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Emerenz Meier may be living as a farmgirl in turn-of-the-century (1890s) Bavaria, but she is not about to let that keep her down. She has talent as a writer, boundless curiosity, tremendous capacity for enjoying life, and a desire to see the world. Soon enough, she abandons her country home and heads off to the nearest city, Passau. As she is nearing the city, she is accosted and nearly raped by a landowner but is saved by the timely intervention of a deaf-mute, who literally scythes the aggressor down. She soon settles in with a rich inn-keeper and works at her writing. She is unable to decide whom she loves more, the inn-keeper or her deaf-mute savior. Despite the advantages of her situation with the rich man, she craves independence more and briefly becomes a prostitute in order to earn the money to go to America. This drama is based on the early life of Emerenz Meier, who went on to become a well-respected German poet.