five in the afternoon
You just bet they would ! The front door slammed behind them , and John went out to the kitchen to nibble at bits of celery , sample the cranberry sauce , and in other ways annoy his busy mother until she turned on him despairingly . `` For heaven 's sake , John , go into the parlor and read one of your new books until dinner 's ready if you ca n't be quiet . '' By five in the afternoon , he was so thoroughly surfeited with the season 's delights , that he had barely enough energy to stand in the window and peer into the lighted area around the street lamp as he watched for his guests ; for to bountiful helpings of turkey , potatoes , cranberry sauce , dressing , and a quarter of one of his mother 's delicious plum puddings had been added cornucopia after cornucopia of candy , until his stomach , for once in his life , caused misgivings as to its food capacity . Perry Alford came punctual to the minute , and shortly thereafter Red Brown , Sid DuPree , Silvey , and Skinny Mosher . Mrs. Fletcher had made use of her telephone to make the gathering a little more of a party for John than he had anticipated . Another display of the presents followed , while his father and mother stood in the parlor doorway and beamed down upon the youngsters .