one o'clock
The morning had gone very fast , while she was walking to the village securing her purchases , and coming home again . She was startled when she looked at the kitchen clock to find that it pointed to a quarter past twelve . At the same time she discovered that the kitchen fire was nearly out , and that the oven was cold . Father always liked the early dinner to be on the table sharp at one o'clock ; it would never , never do for Polly 's first dinner to be late . She must not wait any longer for that naughty Maggie ; she must put coals on the fire herself , and wash the potatoes , and set them on to boil . This was scarcely the work of an ordinary lady-like housekeeper ; but Polly tried to fancy she was in Canada , or in even one of the less civilized settlements , where ladies put their hands to anything , and were all the better for it . She had a great hunt to find the potatoes , and when she had washed them -- which it must be owned she did not do at all well -- she had still greater difficulty in selecting a pot which would hold them .