midnight
Then he crossed his left leg over his right , and turned to the fire again . Before the right leg should be tired , all would be over . The son saw it as clearly as if it had been spoken , and he too turned away and sighed . As they sat , the bells of a church in the town began to chime for midnight service , for it was Christmas Eve , but they did not wake the dying man . He slept on and on . The doctor dozed . The son read in the Prayer Book on the table , and one of his sisters read with him .