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son with any thing fine to do what was right: but unfortunately this evening, in opposition to his father's advice and his mother’s entreaties, David would go out under some pretence, and had not proceeded far, when he was stopped on his way by Candid and Careless, who were loitering at the head of the Western Lane when he came np to them.
Candid, I learned, was a true object of pity. It had been his misfortune to lose both his parents at an early age; and although now entered to an apprenticeship at thirteen, was still lodged at the expense of the parish, with an old woman, who thought she did her duty sufficiently if she "cled and fed him," as she said, "without troubling hersel' how he was employed on the Sabbath-day, providin’ he didna stay awa frae the kirk, for gif he did that, she was sure to hear o’t frae the minister."
John Careless, was the son of a poor well-meaning widow-woman, but whose over fondness for an only child, (who had lost his father, at two years of age,) was like to prove his ruin; for the darling boy had already thrown of all parental restraint; and was fonder of rambling about the streets, or joining the idle boys on a Sunday evening, at the place of rendezvous.
From the history of these three young men, it is thus easy to account for their being assembled together when Bragwell also made his appearance in an evil hour, and with "How are ye my brave lads! we’re a’ weel met," and other words of similar import, soon ingratiated himself so much into their favour, as to find no difficulty in getting
