The story revolves around a comedic depiction of the Pennsylvania Dutch. The father, often called "Papa," is a strict and stubborn man with religious beliefs that prohibit modern conveniences and pleasures. His daughter, Emma, falls in love with a surveyor and wishes to marry him. Meanwhile, Jake, Papa's son, wants to simplify the farm life by introducing machinery.

Emma and Mama connive to allow Emma to go to the movies with her love interest, the surveyor. However, when Papa finds out about this, he becomes enraged and sets out to shoot the surveyor.
The family realizes that something must be done about Papa's temper and strict belief system. However, before they can act, Papa's car is involved in an accident on the way to the shooting, and he disappears, much to everyone's amusement.
The story ends with the family finally finding out what happened to Papa and how he ultimately met his end.

In the interval George Hicks presents a beautiful Christmas message in the short story of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.