six o'clock
His duty done he went home to rest ; but the man 's sleep was broken just after peep-o ' - day by the awfullest scream ever he heard . His child it was . Joey slept in a little room alongside his parents and , of course , Minnie was up to him like a flash of lightning , with Joseph after her . He said at a later time that ` Santa Claus ' had got in his dreams and he had suffered all night from a great uneasiness ; but he was sleeping sound enough when , just after six o'clock , the child screamed and screamed again . And still he screamed when his mother got to him and his father followed after , stopping only to light a candle . Poor Joey was out of bed with his mother 's arms round him when his father got there ; and on the bed lay Teddy 's box of sweets scattered over the cover-lid , with the Christmas stocking dragged up also , but its contents not yet explored . The sweeties came first , and Joey had opened them and now he screamed and pointed and screamed again , but for the moment could n't speak .