ONE MORE COINCIDENCE.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] Sra,—The coincidence in which M. Emile Deschamps was concerned, noted by "F. S." in the Spectator of April 15th, is sufficiently remarkable, but I almost think I can better it from my personal experience. At Oxford I counted among my pleasant acquaintances "E. L.," a man who added some archwological and much ecclesiological lore to other accom- plishments. We lost sight of each other after leaving the University, but in January, 1893, we met again in North Wales. The meeting was coincidental, but in view of what is to follow I will not detain your readers with an account of it. Our acquaintanceship now ripened into friendship, but in 1894 we again lost sight of each other. In the spring of 1896 we foregathered once more for a quarter of an hour, and again the meeting was coincidental. There was no further inter- course or communication between us until last summer. On the morning of August 30th, 1898, in company with a friend I " did " Strassburg Munster. As we stepped through the western door into the square before the Cathedral, I remarked to my companion : "In spite of everything the Cathedral leaves one with an impression of a want of grace of proportion and unity of idea. But I should like to hear an expert, 'E. L.' for choice, on the subject." Two minutes later I drew my companion's attention to a man who was standing with his back turned to us on the opposite pavement of the side street in which we were walking. "That might be 'E. L.' himself," I remarked. My companion, of course, rallied me on my vagrant imagination, but the laugh was on my side when presently the stranger turned and walked across the street to greet us. It was "E. L." in the flesh. The sequence of coin- cidences is not yet complete. On Saturday last at 5 p.m. I read the account in the Spectator of M. de Fontgibu's coinci- dental appearance to my companion of August 39th of last year, and I announced my intention of contributing an account of the Strassburg coincidences to your hospitable columns. By this morning's post, just as I was about to carry out my intention, I received an illuminated postcard from "E. L.," of whom I have seen or heard nothing since our meeting in August. Below the coloured print on the reverse side representing the Miinster it has the following : "In memory of our meeting here last year, 'E. L." The card was posted at Strassburg on Saturday at 2 p.m., as the postmark shows, two hours before I opened my Spectator. Looking to the fact that scepticism is generally of dogmatic and unreasoning temper where abnormal physical phenomena are concerned, I enclose the postcard itself for your inspection, and I subscribe my name. I would observe that "E. L." had, as I believe, never visited Strassburg before last summer and that he has not resided there since.—I am, Sir, &c., W. G. EDWARDS BEES.
Pendleton Vicarage, April 17th.
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