nine o'clock
She clasped him impulsively in her arms and hurried from the cabin leading the children by the hand . The Boy could feel her slender fingers trembling . When they drew near the cross roads where the little log house had been built , she stopped , nervously fixed their clothes , took off the Boy 's cap and brushed his thick black hair . They were the first to arrive , but in a few minutes others came , and by nine o'clock more than thirty scholars were in their seats . The mother 's heart sank within her when she met the teacher and heard him talk . It was only too evident that he was poorly equipped for his work . He could barely read and could neither write nor teach arithmetic .