midnight
Then Mrs. Murphy brought in the lamps and Professor Green drew up at the table and read aloud Dickens 's `` Christmas Carol . '' Molly 's mother had read to her children the immortal story of `` Tiny Tim '' ever since they could remember on Christmas day , and it gave Molly much secret pleasure to know that these dear kind friends had kept up the same practice . After that they fetched down Judy 's guitar and , with Molly accompanying , they sang some of the good old songs that people think they have forgotten until they hear the thrum of the guitar and someone starts the singing . At last the tower clock boomed midnight , and as the echo of the final stroke vibrated in the room , the door opened and Santa Claus stood on the threshold . `` Shure , an ' I 'm just on the nick of time , '' he said with a good Irish accent , as he unstrapped his pack and proceeded to distribute packages done up in white tissue paper tied with red ribbons . There were presents for everyone with no names attached , but Molly suspected Professor Green of being the giver of the pretty things . Hers was a volume of Rossetti 's poems bound in dark blue leather .