Saturday noon
After being duly suppered and scrubbed , we were enjoined to go to bed , and remember that to-morrow was Sunday , and that we must not laugh and play in the morning . With many a sorrowful look did Susan deposit her doll in the chest , and give one lingering glance at the patchwork she was piecing for dolly 's bed , while William , John , and myself emptied our pockets of all superfluous fish-hooks , bits of twine , popguns , slices of potato , marbles , and all the various items of boy property , which , to keep us from temptation , were taken into Aunt Kezzy 's safe keeping over Sunday . My Uncle Phineas was a man of great exactness , and Sunday was the centre of his whole worldly and religious system . Every thing with regard to his worldly business was so arranged that by Saturday noon it seemed to come to a close of itself . All his accounts were looked over , his work-men paid , all borrowed things returned , and lent things sent after , and every tool and article belonging to the farm was returned to its own place at exactly such an hour every Saturday afternoon , and an hour before sundown every item of preparation , even to the blacking of his Sunday shoes and the brushing of his Sunday coat , was entirely concluded ; and at the going down of the sun , the stillness of the Sabbath seemed to settle down over the whole dwelling . And now it is Sunday morning ; and though all without is fragrance , and motion , and beauty , the dewdrops are twinkling , butterflies fluttering , and merry birds carolling and racketing as if they never could sing loud or fast enough , yet within there is such a stillness that the tick of the tall mahogany clock is audible through the whole house , and the buzz of the blue flies , as they whiz along up and down the window panes , is a distinct item of hearing . Look into the best front room , and you may see the upright form of my Uncle Phineas , in his immaculate Sunday clothes , with his Bible spread open on the little stand before him , and even a deeper than usual gravity settling down over his toil-worn features .