midnight
`` Goo -- goo -- goo -- goo , '' said the baby , and thrust the locket in her mouth . I think she must have been going through the interesting process of teething , for she made so many dents in the handsome face , that it was rendered useless as a future gift to some fortunate girl , while the way she slobbered over it was disgusting . I scarcely regretted the ruin of the locket , I was so delighted to have her keep quiet ; but , alas ! the little wretch soon dropped it and began howling like ten thousand midnight cats . I trotted her again -- I tossed her -- I laid her over my knees on her stomach -- I said `` Ssh -- ssh -- ssssh -- sssssh ! '' all in vain . Instead of ten minutes for refreshments it seemed to me that they gave ten hours .