noon
On this foundation he purposed to devote himself and a few disciples to the reform and mental culture of our criminal brethren . His visionary edifice was Hollingsworth 's one castle in the air ; it was the material type in which his philanthropic dream strove to embody itself ; and he made the scheme more definite , and caught hold of it the more strongly , and kept his clutch the more pertinaciously , by rendering it visible to the bodily eye . I have seen him , a hundred times , with a pencil and sheet of paper , sketching the facade , the side-view , or the rear of the structure , or planning the internal arrangements , as lovingly as another man might plan those of the projected home where he meant to be happy with his wife and children . I have known him to begin a model of the building with little stones , gathered at the brookside , whither we had gone to cool ourselves in the sultry noon of haying-time . Unlike all other ghosts , his spirit haunted an edifice , which , instead of being time-worn , and full of storied love , and joy , and sorrow , had never yet come into existence . `` Dear friend , '' said I once to Hollingsworth , before leaving my sick-chamber , `` I heartily wish that I could make your schemes my schemes , because it would be so great a happiness to find myself treading the same path with you . But I am afraid there is not stuff in me stern enough for a philanthropist , -- or not in this peculiar direction , -- or , at all events , not solely in this .