this melodrama and morality tale is Maisie Burrow, who lives in 'Slumland'. She is a waitress in a tea house, and the eldest child of a boorish father and a careworn mother who has a large number of children - right through from babies to teenagers. We discover that Maisie is a strong willed-women as she fends off the unwanted attention of a number of male customers in the tea shop - as a result of one encounter she meets a beau; a local fireman. Their relationship blossoms (they go cycling together, although there isn't even one chaste kiss onscreen - instead they shake hands). Dick asked Maisie to marry him but she has already turned him down, he is advised by his mother to carry on wooing her - but all Maisie can think about is the drudgery associated with getting married and having children. Her father throws her out and in her confusion amongst the bright lights of London, a couple of 'good time' girls persuade her to go to a jazz club to dance her woes away. She is seated next to a married man who buys her champagne; he tells her his troubles - his wife clearly loves her dogs more than she loves him! Maisie resists his advances which results in a punch-up. Pausing by the river briefly, she contemplates suicide and jumps in. She is rescued but taken to court for her actions. She then receives a two month custodial sentence. Her rescuer interjects and asks whether her sentence can be mitigated if they care for her; the judge refuses and Maisie berates him. Upon release, her rescuers give her a position as a maid in their house. She observes the upper middle-class family at play (cricket in the garden) - they only have 3 children and a nanny. Maisie offers to look after the children - they have awakened her maternal feelings. When Mrs Sterling refuses, they talk about Maisie's aspirations and Mrs Sterling tells her the parable of two men with rose bushes... by pruning the bush, the buds were better carried for and created perfect roses (a baby's face is superimposed onto the image). Unfortunately, Maisie's brother decides to look for her as he is down on his luck. Meanwhile Maisie's ex-fiance is packing his trunk for his job overseas. Maisie's brother turns up unannounced asking for money and marches in - meanwhile the children are playing in the nursery - one child places a lit candle by the door which sets light to the door curtain. The fire brigade become alerted to the fire - the children jump to safety. One child goes to rescue their cat and her kittens and is lost to in the smoke. Dick's dog rescues the child and he rescues Maisie. They get married.