seven o'clock
Sunday night , as the weather nymphs ordered , the wind hauled round to the northwest and everything froze hard . Monday night , things moderated and the snow began to fall steadily , -- so steadily ; and so Tuesday night the Metropolitan people gave up their unequal contest , all good men and angels rejoicing at their discomfiture , and only a few of the people in the very lowest _ Bolgie _ being ill-natured enough to grieve . And thus it was , that by Thursday evening was one hard compact roadway from Copp 's Hill to the Bone-burner 's Gehenna , fit for good men and angels to ride over , without jar , without noise , and without fatigue to horse or man . So it was that when I came down with Lycidas to the chapel at seven o'clock , I found Harry had gathered there his eight pretty girls and his eight jolly boys , and had them practising for the last time , `` Carol , carol , Christians , Carol joyfully ; Carol for the coming Of Christ 's nativity . '' I think the children had got inkling of what was coming , or perhaps Harry had hinted it to their mothers . Certainly they were warmly dressed , and when , fifteen minutes afterwards , Howland came round himself with the sleigh , he had put in as many rugs and bear-skins as if he thought the children were to be taken new-born from their respective cradles . Great was the rejoicing as the bells of the horses rang beneath the chapel windows , and Harry did not get his last _ da capo _ for his last carol .