eight o'clock
You 'll find men and women just as hard and selfish in their small way . It 'll be harder to bear , because it will all be so petty and pusillanimous . '' It was a lovely day in late April when they took the train out of the great grimy terrible city . It was eight o'clock , but the streets were muddy and wet , a cold east wind blowing off the lake . With clanging bell the train moved away piercing the ragged gray formless mob of houses and streets -LRB- through which railways always run in a city -RRB- . Men were hurrying to work , and Robert pitied them , poor fellows , condemned to do that thing forever . In an hour they reached the prairies , already clothed upon faintly with green grass and tender springing wheat .