nearly midday
All were nevertheless conscious of the propriety of their appearance , and felt quite heroic . It really was heroic to sit there hour after hour in the burning sun bareheaded , until all were gathered into one great picture , and a documentary proof could be handed down to their grandchildren in the shape of a large-sized photograph , showing that their grandmothers had been chosen as the official beauties of Berlin in the year 1871 . The satisfaction of vanity , involving such a sacrifice , almost deserves admiration . It was nearly midday when a sudden stir took place in the crowd . Every one on the platforms sprang up and began to wave hats and handkerchiefs . In the windows , on the roofs , in the spaces between the platforms , wherever men could be packed , suddenly all the heads turned to one side , just as a field of corn bends before a breeze . Then uprose a roar of shouts and cheers , deafening and almost stunning in intensity .