THE GENESIS OF UNIVERSITY MYTH.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—As an old Harrovian and an eye-witness of the scene, I should like to correct the version of an old story which I read in the Spectator of September 14th. It was Dr. Longley who, coming after dark upon a boy out of bounds, gave chase and caught him by the coat-tail, which gave way in his hand, and the boy ran away. I was in the same house with him, and when he told us the story that night, one of us, Jack Norton I think it was, undertook to put the Doctor off the scent by tucking-up one of his own coat-tails. Next morning accordingly, as we filed past the Doctor after school, taking care to show our backs, Longley spied the solitary tail hanging down, called back the culprit, and as we left the room we heard him say :—" I think, Sir, I have something here which belongs to you."—" To me, Sir? No, Sir ; I know nothing about it."—" What, Sir! where are your coat-tails, Sir P "- "Here, Sir," says Norton, fumbling behind and drawing out the missing coat-tail triumphantly. And so the real culprit got off scot-free, and the Doctor was considerably disconcerted..
—I am, Sir, &c., WILLIAM BUCKINGHAM. Northeote Manor, North Devon.
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