about noon
A fire was built in the brick oven beside the fireplace , and while it was heating the Goodwife made four pies and six loaves of brown-bread , and prepared a pot of pork and beans for baking . -LSB- Illustration -RSB- When the coals had been raked out and the oven filled , she washed clothes for Daniel and his father , while Nancy hurried to finish a pair of stockings she was knitting for her brother . Daniel himself , meanwhile , had gone down to the bay to see if he could find the shovel and the basket . He came home in triumph about noon with both , and with quite a number of clams beside , which the Goodwife cooked for their dinner . When they were seated at the table , and the Goodman had asked the blessing , he leaned back in his chair and surveyed the ceiling of the cabin . From the rafters there hung long festoons of dried pumpkin and golden ears of corn . There were also sausages , hams , and sides of bacon .