midnight
Well , good-bye ! Have it marked immediate , please , an ' I 'll call back in an hour . Good-bye , again ! '' When old man Trimble stood before the fireplace at midnight that night , stuffing little parcels into the deep , borrowed stocking , he chuckled noiselessly , and glanced with affection towards the corner of the room where his young wife lay sleeping . He was a fat old man , and as he stood with shaking sides in his loose , home-made pajamas , he would have done credit to a more conscious impersonation of old Santa himself . His task finally done , he glanced down at a tall bundle that stood on the floor almost immediately in front of him , moved back with his hands resting on his hips , and thoughtfully surveyed it . `` Well , ef anybody had ` a ' told it on me I never would ` a ' believed it , '' he said , under his breath .