noon
It was settled , as usual , by each sister doing exactly as she pleased . Miss Deborah gave her invitations by word of mouth the next day , standing in the rain , under a dripping umbrella , by the church porch , while on Monday each of the desired guests received a formal note in Miss Ruth 's precise and delicate hand , containing the compliments of the Misses Woodhouse , and a request for the honor of their company at dinner on Thursday , November 12th , at half past six o'clock . A compromise had been effected about the hour . Miss Ruth had insisted that it should be at eight , while Miss Deborah contended that as they dined , like all the rest of Ashurst , at noon , it was absurd to make it later than six , and Miss Ruth 's utmost persuasion had only brought it to half past . During these days of preparation Miss Ruth could only flutter upon the outskirts of the kitchen , which just now was a solemn place , and her suggestions were scarcely noticed , and never heeded . It was hard to have no share in those long conversations between Sarah and her sister , and not to know the result of the mysterious researches among the receipts which had been written out on blue foolscap and bound in marbled pasteboard before Miss Deborah was born . Her time , however , came .