and
think in his blindness that he has arranged everything so nicely that
nothing can fail, and down he lies on his bed and goes to sleep quite
satisfied that affairs must turn out well as he has ordered them,
forgetting that Providence disposes as it thinks fit. There was a
gentleman by birth, of the name of Seton, who lived at Greenock; he was
very poor, and although he had high friends and relations well to-do, he
was too proud to ask for assistance. His wife was equally proud; and at
last one day he died, leaving her with hardly a penny, and two fine boys
of the names of Archibald and Andrew. Well, the widow struggled on, how
she lived no one knew, but she fed the boys and herself, and was just as
stately as ever. Her relations did offer to educate the boys and send
them to sea; but she refused all assistance. There was a foundation or
chartered school at Greenock, to which she was entitled to send her
children to be educated without expense, and to that school they went.
I don't know why, but they say the master had had a quarrel with their
father when he was alive, and the master had not forgotten it now he was
dead, and in consequence he was very severe upon these two boys, and
used to beat them without mercy: at all events it did them good, for
they learnt faster than any of the others who were at all favoured, and
they soon proved the best boys in the school. Well, time ran on till
Archibald was thirteen and Andrew twelve years old, and, being very
tired of school, they asked their mother what profession they were to be
of, and she answered, `Anything except going to sea, for there you will
never get on.' But times became harder with the widow; she had not
enough to give the boys to eat, and they complained bitterly; but it was
of no use, so they got on how they could, until one day Archy says to
Andrew, `Why, brother, we have nothing but ferrule for breakfast,
dinner, and supper, and I see little chance of our getting anything
more. Mother, poor soul has not enough for herself to eat, and she very
often gives us her dinner and goes without. I can't stand it any
longer; what shall we do? shall we seek our fortunes?' `Yes,' says
Andrew, `and when we are gone mother will have enough for herself.'

"`Well, they say anything is better than going to sea, but I don't know
how we can do anything else.'

"`Well, Archy, going to sea may be the worst of all, but it's better
than taking the victuals out of poo