The World is Only a Spirit

A royal princess gives her time to the Red Cross, and works alongside a young American doctor.

Vallery Grove is in love with Don Warren but her mother opposes the match because he is poor and has no social standing. Don decides to terminate his engagement to Vallery after attending a party where he meets a spoiled rich girl who is interested in him.

A beautiful woman of the Latin Quarter, marries a rich cattle owner Pedro Maurez from South America to live in peace and happiness. The arrival of young Parisian Paul Durand wets her interest again in the old haunts of Paris. When her husband is slain in an uprising of laborers, she is again thrown on her own resources.

Ironworker Ned is putting money aside for a rainy day unlike his two sandhog co-workers Bill and Grogan who spend most of their money at the saloon. One day on the job Ned is saved from severe injury by Bill and Grogan tries to convince him to take advantage of Ned’s gratitude to extort some money. Later Ned and Grogan get into an argument and Grogan sworn to revenge attempts to get Bill to drown Ned, but the plan goes awry. Bill and Ned reconcile, eventually becoming business partners, Grogan goes to jail.

A poor man steals a loaf of bread to feed his family, not knowing there's a stolen diamond hidden inside.

Success is often coveted instead of honestly earned. Through honest effort the farmer was enjoying the fruits of his labor. A large irrigation well was among his new acquisitions. Therein his designing helpers held him prisoner while they left with his wealth and his daughter. There is an old saying, however, that an evil purpose always defeats its own end by some committing act.

The girl's lessons from the young station agent on the manipulation of the telegraph code served her in good stead. By it, hemmed in on all sides at the lonely farmhouse, she was able to save both herself and her father's money from desperate tramps, an experience which is grippingly illustrated in this Biograph melodrama.

Bessie, the bookkeeper, and Harry, the confidential clerk, are sweethearts. Harry does not fully realize the strength of Bessie's affection, but later, on the eve of a false step, he is made to appreciate her devotion and grit.

On the day of the meeting which should settle the controversy regarding the Panama Canal, the Japanese Embassy commissioned Olga to obtain a copy of the agreement. The young Secretary to the Secretary of State became her dupe, but the detective succeeded in recovering the stolen treaty by a clever unwinding of threads taking thereby a desperate and thrilling chance.

In this film one is shown the contrast of two fathers. One father refuses to believe his son guiltless, while the other, fully realizing the weakness of his son, struggles to save him from further disgrace. In this attempt he exonerates the innocent youth, but at the same time exposes the guilt of his own son.

No doubt the old antique dealer was prejudiced against his junior clerk. After frequent shortages, the clerk's visit to the gambling house was reported by the detective and he was discharged. In truth, he had gone to find the senior clerk, who owed him money which he needed for his mother, hovering close to the edge of life. By sharp detective work, the designs of the senior clerk were frustrated.

Theron is Lavina's natural choice, though she imagines herself in love with Luke, who is secretly loved by Lavina's sister, Susan. Susan sees that the couple are ill-suited to each other and adopts her own means to break the match. She is successful, but it is not until all have passed through a stirring and leavening experience that each couple realizes they were meant for each other.

After a lifetime of hard work, Dad consents to live with his married daughter in the city. The young couple try to make him forget work. Ill at ease under his enforced idleness, he makes a deal with a disabled old street cleaner to keep his job. Finding him out, the young folks give in, and it's "back to the farm" for Dad.

An Egyptian Princess is infatuated with Karmet, a Syrian prince who is disguised as a merchant. He, however, loves Arvia, a dancer. The Princess plots to sacrifice Arvia to the sacred crocodiles. Arvia is saved by her father and united to Karmet. The princess weds Prince Tut, who afterwards becomes King of Egypt.

Pretty Patience Thompson, a "girl with a singing soul," lives with her cold-hearted and avaricious father, Jeff Thompson, on their Indiana farm. Her life of drudgery is brightened by John, the hired hand, but when he asks for her hand in marriage, the old man flies into a rage and discharges him. Soon an aged but wealthy widower courts Patience, and although she still loves John, "Old Jeff" orders her to marry the widower, claiming that a father's will is the law.

Happy in her devotion to her unfortunate sister and the promise of honest love that had come into her life, the girl was perhaps blind to true values. She became indifferent to her life and its surroundings. Accordingly she accepted the stranger and his doubtful promises. Honest love and duty were forgotten, until, caught near life's uncertain edge, she was called back by her blind sister's peril. Thus was true love separated from blind infatuation and life's lesson learned.

Haywood, a suitor for the hand of Elida Rumsey, is severely reprimanded by her for not enlisting when President Lincoln calls for volunteers. Being deeply interested in the cause, Elida goes and helps Mrs. Pomeroy minister to sick and wounded soldiers. She becomes a favorite with the men, for she frequently sings to them. This attracts the attention of Lincoln

Old Man Hathaway was a trapper and lived with his only daughter in the mountains. Pretty Claudine often went forth to visit the traps with him and one day, when no bound, they saw a youth kiss a maiden affectionately. Seeing a chance for an object lesson, the old trapper sagely shook his head, saying, "My child, such kisses are poison. Guard against them."

Katherine Nevin and her brother Jack are given positions on the newspaper of James Osborne following their father's death. Osborne's city editor, Charles MacLaughlin, who is hated and feared by his business associates, is strongly attracted to Katherine, who accepts his mother's invitation to dinner. In spite of his ruthless manner Katherine tries to change the atheistic views of "Mac" and his embittered crippled brother, Angus.

Walsingham Van Dorn has a fancy name but no money until he inherits 40 million dollars from a pair of wealthy, but wicked, uncles.