5 a.m.
By dint of urging from their mother they made extra attempts at good behavior before the august visitor , but they were subject to awful relapses . Mrs. Woodward , on her side , considered she had her trials , for her aunt had a habit of arriving suddenly , giving only a few hours ' notice by telegram , and she could not forbear the suspicion that her revered godparent wished to surprise her housekeeping and catch her unprepared . On one occasion , indeed , when the family came down -- rather late -- for breakfast , Aunt Harriet was discovered sitting on the rustic seat outside the dining-room window . She explained that she had taken the 5 a.m. workmen 's train and had come to spend a long day with them , but not wishing to disturb the house at too early an hour she had remained in the garden enjoying the view until somebody arrived downstairs . In spite of her rather angular attitude , Miss Beach was a very kind and generous friend to her widowed niece , and she was the one person in the world to whom Mrs. Woodward naturally thought of turning in time of trouble . Aunt Harriet 's advice might not always be palatable , but it was combined with such practical help that there seemed no alternative but to follow it . Miss Beach , though not a rich woman , was possessed of very comfortable private means .