nine
o'clock
A dry snow had fallen steadily throughout the still night , so that when a cold , upper wind cleared the sky gloriously in the morning the incongruous Indiana town shone in a white harmony -- roof , ledge , and earth as evenly covered as by moonlight . There was no thaw ; only where the line of factories followed the big bend of the frozen river , their distant chimneys like exclamation points on a blank page , was there a first threat against the supreme whiteness . The wind passed quickly and on high ; the shouting of the school-children had ceased at nine o'clock with pitiful suddenness ; no sleigh-bells laughed out on the air ; and the muffling of the thoroughfares wrought an unaccustomed peace like that of Sunday . This was the phenomenon which afforded the opening of the morning debate of the sages in the wide windows of the `` National House . '' Only such unfortunates as have so far failed to visit Canaan do not know that the `` National House '' is on the Main Street side of the Court-house Square , and has the advantage of being within two minutes ' walk of the railroad station , which is in plain sight of the windows -- an inestimable benefit to the conversation of the aged men who occupied these windows on this white morning , even as they were wont in summer to hold against all comers the cane-seated chairs on the pavement outside . Thence , as trains came and went , they commanded the city gates , and , seeking motives and adding to the stock of history , narrowly observed and examined into all who entered or departed .