Widow Robinson, little son is taken sick, and dies, leaving the poor woman, who is only just able to eke out an existence, disconsolate. Mrs. Hirst, the wife of a wealthy broker takes her little son Harry in the park to play. While engrossed in her book he wanders away, and is found some time later by Mrs. Robinson. She sees that he is lost and leads him back to the park. There is no trace of his mother. Struck by the resemblance to her poor son, she decides to take him home and adopt him. Seven years pass by. Harry is a strong, healthy lad, but the poor widow is dying of consumption. Feeling her end is near, she tells him how she found him. She bids him get a bundle from her trunk, and shows him the clothes he was wearing on that day. A few minutes alter this disclosure the poor woman dies. Little Harry is alone in the world without friends or money. He takes the bundle of clothes and sets out on life's hard journey. At night he tries to sleep on a wharf by the river. Two of a gang or newsboys who have improvised a sleeping place under an old pier pass by. They see Harry's absolute misery and take him with them to their bed of straw. Next day they start him with a stock of papers to sell on the streets. His first day's work finished, Harry turns into a church, and while dozing there is comforted by a vision of Christ that appears to him. It is the seventh anniversary of his disappearance and Mrs. Hirst visits the nursery, that has not been disturbed since that time. She sits down and cries heartily, thinking of what might have been. As she dreams, Christ appears and shows her successively a vision of her boy found by the widow, the widow's death, Harry selling papers on the streets, and finally of his home under the pier. She rushes to her husband and together they start out. Aided by a friendly policeman who knows this gang of newsboys, they find their way to the pier. They soon discover Harry. He tells them of the widow's deathbed story of how she bad found him, and shows them the clothes he wore the day he was found. There can be no mistake, and Harry that night is again back in a warm bed in his father's luxurious home, comforted by a mother's love.

Source: The Film Index - 1910

This is one of Pathé Frères American films.