Memoir of Sir Charles Reed. By his Son, Charles E.
B. Reed, MA. (Macmillan.)—The useful life of Sir Charles Reed well deserved the record which the filial piety of his son, regulated always by excellent judgment and taste, has here given to the world. From early youth he devoted no little part of his time and strength to the work of education ; and in this work he did excellent service. The policy of the London School Board, a policy which sorely-burdened ratepayers have, on the whole, approved, owed much to his exertions, first as vice-chairman under Lord Lawrence, and secondly as chair. man. This was the most important part that Sir Charles Reed had to play in his life ; but he was consistently devoted to useful and conscientious work. At the same time, he had energy enough to bad up for himself a very solid fabric; of commercial success. And he never lacked the leisure for the cultivation of refined and intellec- tual tastes. Personally, he seems to have won the affection of all with whom he came into contact. Altogether, this is an attractive picture of an honest, energetic, large-hearted man. He made mis- takes, indeed. In company with the vast majority of Nonconformists, he began by protesting against the State aid to education which he afterwards found to be indispensable. But he had the manliness to own and to repair his errors. And he never failed in tolerance and
charity. An appendix to the Memoir gives Sir Charles Reed's statement, made to the School Board in September, 1880, in which he gave a summary of the work done by the Board from its founda- tion up to that date.
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