five o'clock
The late roses and white lilies were in full bloom , the latter filling the air with a sweet odor and making a lovely background . There were tables and chairs under the maples and elms , and rugs and pieces of carpet wherever there was a suspicion of dampness in the ground . There was a brass band in one part of the grounds , and a string band in another , where the young people danced under the trees . Refreshments were served at five o'clock , and the festivities were kept up till the sun went down , and half the children were sick from overeating -- the mothers were tired , and some of the men a little shaky in their legs , and thick in their speech , from a too frequent acquaintance with the claret punch which stood here and there in great bowls , free as water , and more popular . The crowning event of the day came when the hundreds of lanterns were lighted on the piazzas and in the trees , and every window in the house blazed with candles placed in so close proximity to each other , that objects could be plainly seen at some distance . The Colonel was going to make a speech , and he came out upon an upper balcony , where the light from ten tall lamps fell full upon him , bringing out every feature of his face distinctly . He was rather pale and haggard , but the people were accustomed to that , and charged it to the malaria .