The narrative traces Rosa Lee's growth from a spirited New England childhood into adulthood, depicting domestic scenes, schoolroom humiliations, family quarrels, and youthful fancies. Through episodes in a farmhouse, visits to Boston, a flight and southern journeys, she meets varied figures—a fickle suitor and his haughty bride, a devoted friend, a troubled man, and a mysterious presence—whose fortunes involve inheritance, addiction, illness, and death. Financial reversals, moral crises, and efforts at reconciliation shape her course, culminating in a return home and a measure of renewed hope, with themes of filial affection, social contrast, and personal resilience woven throughout.