Ten o'clock
The boy went out at the call of his mother ; and when a new customer entered , I noticed that Flora , the daughter , came in to wait upon him . I noticed , too , that while she poured out the liquor , there was a heightened color on her face , in which I fancied that I saw a tinge of shame . It is certain that she was not in the least gracious to the person on whom she was waiting ; and that there was little heart in her manner of performing the task . Ten o'clock found me alone and musing in the barroom over the occurrences of the evening . Of all the incidents , that of the entrance of Joe Morgan 's child kept the most prominent place in my thoughts . The picture of that mournful little face was ever before me ; and I seemed all the while to hear the word `` Father , '' uttered so touchingly , and yet with such a world of childish tenderness . And the man , who would have opposed the most stubborn resistance to his fellow-men , had they sought to force him from the room , going passively , almost meekly out , led by that little child -- I could not , for a time , turn my thoughts from the image thereof !