Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy

On New Year's Eve, 1899, Jane and Robert Marryot, a wealthy London couple, return home to celebrate the new century with a midnight toast. Despite having two young sons and being married for years, they remain deeply in love. Jane is concerned about Robert's recent enlistment in the City of London Imperial Volunteers (CIV) for the Second Boer War, as her brother is already fighting in the Siege of Mafeking. Downstairs, the Marryots' butler, Alfred Bridges, prepares punch for the toast while the cook dresses up for the public celebrations. Alfred has also joined the CIV and is about to leave. His wife, Ellen, the Marryots' maid, worries about their new baby, Fanny, if Alfred is harmed. Alfred remains optimistic despite Ellen's mother's pessimistic predictions. As the clock strikes midnight, the Marryot and Bridges families celebrate the new century while the cook dances in the streets.