About four o'clock
Pa had just hoed into a bumblebee 's nest and said he did not know of any that was dead , but knew some that ought to be , and Ma she did not ask any foolish questions any more . After about twenty teams had stopped , Ma she got nervous and asked Deacon Smith if he saw anything green ; he said something about desecration , and drove away Deacon Brown asked Pa if he did not think he was setting , a bad example before his boy ; but Pa , he said he thought it would be a good one if the boy could only be hired to do it . Finally Ma got mad and took the tub behind the house where they could not see her . About four o'clock that afternoon we saw a dozen of our congregation headed by the minister , file into our yard , and my chum and I knew it was time to fly , so we got on the back steps where we could hear . Pa met them at the door , expecting some bad news ; and when they were seated , Ma she came in and remarked it was a very unhealthy year , and it stood people in hand to meet their latter end . None of them said a word until the elder put on his specs , and said it was a solemn occasion , and Ma she turned pale , and wondered who it could be , and Pa says ` do n't keep us in suspense , who is dead ? ' and the elder said no one was dead ; but they called as a duty they owed the cause to take action on them for working on Sunday .