Page:Life and adventures of David Haggart.pdf/3



was born at a farm-town called the Golden Acre, near Cannon-mills, Edinburgh, on the 24th day of June, 1801; his father was a game-keeper, but afterwards a dog-trainer. He was early put to school, where he acquired a good knowledge of English grammar, writing, and arithmetic. About the age of ten, a trifling accident occurred, which, for fear of punishment from his father, determined him to leave home, and from that moment he dated the commencement of his sinful career. He had made no wicked acquaintance as yet, but committed several depredations by himself.

The first of these was stealing a bantam-cock from a woman at the back of the New-Town, Edinburgh. Having taken a fancy to it, he offered to buy, but the woman would not sell; he fell on the scheme of putting another cock of his own a-fighting, and then camocame [sic] off with his prize. He also tried shop-lifting, and carried off the till of a poor woman, who lived near Stock-bridge. One of his next plays was with a boy of the name of William Matheson whom he had accompanied to the village of Currie, and on their return, being some miles from town and tired, he mounted a poney which was grazing on the road side, and rode home;