The Everlasting Birthday

At one of my other blogs I have a newspaper piece about a guy's birthday party, his 80th.

Charles D. Fessenden passed his eightieth birthday at his home in East Brownfield, on the Fryeburg road, Thursday, the 14th. In the evening a few of his friends and neighbors gave him a surprise party, which he greatly enjoyed. They carried refreshments of ice cream, cake, cookies and saltines. Besides the family those present were: [list of names]. The evening was spent in general conversation and telling stories, which caused much merriment. After wishing Mr. Fessenden good health and many returns of the day, they left at a late hour with many memories of the evening.

There's usually no record at all of someone's birthday party, and of course there doesn't need to be. As for myself, I wouldn't like to open the newspaper everyday and see what I was up to, descriptions of my birthdays, etc. But there it is for this old guy from long ago.

It sounds like a great time for the folks there, with the refreshments, conversation, and merriment. It has a kind of everlasting feel, then, with them leaving "at a late hour with many memories of the evening." Like they're still out there somewhere mulling it over.