midnight
As often as Ben had visited the hut he had never deigned to look at the child , but Myra had a dull hope that , if she saved the fisherman , he would show some affection for the little boy . An hour later , the regular breathing of her father and mother told Myra that they both slept . Ezra , too , was sleeping , for she had bent over him but a little time before . The clock on the mantel pointed to midnight . The girl rose , and fed the baby , dropping some paregoric into his milk to keep him asleep , and then drew a large shawl about the little one , rolling him gently in the warm folds . Finally , she took a piece of paper and a pencil from the shelf . `` Mammy , '' she wrote , `` I 's a-goin ' to save Ben Letts .