noon
They led me into the house where a delightful surprise awaited me , for the rooms had been decorated with balsam boughs and sweet ferns . A glowing mass of violets , framed in moss , occupied the center of the table . The house was filled with the odors of the forest , which , as they knew , were dear to me . I had written that they might expect me some time before noon , but I had begged them not to meet me in Canton , as I wished to walk home after my long ride . So they were ready for me . I remember how they felt the cloth on my back and how proudly they surveyed it . `` Could n't buy them goods ` round these parts , '' said Uncle Peabody .