ields a respectable old woman, and her son, who was
trying to struggle into sufficient knowledge of medicine, to go out as
ship-surgeon in a Baltic vessel, and perhaps in this manner to earn
money enough to spend a session in Edinburgh. He was furthered in all
his plans by the late benevolent Dr. G----, of that town. I believe the
usual premium was not required in his case; the young man did many
useful errands and offices which a finer young gentleman would have
considered beneath him; and he resided with his mother in one of the
alleys (or "chares,") which lead down from the main street of North
Shields to the river. Dr. G----had been with a patient all night, and
left her very early on a winter's morning to return home to bed; but
first he stepped down to his apprentice's home, and bade him get up, and
follow him to his own house, where some medicine was to be mixed, and
then taken to the lady. Accordingly the poor lad came, prepared the
dose, and set off with it some time between five and six on a winter's
morning. He was never seen again. Dr. G---- waited, thinking he was at
his mother's house; she waited, considering that he had gone to his
day's work. And meanwhile, as people remembered afterwards, the small
vessel bound to Edinburgh sailed out of port. The mother expected
him back her whole life long; but some years afterwards occurred the
discoveries of the Hare and Burke horrors, and people seemed to gain
a dark glimpse at his fate; but I never heard that it was fully
ascertained, or indeed more than surmised. I ought to add that all
who knew him spoke emphatically as to his steadiness of purpose, and
conduct, so as to render it improbable in the highest degree that he
had run off to sea, or suddenly changed his plan of life in any way.

My last story is one of a disappearance which was accounted for after
many years. There is a considerable street in Manchester leading from
the centre of the town to some of the suburbs. This street is called at
one part Garratt, and afterwards, where it emerges into gentility and,
comparatively, country, Brook Street. It derives its former name from an
old black-and-white hall of the time of Richard the Third, or thereabouts,
to judge from the style of building; they have closed in what is left
of the old hall now; but a few years since this old house was visible
from the main road; it stood low on some vacant ground, and appeared to
be half in ruins. I believe it was occupied