The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1901-06-06
BY IONA GALE.

I Spent hall an hour yeSuSruay WIN
tho mother OF Joe Phillips and "tac
Kids"
She Is II, the workhousc laundry n,
Biackwcirs island. and she will be there
until July II. She talked to me abou,
Joe and cried as II her heart would
break.
'AIl his life Long, she sobbcd. hes
brought me ais carnin's every week.
warm In his hand. SOS he wouldn't
spend 'em. Taere Amt boy In New
York like him..
They call her Mate Phillips a, the
island. They are somewhat disposed 10
favor her because she Is not IAN old.
timer" they say. She has never been
there before. She looks not at all a- ]
had pictured her.
Anybody named Mate Phillips and
sent to the workho,Ise for three months
for drunkenness ought to be big and i'm
pertinent. Joe's mother In little and
very shy.
When went into the Work,ousa lauE-
dry yesterday she came toward me hold
Ing her apron by y corner. She ~
brown.haired and blue-eyed and not Old.
Her face Is furrowed and her hands
have wo,s<ed hard. Presently when |
saw her smile | found her face had Il,
real attractivencss. but sae did not smile
Till she told uc Joe's secret-the real
reason why he Is making such night
to keep on working. And Jocs reason
was worth going to Blackwelrs Island
TO hear.
Mrs. Phillips" l said TO her. would
you let any one take Joe TO educate
him."
~ Ills Good Education.
II was a natural enough question. be-
cause. since his mothers detention and
Joe's struggle TO support his two sisters.
and his own commitment to pro;ec-
tory. there have been u good many In
Quir.es about the possibility | suggested
70 her. ! had reckoned. however. with
out Joe's advanced scholarship.
"Oh." said his mother. with superior
tty. Joe don't need no more schoolia'
Why. he went TIL he was ;it,cen"'
Now weli-meaninH attendant had
previously told me tina, Joe'S mother
was willing and anxious 10 have him
taken OF her hands But the we'll
msaning attendant had reckoned with
out a change o. hear, in the mother o.:
ZOO. She Strengthened her thin nsure
and some o: Joa's sp.ri, was In her
syss:
.'At nrs,." she said. when l seen l
vas really in the workhousc. / though,
kwasn't good enough to do no more 70.
ZEN. I though, l wasn't. l mean, 10
% my time and go OF where they
needn't see me any more. Blu, ain;
got mono Of that left. now. I'm their
hother. and ] know they want me back
II know joe does. And July II I'm
Soin' back TO ,em. and ia IKE TO see
anybody take Joo away. the1!"
Joe's mother can talk. ONCE the shy
ness Of an unwonted Handwriting Is
eyer. she - ready with all her pcnt:up
vlsTs on the sss 81 aerss a and Joe
Into the eyes OF Jocs mothc. crep; "a
look ] have seen IN other eyeu. but
3sver In wofkhouse faces.
Hes the best little fellow that ever
Vas" she said tenderly. AN all tn.
pspSgS -A, been sayin' abou; him ain
aAouth. sfe's a little man. Why. he
works IKE a mailer all day, an he loves
81. Al frst he only got s. II week Yer
AFTER him the day he got his raise. an
he. yelled up the steps. Mother h.
yelled. now We kin hev tho house.
Oh. my Cod" cried Joe's mother, how
we was both so!n to work for tina:
The secret Out.
Then she told me Joe's secret. sui!.
i0I through her tears.
~ For two years Joe Phillips ha, b4en
wsEking TO get house for his moth..
:;Just some little pl.c. way OUT ;.