Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-08

Sometimes the luck" as it is called takes the form
of goblet, in the of the Musgraves, whose
Luck of Eden Hall furnishes the theme of one of
Longellows most beautiful poems. In other in
stances the luck is jewel relic, tree.
a herd of cattle.
Sober and modern science may tempt
people this side of the Atlantic to derde fool
ish beliefs of this kind which not precisely cal
culated to appeal to the sound common sense of
level headed American men of business. But in
Europe, where these superstions have been current
for centuries. they may be said to imPregnate the
very atmosphere. Children brought UP to
cept them as Gospel truth. and by the families which
they concern any doubt to their authenticity is
regarded in the light of heresy. little short of
rege. Moreover, there many instances that
be cited of injury to the luck being followed by
misfortune to it's house-caSes which it is impossible
to ascribe to coincidence-as to afford food
for reflection, to the Skeptical of ScofferS
The Herd of White Cattle
TAKE, for example, the historic herd of white wild
cattle of the Earls of Ferrers. at Charley in Stat
fordshire. Of their origin nothing is known. beyond
records showing that they already denizenS of
Charley Park in the reign of King Henry Ill, that
is to say, nearly eight hundred years ago. They
again mentioned and described as of most
Gent descent, on the occasion of the soourn of
Mary Queen of Scots at Charley where she spent
several months. frequently riding and hawking in
the primitive forest park by which the hall was
rounded. The cattle have always been of dull
color, their ears. muzzleS and horns being
tipped with black.
From time mmemoral there has been a legend
to the effect that whenever, either through negli
BY the introduction of black colored kline, dis
aster would overtake the house of Shirley, of which
Lord Ferrers is chief. So strong the super
stition the subject. that whenever a calf either
black or dun hued, made its appearance, it in
stantly killed. The first instance of the kind is
corded to have taken place in IS22. when the birth
of black calf was followed by the ruin of the Earl
Of the day. The consignment of the fourth Earl
FerrerS to the galows IN 1900, for the cold booded
murder of his steward. and his execution Tyburn
by means of sllken rope. was likewise according
to the annals of the family. preceded by the
birth of black calf to the herd of white cattle at
Charley.
The present Earl finding that owing to inter-
breeding the herd in bad way, scoffed at fam
lily tradition, and with the object of strengthening
the breed placed black bull among the herd and
deliberately bred black calves from the white cattle
The peasantry in the district of whose fam
lilies had occupied their holdings for hundreds of
years, shook their heads ominously, predicting
fresh disasters for the master of Charley Hall. Two
years ago their representations fulfilled; for
Lord Ferrers compelled by financial troubles to
sell not only his ancestral home Charley Hall.
but likewise the famous herd of white cattle which
latter have passed into the possession of the Duke
of Bedford, and have found home at
Woburn
Then there is the tree