Page:Execution, or, The affecting history of Tom Bragwell.pdf/3

 Shocked at the circumstance not merely of a of boys being so employed on a Sunday, but at that effrontery, which, unmoved,  be guilty of such a practice, in the immediate  of a town, and in the presence of  person actually passing at the time; and having  long a convert to the axiom, that "It is  to prevent crimes than to punish them," I  a strong inclination to exert myself on this , in order to check such early blossoms of  in the bud.

Just as I arrived, one of the lads, whose name afterwards learned was,  expressing his fears that the strange , as he was pleased to call me, might have  them, and had gone to give information to  proprietor of the field; for, added he "I saw  gang rather faster after he was past, and now  out o’ sight.—I think we had better be awa’  what we hae got, for farther on and we may  warse." , one of his, gave it as his opinion, that it was very the gentleman might have seen them, for  was obliged to caution both  and  not to speak so loud, at the very time  was looking that way; at the same time  he, "I dinna think there is ony danger,  he went on without takin’ muckle notice." observed, that "he didna care his part whether he saw them or no,—the beans  nane o’ his,—an', at ony rate, he cau’dna  ken them at sic a distance, for it was getting ," and a very good time, he thought, to get  pockets well filled.