Letters of a Civic Guard — John B. Keane

Leo Molair is a member of the guards and here we find him writing to his nephew who is also a guard but of a mere two years standing. Guard Molair is a mine of information about his people and knows more about them than they know themselves. After all he has been their guardian day and night for twenty-five years. Since his job has been created by the follies and weaknesses of his fellows, consequently folly and weakness dominate the greater part of this book. As his tale unfolds we discover that there are not as many innocent people as one would like to believe and we meet such characters as the Widow Hansel who is accused of indulging in black magic and other forms of witchcraft; Flash Maldook the greatest ladies man since Casanova, and having a guard's uniform was no disadvantage to him. There is the sergeant who thought he was a super and there are others with the odd names of 'Itchybum', 'Catsfoot' and 'Tiptoe through the Tulips'.