132 MR. HERBERT SPENCER’S SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY. JuNK, 1890. 
William L. Hiepe, Pli.D. 
Alfred Hill. M.D., F.I.C., 
Howard S. Pearson, 
Lecturer on English Litera- 
Medical Officer of Health, 
ture, Midland Institute. 
Birmingham. 
J. Alfred Hill, F.R.M.S. 
Edwin Hill. 
Emily Hughes. 
Wm. Mathews, M.A., F.Gr.S. 
Amelia Moseley. 
Kineton Parkes. 
Margaret Kineton Parkes. 
Showell Rogers, M.A.,LL.D., 
Cantab. 
H. H. Spears. 
John Spencer. 
Sam. Timmins, J.P., F.S.A. 
COLBRAN J. WAINWRIGHT. 
J. Cuming Walters. 
S. D. Williams. 
The Mason Science College, Birmingham, 
27th April, 1890. 
64, Avenue Road, Regent’s Park, 
London, N.W., April 29, 1890. 
Dear Mr. Hughes,— Of the many congratulations, home 
and foreign, which I have received on the attainment of my 
seventieth birthday, there is not one which has given me so 
much pleasure as that which you have forwarded to me as a 
joint expression of sympathy from the members of the 
Sociological Section and their friends. 
The consciousness that those who have signed this 
letter of good wishes have intended to express their apprecia¬ 
tion of my aims and efforts gives me much pleasure; and it is 
especially gratifying to find in the list so many distinguished 
names. 
Very generally men who have devoted themselves to 
philosophy have had to struggle on through life with but 
little recognition, leaving what value there was in their 
works to be discovered after their deaths. To me has come 
a better fortune. Few, if any, who have followed kindred 
careers have met with so much recognition from their con¬ 
temporaries. 
Though at present suffering from a relapse, I have reason 
to think that it will not be a serious one, and that I may 
presently resume the hope which I have lately been enter¬ 
taining that I may be able to do a little more of the work 
which I many years ago marked out for myself. 
Please communicate this expression of my thanks to the 
members of the Section, and those who have joined in their 
congratulations, and believe me, 
Very truly yours, 
HERBERT SPENCER. 
