midday
The snows seemed never at rest . One storm followed another , till the drifting , icy sands were worn as fine as flour . The house was like a cave . Its windows , thick with frost , let in only a pallid light at midday . There was little for Blanche to do , and there was nothing for her to say to Willard , who came and went aimlessly between the barn and house . His poor old team could no longer face the cold wind without danger of freezing , and so he walked to the store for the mail and the groceries . They lived on boiled potatoes and bacon , suffering like prisoners -- jailed innocently .