The father heard and turned about.
"Stop that, Jim, d'yeh hear?
Leave yer sister alone on the street.
It's like I can never beat any sense into yer damned wooden head." The urchin raised his voice in defiance to his parent and continued his attacks.

The babe bawled tremendously, protesting with great violence.
During his sister's hasty manoeuvres, he was dragged by the arm.
Finally the procession plunged into one of the gruesome doorways.

They crawled up dark stairways and along cold, gloomy halls.

At last the father pushed open a door and they entered a lighted room in which a large woman was rampant.
She stopped in a career from a seething stove to a pan-covered table.
As the father and children filed in she peered at them.
"Eh, what?
Been fightin' agin, by Gawd!" She threw herself upon Jimmie.

The urchin tried to dart behind the others and in the scuffle the babe, Tommie, was knocked down.