ready
gathering place for all his friends and co-workers. In this she succeeded
so well that their modest dwelling was frequently crowded with visitors
from far and near, many of whom later counted their visit with Grundtvig
among the richest experiences of their life.

Grundtvig's fiftieth anniversary as a pastor was celebrated with
impressive festivities on May 29, 1861. The celebration was attended by
representatives from all departments of government and the church as well
as by a host of people from all parts of Scandinavia; and the celebrant
was showered with gifts and honors. The king conferred upon him the title
of bishop; the former queen, Carolina Amalia, presented him with a seven
armed candlestick of gold from women in Norway, Sweden and Denmark; his
friend, Pastor P. A. Fenger, handed him a gift of three thousand dollars
from friends in Denmark and Norway to finance a popular edition of his
_Hymns and Songs for the Danish Church_; and another friend, Gunni Busck,
presented him with a plaque of gold engraved with his likeness and a line
from his hymns, a gift from the congregation of Vartov.

Many of those who participated in this splendid jubilee felt that it
would be of great benefit to them to meet again for mutual fellowship and
discussion of pressing religious and national questions. And with the
willing cooperation of Asta Grundtvig, it was decided to invite all who
might be interested to a meeting in Copenhagen on Grundtvig's eightieth
birthday, September 8, the following year. This Meeting of Friends--as it
was named--proved so successful that it henceforth became an annual
event, attended by people from all parts of Scandinavia. Although
Grundtvig earnestly desired that these meetings should actually be what
they were designed to be, meetings of friends for mutual help and
enlightenment, his own part in them was naturally important. His powers
were still unimpaired, and his contributions were rich in wisdom and
spiritual insight. Knowing himself surrounded by friends, he often spoke
with an appealing heartiness and power that made the Meetings of Friends
unforgettable experiences to many.

Thus the once loneliest man in Denmark found himself in his old age
honored by his nation, surrounded by friends, and besieged by visitors
and co-workers, seeking his help and advice. He was always very
approachable. In his younger days he had frequently been harsh and
self-assertive in his judgment of others; b