his mother before.

She looked at him in horror. "Joe, Joe," she said, "you 're mekin' it
wuss. You 're mekin' it ha'dah fu' me to baih when you talk dat a-way.
What you mean? Whaih you think Gawd is?"

Joe remained sullenly silent. His mother's faith was too stalwart for
his comprehension. There was nothing like it in his own soul to
interpret it.

"We 'll git de secon'-han' dealah to tek ouah things to-morrer, an' then
we 'll go away some place, up No'th maybe."

"Let 's go to New York," said Joe.

"New Yo'k?"

They had heard of New York as a place vague and far away, a city that,
like Heaven, to them had existed by faith alone. All the days of their
lives they had heard of it, and it seemed to them the centre of all the
glory, all the wealth, and all the freedom of the world. New York. It
had an alluring sound. Who would know them there? Who would look down
upon them?

"It 's a mighty long ways off fu' me to be sta'tin' at dis time o'
life."

"We want to go a long ways off."

"I wonder what pa would think of it if he was here," put in Kitty.