seven o'clock
The whole world was for twenty-four hours revoked , put back . Only the Sunday world existed . She loved the very confusion of the household . It was lucky if the children slept till seven o'clock . Usually , soon after six , a chirp was heard , a voice , an excited chirrup began , announcing the creation of a new day , there was a thudding of quick little feet , and the children were up and about , scampering in their shirts , with pink legs and glistening , flossy hair all clean from the Saturday 's night bathing , their souls excited by their bodies ' cleanliness . As the house began to teem with rushing , half-naked clean children , one of the parents rose , either the mother , easy and slatternly , with her thick , dark hair loosely coiled and slipping over one ear , or the father , warm and comfortable , with ruffled black hair and shirt unbuttoned at the neck . Then the girls upstairs heard the continual : `` Now then , Billy , what are you up to ? ''