, 1880-02-19

the pleasure OF your company at u Reception
aud Breakfast TO be given NJ the Hotel Bruins
Twelve O'Clock, in honor of the seventeen
Birthday of
OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES.
An early answer is desired
g10 DEvONsHIRE 81, HysIOH
NovEMBEl; Il, lS7).
Tie above card of invitation found its
way to the desks Of the most distin-
guished literary men and women Of the
land, and the number who accepted,
formed on the Sd Of December one of
the most brilliant and cultured assem-
blages ever gathered in New England.
The guests, to the number of one hun
dred, were seated ut six tables, which
were arranged with an artistic exactness
with reference to position, that con-
duccd greatly to the social and intellec-
tual enjoyments Of the occasion. At
the head Of the magnificent dining hall
sat the honored guest, DIR. Oliver Wen
dell Holmes, the frosts Of seventy Win
ters lightly touching his venerable head.
Mr.. Houghton, senior member of the
Atlantic Publishing House, occupied the
first place at his left; on his right sat
Mrs Houghton, and close at hand were
Whittier and Mrs. Stowe and President
Eliot Opposite the guest at the fur
ther end of the hall sat Mr.. Howells,
editor of the Atlantic. The first seat
at the right off, Mr.. Howellss was
intended for Mr. Longfellov, but
he was unhappily detained by Sickness.
A diagram of the tables designating the
seat occupied by each guest is presented
in the February Atlantic A Htho-
graph Of the same was furnished each
guest SO that it was easy to discover the
names of any who might be strangers il
person. Among the notables whose
names appear at the festive board we
find Mr.. Eggleston and Mr.. Clemens;
DR.. Bowditch and Mr.. Parkman; Julia
Ward Howe and Col. Higgenson; Mr..
Parton and Mrs. Aldrich; Governor
Rice and Mr. Harper, and more than
four coreothers whosenamesa areashouse
hold words in American literature.
The goth Of August was the anniyer-
sary Of Dr. Holmes birth, but since
many Of his friends and literary asso
ciates would be absent at that season the
festival was postponed to'the day above
named. f.i a.n. "a
Mr.. Fl, Q. Houghton, in conducting
the initiatory exercises Of theintelIectual
portion of the great feast said Gn an
old almanac of the year 1909 against the
date of August 90, is the simple entry
Son born The ink with which that
entry was made was blotted with the
coarse sand universally used at that
time, and that sand to-day, firmly i'm
bedded in the ink, still glistens on, the
record, May the sands of this life which
blot the record of Immortality awaiting
our Autocrat be as adhesive and con-
tinue for many years to come to give out
its coruscations Of light and truth and
beauty p "Ladies and gentlemen, L
give you as q sentiment Tho Autocrat
Of tho Breakfast Table; 0 King, live for
ever !'
AT the giving of this toast the COM
pany rose enthusiastically and drank the
health of DR.. Holmes. When they
were again seated and the applause had
died away DR.. Holmes read a poem pre-
pared for the occasion, replete with pa
thos, tenderness and beauty.
We reproduce the following stanzas,
regretting that our space will not accom-
modate the whole: ,ea ,r
Old age, tho gray.boardl Well, indeed, Ihnow
shrunE totterlhg, bent, Of aches and Ills the
In SERMON, story. fable, picture, poem,
on have met him froll my earliest day: go
Yes. long, indeed, I've Known hip al IA dis
And now my lifted doorlatch showsohlm
ltake his shriveled hand without resistance,
And fad him smiling as his step draws near.
What though ofgilded baubles no bereaves 1s
Dcsr To the heart os yunth, 10 manhood's
prime, 20 - f-
Think OF the calm he brings the wealth he
leaves us, ." s'
The hoardsd spoIs, the legacies Of tinne
Affairs once flaming, still with incense fra
grant, EN.
Passion's uneasy musings rocked asleep,
Hopes anchor faster, wild desire less vagrant,
4Lne's flow less noisy, but the stream how
deep! H .I .I.
StiI MS the silver cord gets worn and slender,
4 It's ligltened task-wOrk tags with lessening
strain,
Hands get more helpful. voices, grown more
lender,
sooihe with their soGened tones their slum-
- berOUs brain. .t..
But, O'my gentle sisters my brOthors,
These thick-sOwn snow flakes hint OF tolls
release
These fe, bierpuses bid me leave to others q
Pne tasks once welcome; evening asks for
peace.