midnight
It must be confessed that for the rest of the evening Sister Hiler rather lent herself to this idea , possibly from the fact that it temporarily obliterated the children , and quite removed her from any responsibility in the unpicturesque household . This effect was only marred by the absence of any impression upon Gideon , who scarcely appeared to notice the change , and whose soft eyes seemed rather to identify the miserable woman under her forced disguise . He prefaced the meal with a fervent grace , to which the widow listened with something of the conscious attitude she had adopted at church during her late husband 's ministration , and during the meal she ate with a like consciousness of `` company manners . '' Later that evening Selby Hiler woke up in his little truckle bed , listening to the rising midnight wind , which in his childish fancy he confounded with the sound of voices that came through the open door of the living-room . He recognized the deep voice of the young minister , Gideon , and the occasional tearful responses of his mother , and he was fancying himself again at church when he heard a step , and the young preacher seemed to enter the room , and going to the bed leaned over it and kissed him on the forehead , and then bent over his little brother and sister and kissed them too . Then he slowly re-entered the living-room . Lifting himself softly on his elbow , Selby saw him go up towards his mother , who was crying , with her head on the table , and kiss her also on the forehead .