midnight
Reaction had set in and she felt weak and faulty , longing for a strong shoulder upon which to cry and be forgiven for her imagined shortcomings . As she read yellowed letters of bygone days and lives , finding the record of a baby sister who had lived only a few days and of whom she had been in ignorance , a scrap of her mother 's wedding gown , old tintypes -- she realized that her family was no more and that everyone needed a family , a group of related persons whose interests , arguments , events , and achievements are of particular benefit and importance each to the other and who unconsciously challenge the world , no matter what secret disagreements there may be , to disrupt them if they dare ! Now only Luke and Mary comprised the family . After midnight Mary battled herself into the commonsense attitude of going to bed . Wakening after the dreamless sleep of the exhausted she found low spirits and self-blame had somewhat diminished and though her state of mind was as serious as her gray eyes yet life was not utterly bereft of compensations . Luke had thoughtfully risen early , clumsily tiptoeing about to get breakfast . Neighbours had furnished the customary donations of cake , pie , and doughnuts , which gave Luke the opportunity of spreading the breakfast table with these kingly viands and doing justice to them in no half-hearted fashion .