noon
Once admit two or three faces seated at your hearthside , or gazing out from your windows on the laughing sun , and when they are gone , they carry off the glow from your grate and the sunbeam from your panes . Poor Mrs. Saunders ! in vain she sought to rouse herself , to put the rooms to rights , to attend to the chickens to distract her thoughts . The one - eyed cripple , the little girl , the shaggy-faced dog , still haunted her ; and when at noon she dined all alone off the remnants of the last night 's social supper , the very click of the renovated clock seemed to say , `` Gone , gone ; '' and muttering , `` Ah ! gone , '' she reclined back on her chair , and indulged herself in a good womanlike cry . From this luxury she was startled by a knock at the door . `` Could they have come back ? ''