Their neighbors sat in their shops or stood at the doors of their houses or paraded the streets.

Past them their friends were hastening, trembling with terror.

Many women sat on the front steps, knitting, and with interested eyes watched their acquaintances fleeing toward the Paris gate.

When overhead a shell passed they would stroll, still knitting, out into the middle of the street to see where the shell struck.
By the noise it was quite easy to follow the flight of the shells.

You were tricked by the sound into almost believing you could see them.
The six-inch shells passed with a whistling roar that was quite terrifying.