midnight
All the broken columns and clasped hands and doves and angels meant romances . He fancied that in a hundred years he would like having young people speculate as to whether his eyes were brown or blue , and he hoped quite passionately that his grave would have about it an air of many , many years ago . It seemed strange that out of a row of Union soldiers two or three made him think of dead loves and dead lovers , when they were exactly like the rest , even to the yellowish moss . ***** Long after midnight the towers and spires of Princeton were visible , with here and there a late-burning light -- and suddenly out of the clear darkness the sound of bells . As an endless dream it went on ; the spirit of the past brooding over a new generation , the chosen youth from the muddled , unchastened world , still fed romantically on the mistakes and half-forgotten dreams of dead statesmen and poets . Here was a new generation , shouting the old cries , learning the old creeds , through a revery of long days and nights ; destined finally to go out into that dirty gray turmoil to follow love and pride ; a new generation dedicated more than the last to the fear of poverty and the worship of success ; grown up to find all Gods dead , all wars fought , all faiths in man shaken ... . Amory , sorry for them , was still not sorry for himself -- art , politics , religion , whatever his medium should be , he knew he was safe now , free from all hysteria -- he could accept what was acceptable , roam , grow , rebel , sleep deep through many nights ... .