that charming story and Humphrey Dexter fall to blows on the same
dangerous subject.

I cannot find that in his masterly pictures of public school life he
drew much from his experiences at the City of London School, except,
perhaps, in a few details, such as the rivalry which he describes so
vividly as existing between the fifth and sixth forms in his delightful
book, "The Fifth Form at Saint Dominic's." In Reed's day there was no
such "set" among the juniors at the City of London School as the
"guinea-pigs" and "tadpoles," who play so important a part in the story;
but in a room devoted to the juniors, known as the "horse-shoe," in the
old school buildings in Milk Street, many of the pranks and battles of
the "guinea-pigs" and "tadpoles" were played and fought.

In 1869, at the age of seventeen, Reed left school, and joined his
father and elder brother Andrew in the great firm of type-founders in
Fann Street. He threw himself with strenuous application into the new
work, maintaining at the same time with equal keenness his interest in
football, wishing nothing better than a fierce game--"three hacks on one
leg, and four on the other," as he said, and glorying in his wounds.
The same strenuous energy applied to his reading at this period. A
friend tells me that in a letter about this time he speaks of devouring
"five of Scott's novels in a month, resulting in parental remonstrance;
history; and a Greek play, in which he is not so 'rusty' as he feared."
In Fann Street his practical business energies found free play, although
the bias of his mind undoubtedly lay towards literature rather than
commerce; but for nearly a quarter of a century he devoted himself to
this work with a degree of success that was to be expected of his
talents, the conscientious uprightness of his character, and his
unceasing industry. At the death of Sir Charles Reed, and of his
brother Andrew, Talbot became the managing director of the Type-foundry,
and held that position to the time of his death.

Reed had not long left school when his creative literary instincts began
to assert themselves. His apprenticeship in literature may be said to
have been served in the editing of an exceedingly clever family
magazine, called _The Earlsmead Chronicle_, which circulated in the
family and among friends.

His earliest printed effort appeared in 1875, in a little magazine for
young people, called _The Morning of Life_ (published in America by
Messrs