nearly midnight
But they were welcomed vociferously at the neighbor 's ; preparations were made for a long evening 's fun ; for with the snow coming down so steadily there would be little work done out of doors the following day , so the family need not seek their beds early . The Pollock children had made a good store of nuts , like the squirrels ; and there was plenty of corn to pop , and molasses for candy , or corn-balls , and red apples to roast , and sweet cider from the casks in the cellar . The older girls retired to a corner of the wide hearth with their work-boxes , and Hiram and Henry worked out several problems regarding the latter 's eleven-week course at the agricultural college , which would begin the following week ; while the young ones played games until they fell fast asleep in odd corners of the big kitchen . It was nearly midnight , indeed , when Hiram and Sister started home . And it was still snowing , and snowing heavily . `` We 'll have to get all the plows out to-morrow morning ! '' Henry shouted after them from the porch .