Accept the congratulations of an unknown foreigner who wishes you, on your eightieth birthday, the blessings of health and happiness, that, as the world’s foremost thinker, your efforts and labors for the enlightenment of mankind obligates every member to an acknowledgement of such service.
Besides the pleasure received in the reading and study of your works, I am personally indebted to you for your courteous favor of replying to my asking for your autograph several prized in a collection equaled by but few in this Country, I have not dared to make it as public as it deserves for fear that you would be overwhelmed with similar requests, but I am taking the liberty of enclosing a newspaper mention of this collection about a year ago, to show you the good faith of my undertaking outlined in my original request.
