***The Morning Watch explores the thoughts and feelings of 12-year-old Richard, a student at an unnamed Episcopal*** boarding school (based on Agee's schooling at St. Andrew's-Sewanee School in Sewanee, Tennessee), over the course of a few hours in the early morning of ***Good Friday in 1923***. ***Part I*** opens with Richard waking up to participate in the 4 AM shift of a nightlong prayer vigil in the school's chapel; ***Part II*** he goes to the chapel, prays, and decides to attend the 4:30 shift as well; ***Part III*** he leaves the chapel at 5 AM with two other boys, and they all run off to swim in the lake rather than go straight back to their dormitory, knowing ***they will be punished for this infraction.*** On their way to the lake, Richard discovers the intact shed skin of a locust, clinging to a tree; at the lake, the boys swim and then kill a snake; as they head back to school, Richard takes the locust shell with him.--**Wickipedia**