midnight
The one real serious quarrel the old man had had with his stubborn and ignorant old wife had been when Shiloh was sent to the factory . But it was always starvation times with them ; and when aroused , the temper and tongue of Mrs. Watts was more than the peaceful old man could stand up against . And as there were a dozen other tots of her age in the factory , he had been forced to acquiesce . Long after all others had retired -- long after the evening star had arisen , and now , high overhead , looked down through the chinks in the roof of the cabin on the mountain side , saying it was midnight and past , the patient old man sat with Shiloh on his lap , watching her quick , restless breathing , and fearing to put her to bed , lest he might awaken her . He put her in bed at last and then slipped into Captain Tom 's cabin before he himself lay down . To his surprise he was up and reading an old dictionary -- studying and puzzling over the words . It was the only book except the Bible the Bishop had in his cabin , and this book proved to be Captain Tom 's solace .