noon
It was so strange to him that it took him years to grasp it . And when it came into his mind , he felt as if some one had raised a heavy stick to strike him , and he cowered under the impending blow . Christmas was approaching . The days grew shorter and shorter , until at last a scant four hours of daylight remained around noon . Even then a lamp was often needed for reading . The lead-coloured sky nearly touched the roofs . The drizzle that filled the air most of the time seemed to enter men 's minds , too , sapping their vigour until life became a burden .