nine o'clock
This was the last as well as the gayest party of the holidays . It broke up at twelve midnight , because the next day was Sunday . On Monday Ishmael arose early and walked over to Rushy Shore , opened his schoolhouse , lighted a fire in it , and sat down at his teacher 's desk to await the arrival of his pupils . About eight or nine o'clock they began to come , by ones , twos , and threes ; some attended by their parents and some alone . Rough-looking customers they were , to be sure ; shock-headed , sun-burned , and freckle-faced girls and boys of the humblest class of `` poor whites , '' as they were called in the slave States . Ishmael received them , each and all , with that genial kindness which always won the hearts of all who knew him . In arranging his school and classifying his pupils , Ishmael found the latter as ignorant , stubborn , and froward as they had been represented to him .