ten o'clock
Each day in that week brought something to disturb the mind of Mr. Adkin ; and each day brought him into unpleasant business contact with someone in the town of Mayberry . To avoid , these things was almost impossible , particularly for a man of Mr. Adkin 's temperament . Saturday night came , always a busy night for the storekeeper . It was ten o'clock , and customers were still coming in , when a lad handed Mr. Adkin a note , it was from the regularly stationed minister of the church in Mayberry to which Mr. Adkin belonged . The note stated , briefly , that the writer was so much indisposed , that he would not be able to preach on the next day , and conveyed the request that `` Brother Adkin '' would `` fill the pulpit for him in the morning . '' Brother Adkin almost groaned in spirit at this unwelcome and not-to-be-denied invitation to perform ministerial duties on the Sabbath . Of theological subjects , scarcely a thought had entered his mind since Monday morning ; and , certainly , the states through which he had passed were little calculated to elevate his affections , or make clear his spiritual intuitions .