nine o'clock
His father is in moderate circumstances , deriving a comfortable subsistence from a small farm , but is able to lay by a very small surplus every year , and this he feels it necessary to hold in reserve for the liquidation of the mortgage held by Squire Haynes . Frank 's chance of attaining what he covets-a college education-seems small ; but he is resolved at least to prepare for college , feeling that even this will constitute a very respectable education . The reader is introduced to the main schoolroom of the Rossville Academy on the morning of the day of which the war meeting takes place . At nine o'clock the bell rang , and the scholars took their seats . After the preliminary devotional exercise , Mr. Rathburn , instead of calling up the first class at once , paused a moment , and spoke as follows : `` Scholars , I need not remind you that on the first day of the term , with the design of encouraging you to aim at improvement in English composition , I offered two prizes-one for the best essay written by a boy over fourteen years of age ; the other for the best composition by any one under that age . It gives me pleasure to state that in most of those submitted to me I recognize merit , and I should be glad if it were in my power to give three times as many prizes . Those of you , however , who are unsuccessful will feel repaid by the benefit you have yourselves derived from the efforts you have made for another end . ''