seven in the
evening
The telegraph-boy would have to come in a boat , and one could easily kill him while he was making his landing . We had spent four days in Bermuda -- three bright ones out of doors and one rainy one in the house , we being disappointed about getting a yacht for a sail ; and now our furlough was ended , and we entered into the ship again and sailed homeward . We made the run home to New York quarantine in three days and five hours , and could have gone right along up to the city if we had had a health permit . But health permits are not granted after seven in the evening , partly because a ship can not be inspected and overhauled with exhaustive , thoroughness except in daylight , and partly because health-officers are liable to catch cold if they expose themselves to the night air . Still , you can buy a permit after hours for five dollars extra , and the officer will do the inspecting next week . Our ship and passengers lay under expense and in humiliating captivity all night , under the very nose of the little official reptile who is supposed to protect New York from pestilence by his vigilant `` inspections . '' This imposing rigor gave everybody a solemn and awful idea of the beneficent watchfulness of our government , and there were some who wondered if anything finer could be found in other countries .