eleven o'clock
Mr. Barton had not the gift of perfect accuracy in English orthography and syntax , which was unfortunate , as he was known not to be a Hebrew scholar , and not in the least suspected of being an accomplished Grecian . These lapses , in a man who had gone through the Eleusinian mysteries of a university education , surprised the young ladies of his parish extremely ; especially the Misses Farquhar , whom he had once addressed in a letter as Dear Mads. , apparently an abbreviation for Madams . The persons least surprised at the Rev. Amos 's deficiencies were his clerical brethren , who had gone through the mysteries themselves . At eleven o'clock , Mr. Barton walked forth in cape and boa , with the sleet driving in his face , to read prayers at the workhouse , euphemistically called the ` College ' . The College was a huge square stone building , standing on the best apology for an elevation of ground that could be seen for about ten miles around Shepperton . A flat ugly district this ; depressing enough to look at even on the brightest days . The roads are black with coal-dust , the brick houses dingy with smoke ; and at that time -- the time of handloom weavers -- every other cottage had a loom at its window , where you might see a pale , sickly-looking man or woman pressing a narrow chest against a board , and doing a sort of treadmill work with legs and arms .