The Portland daily press., 1882-12-20
Prof. packard's Birthday.

GIOls EdCkOEQ
The following correspondence in reference to the
intended celebration of Prof. A. 5. Packard's
eighty fourth birthday, by the Maine Historical
Society, next Saturday, will be read with INTEREST,"
PORTLAND, November %, 1882.
Re0. ALpheus s. Packard, ID. d.:
Dear Sir,-Tbe Milne Historical Society, of
which you have been member for more than half
a cent rP, for the larger portion of which period
you have been OF It's most useful officers in tes
timony of its appreciation of your long and faithful
services, and of the honor and generation in which
you We're held by all its mt mbers. at its annual
meeting the 18th of July last voted
s'lhaJ on the 23d IF December next we observe
the Saith birthday of the Rev. DR.. Packard by a
meeting of the Society,""
As members of the committee to whom the ar
rangements for this meelng were committed, it
gives very great pleasure to extend to you in
Yitation to meet the members of the Society, in
Portland on the day mentioned, at such hour as
may hereafter be determined on, that you may
then and there receive the congratulations that
your life has been extended to this time and that
it has been full of usefulness and honor, and so
fifty crowned with the respect, esteem and venera
ton of all men who have had the good fourtune to
know you our wo ks.
DESTROYS that the form and manner of the testi-
monial may be such as will be most agreeable to
you, we hopefully await your acceptance of this
invitation; and any suggestions in regard 70 the
meeting that YOU NAV be pleased to make will BIZ
carried out with great pleasure by the committee.
Very truly, your obedient servants
ISRAEL WAsHBURN, JR.
WIN. G00LD,
ST PHEN j. YOUNG,
EDWARD II. ELwELL.
To this letter Prof. Packard made the following
reply:
BRUNSWICK, Dec /, 1882.
Hon. Israel IF0shJlgN, Jr.:
Dear Sir,-Your letter OF the 23d ult, containing
the vote Of the Maine Historical society," at its an
nua meeting in July, with reference to my ap-
| preaching birthday, was received yesterday
Having left that meeting before the subject was
| introduced. was much surprised when the matter
| was first made known to me by the newspaper con-
| tanning notice of the meeting a week after 1t
was some time before could bring myself to yield
feelings OF decacy and even Of propriely regarding
personal presence on an octas on OF which was to
be ths prominent object. But | have suppressed
such scrupes, and accept the Invitation of the com
mittee 10 attend he meeting unless prevented by
| circumstances beyond my control
Thank you, my dear sir, for tile kind terms in
which you convey the Wi-hes of the committee, d
be to assure you and the committee and the Soci-
ETY. Of my deep sense of the honor done me by their
| action.
| leave all that to the committee; my preference be-
| ing for what is simple aud unobtrusive.
| Respectfully your obedient servant,
A. S. PACKARD.
Replies to letters of invitation to be present on
| the occasion have been received from many distin
gulshed citizens in this and other States, all paying
hgh tribute TO the character and services OF Prot
| faehfri. THESE will be read al the meeting Be
| Sldes tne original loem. writted for the occasion
Ian, Jr.