The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-10-21
n Day at tho Butts.

1t was the fourth day of August, NOR,
lhan a hundred years ago, and the wlol,
road between London and the little viii y.
of Harrow was throngcd with people. /
was hot and dusty enough that summer
morning, but nobody seemed to mind in tn,
eager scramble for the best seats; and i
was not long before the little green knoll
just at the west of the London road, seem
cd fairly alive with spectators.
IL was lovely spot-ths wcll-know1
Butts of llarrow-with its crown of tai
forest trees waving like so many banners
ana us tries or grassy seats tcrracing tht
slope. From time immcmora it had beer
The scene OF annual contests in archery, ant
there was not boy in Harrow School who
did not look forward all the year to this
fourth day of August.
When John Lyon founded the school II
was made condition of entrance. Tim,
every pupil should be furnished with the
proper implements Of archery and AMONG
the school ordinances drawn up in the yeal
low there was one to the effect that every
child should, at all times, be allowed bow
shafts, bow strings, and a braccr.
NO wonder the men of those days were
tall, and straight, and strong!
But hark The church clock down IA
the village is striking the appointed hour.
n little figure, clad in rcd sntin from head
TO foot, darts, out from the thicket of trees
Dclew, and now procession of twelve
boys, some in white, some in red, and some
in green satin, take their places in the open
ring that has been lcft.for the competitors.
All the little archcrs have saslcs and caps
OF bright-colorcd silk, and looking down
from the garden knoll, the whole scene is a
Kaleidoscope of color.
a silver arrow-thc victor's prizc-glit-
tcrs tcmptngly in the sunlight and tail
lad, who stands among the waiting twelve.
bends eagerly forward to examine it.
"Just look at Pcrcivuln' whispers one
little archer to his ncighbor. "Hc's bound
to get that arrow, isn't hc?''
'Poohl who cares for the arrow2n re-
spends the other diselainfully. "It's nothing
Dut plaything, anyway! What | think
ABOUT IS winning the game, not the arrow!"
Yes; but you see it's different with
ierclval J. said the first speaker ellis
three older brothers, three years in success
sion, won tho arrows while they were here
at the Harrow School, and the father saws
IcrclVal must win the fourth for the one
empty corner in the drawing room, or he
shall be ashamed to call him his son!
Just here the boys were Interrupted In
their talk, for the target WAS ready. and.
at signal, the contest began. At first, one
shot after another fell quite outside the
third circle that surrounded the bull's-eyc.
then came n shaft that glanced Just to one
side of the inner circle; but at last, after
many fruitlcss attempts, the bulls-cyc was
1alrly pierced, and the feat was greeted with
a gay concert from the French horns
NOW, 1t so happcncd-at least this is one of
the traditions Of IIarrow-that the name of
this last boy was Glove" and when his
hfs scno0icfellb#s snoiitcd high above tho
horns:
"Onaeia vincH Amor J"
"Not sol" said another boy who stood
close by. "Nos non cc<t0n rs AD,Oi J"
And carefully adjusting his Shaft, he shot
it into the ull's-cyc whole inch nearer
the centre than his rival.
But each boy among the twelve compcti-
tors must have his own trial shot twelve
times repeated, before the final award can
be given. Meanwhile careful tally is
kept, and not until the one hundred and
forty-fourth arrow springs from its bow is
tho vctor's name announced:
''rhomas Reginald Pcrcival."
That first victory seems to have given n
magic impulse to his bow, for all twelve of
circle of the target; and now, at the head
of an excited procession Of boys he ls borne
triumphantly from the Butts to the village.
One little fellow in white satin runs far
ahead, waving the silver arrow with many
tlourishes; and, when the school buildings
Of Harrow are reached, a grand reception
is given to all tho neighboring country
folk.
Young Pcrcival, with bright eyes and
flushed checks, is the hero of the evening.
There are games and dancing, and all sorIs
of merry-malking until the "wcc sma"
hours, but the victoriaus boy can think of
nothing save the coveted arrow he has won.
That empty corner no longer troubles his
excited brain.
He has ably vndicatcd his right to the
| old family name, and henccforward, the
father can point with pride to four trophies
| won by his four sons at the famous Butts
of Harrow.
That was in 1865. In l771 the annual
shootings at Harrow were abolished; for
DR.. Heath, who was then head-mastcr of
the school,, thought they intcrfcred with
the boys's studies. The silver arrow pre-
pared for tho following year, 1772, was
never used, but is still preserved.at Harrow
as relic Of tho past. In the school-lib-
rary may be seen one Of the archcrs clabor-
atc suits, which is nearly hundred years
old and the fourth of August, though no
longer an exciting day at the Butts, is still
kept as II holiday at Harrow School, and
commcmorated with appropriate speeches.