[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—On reading your article on the "Tyranny of Coin- cidence" in the Spectator of July 13th, it occurred to me that the following might not be uninteresting. There prevails in this neighbourhood a strong superstition against removing whitethorn trees, the fairies being supposed to resent such proceedings. Three years ago a labourer of mine obtained leave from me to cut down a stub out of one such tree, which was in the way of the cultivation of the field in which it stood. It was a few days before Good Friday that he did so ; and on returning from church he found his cow, which I allowed him to graze with mine, in great agony with her thigh-bone broken. How it happened no one knew ; but of course this confirmed
the superstition.—I am, Sir, &c., J. B. SCOTT.
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