midday
The speaker was sinking into his chair when Garnet asked with a smile that everyone but the pastor understood , `` Why , how 's that Brother Tombs ; is this day something more than usual to you ? '' `` Brother Garnet , if I 've hinted that it is , it 's mo ' than I started out to do , but I 'm tempted , seein ' so many friends in one bunch so , to jest ask yo ' - all 's congratulations on '' -- the eyes glistened with moisture -- `` the golden anniversary o ' my weddin ' day . '' The walls rang with applause , men crowded laughingly around the Parson to shake his hand , and in ten minutes the room was silent and the company gone , `` every man to his tent , '' as the happy Parson said , each one as ready for his noontide meal as it was for him . The social event of that midday was not the large family dinner where Mother Tombs sat between Hamlet and Lazarus , and Father Tombs between their wives ; where Sister March was in the prettiest good humor conceivable and the puns were of the sort that need to be italicized , and the anecdotes were family heirlooms , and the mirth was as spontaneous as the wit was scarce , and not one bad conscience was hidden beneath it all . The true social event of that hour was the repast given by John March to Mr. Fair in Swanee Hotel , at which General Halliday , Captain Champion , and Dr. Coffin were on John 's left , Ravenel sat at the foot of the board , and at John 's right were Fair , in the place of honor , then Garnet , and then Shotwell in the seat appointed for Gamble , who had suddenly found he could n't possibly stay . Here were no mothers ' quotations of their children 's accidental wit , nor husbands ' and wives ' betrayals of silly sweetnesses of long-gone courtships and honeymoons . Passing from encomiums upon Parson Tombs 's powers to the subject of eloquence in general , the allusions were mainly to Edmund Burke , John C. Calhoun , Sargent S. Prentiss , and Lorenzo Dow .