W. Pett Ridge

“ Two small girls were chasing each other in Alvey Street, and one dodged in front of Mord Em'ly, using Mord Em'ly as ambush. Mord Em'ly, much annoyed by this unseemly behaviour, secured one of the dodging girls and shook her, and told them both to behave.
At Pandora she went up the stone steps quietly. The clean scent of a disinfectant permeated the buildings, and when a door opened the smell of an oil-lamp stole out. From the asphalted open space between the blocks came the voices of children enjoying their games noisily. The wind raced through the narrow passages with a scream. ”

“ A sudden fear possessed Mord Em'ly. "Surely they ain't all gone barmy on religion?"
"A-las, no!" whispered Miss Gilliken. "Some are servants of Satan, whilst others are like the woman in the parable—" The elderly lieutenant finished her swift oration, and Miss Gilliken broke off to give the usual expression of sympathy and acknowledgment. "Keep close to me, Mord Em'ly. We're going to march 'omewards now." ”

“ She saw a crescent of poke-bonneted, dark-gowned women finishing the triumphant refrain; a scarlet-jerseyed man stood in front, with distended cheeks, blowing out the cornet to the skies. The light from the gas-lamp near the pavement came athwart the faces of some of the women ”