the hour of eight
Other lads thought it singular that in peril I became strangely vivacious ; but underneath I had a share of the relentless firmness of my father , and of his vast dislike of failure , and of his love of truth . I have often thought that the father in me saved me from the consequences of so much of my mother 's gentler nature as might have done me harm in the rude conflicts of life . David Dove , among other odd ways , devised a plan for punishing the unpunctual which had considerable success . One day , when I had far overstayed the hour of eight , by reason of having climbed into Friend Pemberton 's gardens , where I was tempted by many green apples , I was met by four older boys . One had a lantern , which , with much laughter , he tied about my neck , and one , marching before , rang a bell . I had seen this queer punishment fall on others , and certainly the amusement shown by people in the streets would not have hurt me compared with the advantage of pockets full of apples , had I not of a sudden seen my father , who usually breakfasted at six , and was at his warehouse by seven . He looked at me composedly , but went past us saying nothing .