midnight
No , not all ; for many a night , when his tempter slept by his side , the child lived over the past ; again he kneeled in prayer , and felt his mother 's guardian hand on his head , and he wept tears of bitter remorse , and wondered at the dread change that had come over him . Then he dreamed , and he saw his mother and sister walking in white , fair as angels , and would go to them ; but between him and them was a great gulf fixed , which widened and widened , and grew darker and darker , till he could see them no more , and he awoke in utter misery and despair . Again and again he resolved , in the darkness of the night , that to-morrow he would not drink , and he would not speak a wicked word , and he would not play cards , nor laugh at Dick 's bad stories . Ah , how many such midnight resolves have evil angels sneered at and good ones sighed over ! for with daylight back comes the old temptation , and with it the old mind ; and with daylight came back the inexorable prison walls which held Fred and his successful tempter together . At last he gave himself up . No , he could not be good with Dick -- there was no use in trying !