Laura, a dying mother, calls for her two elementary-aged children, Peter and Ellen, to come to her bed. She tells them the time has arrived and reminds them about the protocols to take when she leaves them. Laura assures them they will soon be with their Auntie Pauline, Uncle Fred, and their dog Jerry. The children are excited to play with Jerry and return to school. Laura instructs Peter to get the box from her drawer as they discussed. The box contains a card with Auntie Pauline's address that the children have to show at the Grand Central Station, along with a dollar to get on the train to Fairwoods. Then, they will have to show the card again when they arrive at Fairwoods. Laura gives Ellen a letter for Auntie Pauline. She also gives Peter an old pocket watch from their father and gives Ellen their grandmother's locket. Laura assures the kids that the best thing for them is to return to school after they've taken care of their mother at home for so long. She says that now she must go away on a long and faraway journey. Laura tells the children to be brave, says goodbye to them, and reassures them that "the whole world is outside."   When she hears the front door finally close, Laura lets herself sob and finally die. The children walk twelve blocks to get to Grand Central Station. In awe, they observe the shops on the way containing many toys and novelties, but Peter reminds Ellen to keep walking. At the station, they successfully purchase the tickets to Fairwoods. When they finally arrive at Pauline's house, she greets them lovingly and enthusiastically and asks if their mother sent them. After the children eat, Peter then reminds Ellen to give the letter to Pauline.   In the letter, Laura admits to Pauline that she did marry a drunkard, but she was happy with her family even if she was impoverished. She begs Pauline not to hold anything against the children and that she is leaving them with her. Pauline calls Fred to let him know about the children's arrival and ask him to go to Laura's house. Fred arrives home that evening and tells Pauline that he did everything necessary. The children are happy to see their Uncle Fred, who reassures them that their mother left to visit God. The children go to bed satisfactorily and dream of Christmas and Easter candy and ornaments. The next morning, Ellen asks Peter if their mother is ever coming back, and he tells her no. She asks him what the expression "the whole world is outside" means, and Peter says he doesn’t know.