100 Years Ago, July, 1911, Egypt:

 - 100 Years Ago, July, 1911, Egypt:

    ‘Abdu’l-Bahá turned His attention to Europe. He had been invited to address the Universal Races Congress in London at the end of July 1911. -- 

    “London Bahá’ís in anticipation of the congress and the attendance of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá were uniting in prayer  and concentration each evening at 9 o’clock, upon love and unity, that we may be fittingly prepared as a fertile soil to receive the seed which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá will sow in our midst; also other Societies of those who desire ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to come are joining us in this 9 o’clock concentration.”

            Star of the West, Vol. II, #7 & 8, pg. 11. 

The Christian Science Monitor issue of June 16 editorialized about  the East and the West:  

    From July 26 to July 29, inclusive, there will be held in London, England, a universal races congress, the first in the history of the world. Today and tomorrow there will be held in Washington, D.C., the annual conference of the Persian-American Educational Society. This will be the last meeting of that body under its present name and limitations. Hereafter it will be known as the Orient-Occident Unity Association. 

    The Washington and London gatherings have one great object in common—the bringing together of the East and West. The universal races congress has the support of thirty presidents of parliament in all parts of the globe, of a majority of the members of the permanent court of  of the delegates to the second Hague conference, of twelve British governors and eight British premiers, of over forty colonial bishops, of hundreds of professors of international law, and of learned men in all countries. In the program arranged for the Washington conference appear the names of many eminent American men and women and some distinguished foreigners.  

    It will thus be seen that what J. H. DeForrest regards as the greatest international problem of  the twentieth century—how to get the populous and historic East into sympathetic relations with the aggressive West, so that the two halves of the human race may make one fairly peaceful whole—has already been brought forward for serious discussion under excellent auspices. The London congress proposes to take up the question of race in its widest possible aspects. The immediate object of the Washington conference is to establish closer relationships along all lines between the people of the East and West; to create a better mutual understanding and international fellowship among the citizens of the world; to uphold the beneficial laws of peace and arbitration between different nations—in short, to cultivate a better acquaintance and a clearer understanding between the two great branches of the human family than now exists, than has ever existed.

    The law of separation between the races has come down to our period from the ages. Kipling has voiced it in the lines —

        For East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet

        Till earth and sky stand presently at God’s great judgment seat—

and it has come to be taken for granted by millions as fixed and indisputable and  insurmountable fact.  But modern thought is opposed to this theory. Tremendous advance has been made in an opposite direction even within the last score of years. A great light has broken in upon the Caucasian, for instance, as to the intellectual capacity of the man whose skin happens to be of another tint. Not only individuals, but nations, are now being judged, not by origin, race or custom, but by their achievements, upon their merits. In both the London congress and the Washington conference efforts will be directed toward showing the enormous debt of western society to the East. In both gatherings facts will be brought forward with the view of showing how unjust, how foolish it is for a single wing of the human race to attempt to claim a right to or possession of, all the credit for the worlds’s advancement.

    The hope of the present, the hope of the future, is that “the twain” shall meet—not in some far off, remote time or place, but here on this earth—and that they shall meet in high apprehension and recognition of each other’s worth, in friendship, fraternity  and peace.— TheChristian Science Monitor. 

                                        Star of the West, Vol. II, Nos. 7&8, pp. 16-17

Although for some time it seemed as if ‘Abdu’l-Bahá might actually attend the universal races congress,  He finally sent a message to the congress and decided to travel to Europe later in the summer. He sailed for Marseilles in August, 1911. (For the next four months He visited Switzerland, England, and France. Then He returned to Egypt for the rest of the winter.)

                To Move the World, Louis G. Gregory and the Advancement of Racial Unity in America,by Gayle Morrison, © 1982 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í’s of the United States, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, IL, USA. p. 50

 note---The latest in this series from John Conkling in the States. He notes that the use of capital letters is as per the original manuscripts, not necessarily current usage (for example, “universal races congress” instead of “Universal Races Congress” in the second quotation.

`Abdu'l-Baha's Visit to Canada

`Abdu'l-Baha's Visit To Canada, By Hugh Church

 In 1912, Montreal was - by any measure - the most important city in the adolescent Dominion of Canada and its wealthy English-speaking population occupied the peak of Canadian "high society." They lived in the so-called Square Mile, the district west of downtown and between Sherbrooke Street and "the Mountain." Their homes were mock Highland castles, palatial neo-Georgian houses, faux Tuscan villas and massive brownstone mansions. They took their social cues from London. They took tea, rode to the hounds with the Montreal Hunt and gave palatial dinner parties. They were merchant princes (like the Birks and the Ogilvies) or captains of industry and commerce, such as the Molsons, Lord Strathcona, the Holts, Sir Mortimer Davis, the Holts, Lord Shaughnessy, the Van Homes and Lord Atholstan. These plutocrats lived in a neighbourhood which the Canadian humourist, Stephen Leacock (who was himself a Square Miler) called "Plutoria-under-the-Elms."

And on Pine Avenue, at the top of the Square Mile and right across the street from the Birks, lived a very successful architect and his lovely wife May. Mr. and Mrs. William Sutherland Maxwell, and their beautiful and adored two-year-old daughter, Mary. The Maxwells, who in their dress and in their residence and in their manner of living so closely resembled their wealthy neighbours were unusual in several significant ways. One was that they both were followers of a new," not-very-well-known religion, which in those days was often known as Bahaism." And on the Labour bay weekend of that year they were about to receive a very honoured, even august, visitor for whom they had entirely redecorated their home. This was `Abdu'l-Baha, the son of the man whom Baha'is recognise as the most recent of God`s manifestations to man, and the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith.

In 1912 `Abdu'l-Baha was 68 years old, and his was a "commanding presence," we are told. Time and again we read that people coming into his presence for the first time left describing feelings of awe at the meeting. But at the same time he seemed "intensely approachable." He had, after all, approved an advertisement in The Montreal Star which gave the Maxwell`s telephone number (Uptown 3015) and urged "any Montrealers who want to make an appointment with him" to do so. He had a ready sense of humour. He was not an ascetic. During part of his stay in Montreal, for example, he put up at the Windsor Hotel then the most expensive and luxurious in town. He always sought to avoid religious argument, but was uncompromising on his principles. 

Later on in his travels in North America, he insisted that Louis Gregory, a black Baha'i, be seated next to him at a dinner in the then rigidly-segregated city of Washington, DC. He always wore the clothes he was most comfortable in those of a Persian gentleman of the nineteenth century - and in a day of waxed moustaches wore an unfashionable beard. He enjoyed music. He loved children. He did not speak English or any other European language, and therefore always spoke through an interpreter who accompanied him everywhere. One can only imagine the impression he must have made on passers-by or on members of his various audiences in Montreal in 1912. (In fact, Mrs. Maxwell noted with what must have been some amusement that the upstairs curtains of all her neighbours' homes were ported as `Abdu'l-Baha arrived on Pine Avenue in the evening of August 30th so that the neighbours could glimpse the white-robed "Persian prophet.")

This brief visit was to accomplish exactly what `Abdu'l-Baha had hoped. It gave the few scattered individuals in Canada who called themselves Baha'is an awareness of themselves as a community," and gave them as well a better understanding of the Faith. (At that time, we must remember, most Baha'is in Canada had no Baha'i writings or scripture to read for themselves, and often didn’t even know any other Baha'is. Their beliefs, therefore, were often an amalgam of turn-of -the-century liberal thought, "universalism," and socialism, and many identified their barely-understood religion with `Abdu'l-Baha rather than with Baha'u'llah. It was said that these Baha'is were better described as `Abdu'l-Baha'is.) His visit attracted a lot of attention, particularly in Montreal, where more than 2,500 people heard him or nine days and where all the newspapers English and French reported extensively on his visit and his views. There were seven informal and eight public meetings, including an address to 500 socialists at Coronation Hall on the topic of Economic Happiness." Abdul-Baha met eminent people throughout Canada and elsewhere - religious and political leaders, professors, scientists, etc. In Montreal these included the Roman Catholic archbishop Bruchesi, and Mr. William Paterson, the principal of McGill University. Invariably their subsequent attitudes toward the Baha'i Faith were positive.

Finally, everything that he said - both in private homes, in churches and in other great meetings in Montreal and elsewhere was added to and became an important part of the corpus of Baha'i writings. In Montreal there were two addresses which became almost universally known among Baha'is - his addresses on "The Oneness of Religion" at the Unitarian Church of the Messiah (a building, incidentally, designed by his host, William Sutherland Maxwell,) and on "Baha'i Principles for the Happiness of the Human Race" at St James Church, the so-called "cathedral of Methodism" on Ste-Catharine Street.

 Before turning to those two talks, though, I'd like first to deal with an aspect of `Abdu'l-Baha`s visit to Montreal which became a very minor footnote in Canadian literature, and which, as Stephen Leacock`s biographer wrote many years later, for a while " ... must have given hurt ... to a small number of Baha'is." It interests me as a former literature teacher rather than as a Baha'i.

`Abdul-Baha`s visit had not escaped the notice of Leacock, who two years later published a satirical short story in his famous anthology Arcadian Adventures of the Idle Rich. The story to which I refer is one called "The Yahi-Bahi Society of Mrs Resselyer-Brown." Certainly Leacock was a neighbour of the Maxwells, but it is clear" from the story that he did not know and did not trouble himself to learn anything either about `Abdu'l-Baha - who figures in his story as Mr. Yahi Bahi - or about the Baha'i Faith - which he calls Boohooism. Yahi Bahi spouts an unsettling mishmash of Hindu, Buddhist, ancient Egyptian and Islamic terms, but he seems to have absolutely no religious or ethical principles to impart and is in fact, a scam artist and a thief. It must be remembered that at the time there were a lot of very well-known and very fashionable religious and occult "gurus" about - such as Annie Besant and Theosophy, for example - who were more-or-less the "pets" of society ladies with too much time on their hands and of self-described intellectuals. Leacock and others often scoffed at them and their followers. I don’t think that present-day Baha'is need be offended by this parody because it is so obviously wide of the mark. There is simply nothing of Abdul-Baha or of the Baha'i Faith in it. (And we all must remember that Leacock could be savagely funny in his comments about Anglican priests and Presbyterians as well.)

So let me now turn to matters of greater "gravitas" and of much greater significance.

In the pulpit of the imposing Church of the Messiah, `Abdu'l-Baha essentially offered his audience a summary of the basic tenets of the Baha'i Faith, without announcing that this was what he was about to do. Therefore this address can in no way be construed as an attempt at proselytizing, something which as the Guardian of the Faith he never did, and which Baha'is today are warned against doing as well. Nothing of what he said would surprise Baha'is today, and ninety-two years ago `Abdu'l-Baha apparently understood that in a Unitarian church he was unlikely to be misunderstood or to startle anyone either.

The church’s minister, the Rev. F R Griffin, in fact said in introducing `Abdu'l-Baha that "The strangest part of all about him is that nothing is strange." This is, of course, a reaction that Baha'is often encounter when they have the opportunity to explain their Faith to non-Baha'i friends and acquaintances. The Montreal Gazette reported that `Abdu'l-Baha in his opening sentences said. "God the Almighty has created all humanity from earth, from the same element."

The paper went on to note that the visitor spoke of his father. Baha'u'llah, having proclaimed that "religion must be the means of love and fellowship. If "religion" is the cause of hatred it has no meaning: it is not religion but irreligion. . . ." 

The audience might have been intrigued when `Abdu'l-Baha argued for a universal language "to "help the cause of international peace and goodwill." as this certainly would have been a somewhat novel idea in 1912. In fact, unfortunately, it still is. The Gazette said that "both in matter and in style" the message was "unique ..." On the other hand, The Montreal Daily Witness, a Socialist paper, carried an article by a local clergyman expounding the view that `Abdu’l-Baha’s "oriental doctrines are not new," in what was obviously intended as a criticism of the Baha'i speaker’s ideas. 

Present-day Baha'is should probably be able to see the point of both descriptions, since we see our Faith as both "unique" or "new" and as "not new" at one and the same time. To us this is not only not contradictory but is the only logical way of regarding the history of the spiritual development of all of mankind. Our only quibble would probably be with the use of the adjective "oriental" since we and I believe most of the world’s people today agree with us Baha'is about this - see nothing either "oriental" or "occidental" in the principles which Abdul-Baha spoke of in the pulpit of the Church of the Messiah and everywhere else throughout his life.

At St James Church, `Abdu'l-Baha continued his exposition of his Fathers religious teachings. Here The Gazette mentioned his call for the "independent investigation" of religious truth, and his contention that it is the lack of such independent investigation that leads to rancour and dissension. `Abdul-Baha spoke of the necessity of education, and the folly of racial and patriotic strife. As he had at other venues, he expressed his fear of the arms race in which all the European nations were then engaged, and which would make the soon-to-come Great War such a catastrophe for all those nations and for the rest of the world. He said,

"Europe is a storehouse of explosives awaiting a spark. All the European nations are on edge, and a single flame will set on fire the whole of that continent."

Today we can only regard his words as prescient. His remedy was the establishment of an international tribunal to settle international disputes. At the end of his address, the Recorder of St James, Mr. Weir, paid `Abdu'l-Baha the high compliment of saying that while some people believed the race of prophets had become extinct, . . . it was a pleasure to listen to one who was in the lofty succession of the long line of prophets." Even more moving, perhaps, was an editorial the next day in the usually very sober-sided Gazette, part of which said:

"`Abdu'l-Baha has preached universal peace for fifty years. . . In a word, `Abdu'l-Baha is the great protagonist of Peace in the world today. To bring about its accomplishment is the practical corollary of the two tenets which are the foundation of his creed - the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. For forty years he was persecuted for preaching it, for twenty years imprisoned."

It is, of course, not only ironic but tragic - in every sense of that word - that just two years later The Gazette’s pages would be filled with accounts of terrible battles, of warplanes, of gas attacks, and - worst of all - with lists of hundreds of names of the young Montrealers and Quebeckers killed or maimed in what now seems to many an entirely inexplicable and pointless war.

It is clear from everything that we know about `Abdu'l-Baha that he never wasted time. In fact, he seems to hove been the kind of person who maintains such a constant and rigorous schedule, such an unchanging and unrelenting momentum, that he appears to the casual observer not to be busy at all - rather like the Queen when she is "on tour." May Maxwell described her guest as `serene" and "calm," but during the nine days that `Abdu'l-Baha remained in Montreal, he seems either to have been preparing to speak or speaking, giving interviews, receiving guests, or paying calls upon people whom he felt would understand and should hear his message. While "resting" at the Maxwell residence. he spoke to small groups of guests on such subjects as Immortality" and The Nature of Man." 

When he ran out of time answering questions after his public addresses, he invited people to come to him to continue their discussions. Amine be Mille, an American Baha'i, tells us that early on the first morning of his stay in Montreal `Abdu'l-Baha began to receive a stream of guests, and that gall day, visitors flowed in and out. . . ." He was able to make each person feel as if somehow he or she was the very individual whom `Abdu'l-Baha had come to Montreal in order to see. (But the number of visitors was so great that after four days he felt his presence had become a problem in the Maxwell house, and he insisted upon moving into a suite at the Windsor Hotel. There even larger audiences continued.) He even found time, we know, to visit a sick child at 715 Pine Avenue, across from the Maxwell house. This was Geraldine Birks, the daughter of the "Jewellery store" Birks. (Seventy-nine years later, Geraldine didn’t remember that it was `Abdu'l-Baha who visited her, but did remember the "Indian guru" whom the Maxwell`s had invited to visit them.)

`Abdu’l-Baha’s visit to Montreal was exceptionally well-covered by the city’s newspapers. Some of the headlines seem quite touching to us today, or - sometimes - quite amusing. One paper described him as the head of a "worldwide "Baha'i" peace cult," for example. He was variously described elsewhere as an "apostle of peace," a "Persian teacher in flowing robes," as a "venerable apostle from [the] Orient," and as a "leader of [a] great universalist movement." The Gazette never used the word "cult" in its coverage of `Abdu'l-Baha`s visit, and in fact made the point that his faith was "not a religious cult, but [an] effort for Good which has grown despite Persian persecution." In a city which in 1912 was not noted for its religious and/or linguistic tolerance, or for its lack of class consciousness, both the English and French-language newspapers seemed to understand that this was a man with serious and important ideas and admirable principles. La Presse mentioned his call for religious unity and universal peace. Most of the papers, including The Star, sombrely note his "prophecy of a world war, and of the inadequacies of both socialism and materialism," and Le Devoir emphasized his idea of the necessity "to establish an international tribune to solve the problems among the civilised people of the world."

To us Baha'is today, it seems thrilling that so much attention was paid to `Abdu'l-Baha and to what he said in a city which, at the time, was known mainly for its material wealth and economic and political power. It may also, however, strike us as quite sod that so little has changed in our country and in our world since he made that brief visit to Canada ninety-two years ago. But I think we have to remember that `Abdu’l-Baha’s frame of reference was never ours. He spoke, of course, for the ages. It is up to us to take note of progress wherever it has been made in our lifetimes, to build upon that progress wherever it may be found, and to keep on working.

We have an obligation to continue to trust that mankind’s progress toward the future which Baha'u'llah prophesized - and which `Abdu'l-Baha taught in Montreal and everywhere - is unstoppable. That is a very, very important part of what it means to be a Baha'i - just not allowing ourselves ever to feel defeated or to be pessimistic any more than `Abdu'l-Baha ever was. We have to act as if we really believe that those nine days which he spent in Montreal are, for Canada, among the most significant in our country’s life, because we still have the opportunity to act upon what he said then and to build a country and a world worthy of his words and Baha’u’llah’s vision. When `Abdu'l-Baha left Montreal, he said, "The time of the sojourn was limited to a number of days, but the results in the future are inexhaustible." That, of course, is still true, and we must never doubt it.

100 Years Ago - the early months in 1911 of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's stay in Egypt.

 100 Years Ago - the early months in 1911 of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's stay in Egypt.

The Hand of the Cause H. M.  Balyouzi writes about the early months in 1911 of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s stay in Egypt:

    ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had been asked to address the Universal Races Congress to be held in London (lasting four days from 

July 26 to July 29th, inclusive, in the big assembly hall of the University of London)  but He decided to defer His departure from Egypt.  

    Early in May He moved to Cairo and took residence nearby in Zaytún. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s sojourn in Egypt lengthened, 

newspapers showed increasing admiration and friendliness.  Al-Muqattam, the most prominent of them, had on November 28th 

of the preceding year (1910) published a highly appreciative account. Other papers such as al-Ahrám and Wádia’n-Nil were no 

less laudatory. In Cairo, Shaykh Muhammad Bakhit, the Mufti of Egypt, and Shaykh Muhammad Rishád, the Khedive’s Imám, 

called on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and He returned their call. On a Friday He visited the shrine of Siyyidah Zaynab and said the Friday prayer 

there.  The Khedive, ‘Abbás Hilmî II also met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and ‘Uthmán Páshá, the notable responsible for arrangements, later 

attested to the particular reverence which the Khedive had exhibited towards Him.  Their meeting was repeated. Ronald Storrs, 

Oriental Secretary of the British Agency, had first come to know ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1909, within the prison-city of ‘Akká; and now, in 

Egypt, in his own words, ‘had the honour of . . . presenting him to Lord Kitchener, who was deeply impressed by his personality, as 

who could fail to be? George Zaydán, the eminent writer and celebrated editor of the magazine al-Hilál, was another leading figure

 in the pubic life of Egypt who visited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Indeed there were many, clerics, aristocrats, administrators, parliamentarians, 

men of letters, journalists and publicists, Arabs, Turks and Persians, who sought His presence. The poor and the deprived also had 

access to Him and went away happy.  

    His personal triumph resounding in Egypt, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá turned His attention to Europe. 

         [‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Center of the Covenant, H. M. Balyuzi, George Ronald, Pub. © Mary Balyuzi, 1987    (paper back), pp 138-139.

   Juliet Thompson writes in her diary that 'Abdu'l-Bahá did not attend the Universal Races' Congress. They had asked Him to speak 

on philosophy and to make no reference to religion, so He sent a representative,Tamaddunu'l-Mulk.  

            The Diary of Juliet Thompson (p, 155)

    

    ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent a letter to the congress—

     “Great interest was aroused on Thursday during the discussion on Abdu’l-Baha’s letter to the congress, the full text of which follows: 

    “Alexandria, May 29, 1911. 

    “To the President, first Universal Races Congress. 

    “My Dear Friend:—Your letter of invitation has been received, and I am much obliged for it. It is my utmost desire to be present at such a gathering, 

for I am thoroughly confident that beneficial results shall surely follow these meetings, and that they will become the means of establishing friendship 

and love among the world’s differing races. Thus the basis of enmity may be destroyed and the tent of unity of the world of humanity be raised 

throughout all regions.

    “I regret much that circumstances may prevent me from attending, but I will endeavor as much as lies in my power to attend. Failing to do so, 

pray excuse me.

    “With a sincere heart I supplicate at the Divine Threshold that this congress may be successful in founding a noble institution which shall be 

permanent and everlasting; that it may ignite a candle from which a heavenly light shall beam, and plant a tree whose fruit may be friendship, 

love and unity between all the children of men, so that conflict and warfare may be abolished, and patriotic, racial religious and political prejudices 

become unknown. Peace should replace strife, enmity be superseded by love, estrangement annihilated, and unity  established. Then what has 

been spoken of in the heavenly books will become well rooted in the hearts of all, and the glad-tidings of the sacred writings be fulfilled.  In conclusion 

I offer my utmost appreciation and respect to such a blessed congress.”    “(Sig.) Abbas”

    The chairman, Mr. J. M. Robertson, M.P., made sympathetic reference to the spirtiual language in which the letter was couched, and his remarks 

were applauded.

            Star of the West, Vol. II, Aug. 20, 1911) #9,  p. 3- 4

    Although 'Abdu'l-Bahá has turned His attention to Europe He won't sail for Marseilles until August, 1911.

May 21, 1912

May 21, 1912

New York:  Circling like moths . . .

Mahmud writes a brief entry for today: "In the morning and afternoon the Master delivered addresses at two public meetings. One consisted of admonitions from the Abhá Beauty, and the other, owing to His impending journey to Boston, was a farewell address to the friends, promising them a speedy return.

This afternoon many of the believers' children came to visit. He embraced them all with the utmost kindness and affection. He exhorted the friends to provide Bahá'í education and spirituality for these newborn trees of the Garden of Favor. To witness such meetings is a real joy. With great devotion, the young and old circled around `Abdu'l-Bahá like moths."  

It must have been hard to have Him leave--even though He was coming back! 

Juliet Thompson 

Now, here's Juliet's account of this day: "On 21 May, Mrs Tatum had a reception for the Master. The people who were there were of the fashionable world, with a sprinkling of artists and writers. Mrs Sheridan was pouring tea.

Mrs Tatum's house is beautiful. The impression you get is of space and light. A white staircase winds up through a very wide hall, from which, on each side, rooms open--living rooms, dining room, library. All these were soon crowded.

    The first friend I caught sight of was Louis Potter. He came running up to me, exclaiming: "Oh august Juliet!" and attached himself at once to Lua and me. Suddenly, there was a stir among the people, and 'Abdu'l-Bahá was in our midst. He walked over to a yellow couch which curved along the big half-moon of the bay window and sat down on it.

     I think I must tell you how He looked there. His surroundings were all white and yellow. Sunlight streamed in. The shadows on His face were transparent; His profile, against the blue sky through the polished glass of the windowpane, outlined in light.

     "Come, Louis," I said to Louis Potter, "let's go to the Master."

Louis had never seen Him before, but he skipped forward like a buoyant faun, his head tipped to one side, his hands outstretched.

     "Ah-h-h!" he said. It was a little cry from his soul, as though he were just coming home, and was so glad.  And the Master too said: "Ah-h-h!" His arms wide open, welcoming Louis home.

     Percy Grant arrived. As soon as he appeared, big and imposing, in the room, the Master rose almost eagerly, smiling and holding out His hand.

     "Ah! Dr Grant!" He said.

     They stood for what seemed to me minutes, their hands clasped, Percy, with beautiful deference, bowing his head, a gentle, almost tender look on his face. One of the Persians translated the Master's greeting to him but spoke so low that I could not catch the words. Then Percy sat down on the curving window seat so that he faced the Master.

      Soon there was another stir in the room. A small, rather plain middle-aged woman with the most astonishing eyes--very clear, very violet--stood in the doorway, almost timidly, and the Master at once sent Dr Faríd to her to ask her to come and sit by Him. This was Sarah Graham Mulhall.

     He spoke a few words to her and she rose and went out, returning after some time with a tray and a pot of tea and two cups on it. The tray was placed on a stool between the Master and Miss Mulhall and they drank their tea together.

Juliet in later years (photo/design provided by Rhonda  Palmer)

([Juliet's] Footnote. 1947. Miss Mulhall's father and brother, who were physicians, had come to New York from England to study the effects of drugs on the body and mind. Both died mysteriously. Miss Mulhall's only training had been in music. She was a very gentle, retiring woman and knew nothing of the ways of business or organization or medicine, or anything that would have equipped her for the evidently dangerous work of her father and brother. But something inside her, against which she fought, urged her to continue it. She was in the midst of this inward conflict when Mrs Tatum telephoned her and asked her to come to meet the Master. At first Miss Mulhall declined, saying that she really couldn't go anywhere, she was too absorbed in her own problems, she couldn't face a crowd of people. But later she thought: Perhaps 'Abdu'l-Bahá is a Prophet, as Mrs Tatum believes, and He might help me in making my decision.

     The Master, when He called her to Him in Mrs Tatum's house, asked if she would do something for Him. Would she brew some tea for Him with her own hands and drink it with Him? And while they drank tea and talked, He Himself brought up her problem.

     He told her she must do the work she had in mind; she would rise very high in it and become "a great Counsellor"; God would always protect her and all the Celestial Beings of the Supreme Concourse would rally to her assistance.

     She did become a Great Counsellor. After years of wonderful work, Governor Smith, Al Smith, made her Adviser and First Commissioner of Narcotics for New York State. One night she herself led a raid against one of the chief centres of the drug ring--a ring of very rich, prominent men, some of them "pillars" of St. Patrick's, some "pillars" of St. John's Cathedral. Rounding them up in their centre, an apartment on Park Avenue, she, with the help of her squad of police, locked them in; then telephoned to the governor. He took the next train to New York and upheld Miss Mulhall's determination to bring them all to trial. Then he went to Cardinal Hayes and Bishop Manning. Cardinal Hayes said: "These men are the worst type of criminals. I agree with you that they must be punished." Bishop Manning said: "You can't touch myparishioners. They are the builders of St. John's Cathedral." He threatened Miss Mulhall. "If you ruin them, I will destroy your office." Which he did, ultimately, for of course every one of the men was found guilty and sent to Fort Leavenworth. After Lehman was elected Governor, the Narcotics Commission was abolished. But in the meantime Miss Mulhall had done a tremendous work. Her book, Opium, the Demon Flower, has become world famous.)

 [Back to 1912 entry]  Then I caught sight of little "Fergie."His real name I don't want to mention because of what I am going to tell. He is a noted newspaper man who writes visionary books on economics. Percy Grant calls him "my prophet." His face is pale and pinched and suffering and he wears a thick chestnut wig. I went up to him and asked: "Wouldn't you like to meet the Master?" "I think not," he drawled, "I really have nothing to say to Him."

     And now the Master began to speak to the whole roomful of people.

     He was very happy, He said, to be with us. "Think of the contrast!" For years He had been imprisoned in a fortress, His associates criminals. Now He found Himself in spacious homes, "associating," He said, "with you."

     His talk gradually shaped itself to some definite point, which, however, He kept for the very end. I wondered what could be coming. When it came it was like a thunderclap.

     "Think of it," He said. "Two kings were dethroned in order that I might be freed. This is naught but pure destiny."

     I glanced at Percy Grant and saw that he was deeply stirred. He had been listening, still with that tender deference, his head slightly tipped to one side, but at these last startling words of the Master's, in a flash the placidity of his face broke up, something burned through and his eyes sparked.

     "And now," ended the Master, suddenly rising to His feet, strong and incredibly majestic, "you here in America must work with Me for the peace of the world and the oneness of mankind."

     And with this He left us, the room seeming strangely empty after He had gone."

Strangely empty. . . . Of course--after such a presence had filled it! 

Juliet's descriptions remind us of how human the people were who intersected with the Master. How would we be in His presence? Or friends of ours, if we took them to see Him? 

100 Years Ago: An American journalist visits 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Ramleh, Alexandria, Egypt.

100 Years Ago: An American journalist visits 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Ramleh, Alexandria, Egypt.

Note:  The article that follows is presented as it appears in the Bahai News in that no change has been made in the

spelling of Bahá'í words i.e. spelling does not conform to the standard established by Shoghi Effendi.  

Bahá'í News, Vol. 1, #17, pages 7-9 (Jan 19, 1911,)  The following is a letter from Mr. Sydney Sprague written in 1910. 

    At present I am in Alexandria with Abdu'l-Baha, who has given me many supplications from America to translate; also Mrs.Ford's new book,"The Oriental Rose," which I am translating with Mirza Mahmud of India.  The book is finely written and ought to be of great help in attracting people to the Cause. I notice Mrs. Ford gives the number of oriental Bahais as twelve millions. A movement which is growing every day cannot have statistics. No one knows how many there are, and to make a statement that there are many millions only opens us to criticism. If we are asked the number of Bahais in the world, is it not better to reply that it is impossible to know, and that we care much more about the quality of the believers than the quantity? This is the policy of Abdul-Baha, as the following incident will show:

    Two nights ago, an American journalist, Mr. William Ellis, representing The Continent, came especially to Alexandria to interview Abdul-Baha. It was my privilege to be the translator on this occasion. One of the first questions Mr. Ellis asked was: "How many followers have you?"  The answer was: "We have no statistics and we do not consider these things important. It is the quality of the believers we care for. If a few are characterized with the attributes of God and live according to the divine Teachings, it is praiseworthy.  Five diamonds are worth more than five million stones."  Again the journalist asked: "Have you not many followers in America?" "I have a few friends in different cities who love me," was the reply. "Is it not true that half of Persia is Baha'i?" persisted the journalist. "No; it is not," replied Abdul-Baha, "but many there who are not Bahais, are influenced by our Teachings." "Are there not many followers in the Turkish Empire?"  "No," and again Abdul-Baha reiterated the non-importance of numbers. The journalist seemed very much taken aback. He evidently expect Abdul-Baha to boast of a large following. What an example Abdul-Baha has set us!

    Then Mr. Ellis asked briefly: "What are the Teachings of the Bahai revelation and in what does it differ from other religions?"  Abdul-Baha replied: "While all the other religions are hating and denouncing each other, the Bahais are the friends of all religions and the lovers of all peoples and their aim is to unite and harmonize all...." There were many other questions which drew forth wonderful, illuminating explanations from Abdul-Baha.  I have not the time to write them now, but be on the lookout for an account of this interview in The Continent.  Mr. Ellis is on his way to Persia to write articles about that country, so he may write of the Cause there. 

    There are two interesting English persons here, a Mr.and Mrs. Atwood, at one time prominent spiritualists in London. As Mr. Atwood is slightly paralyzed, Abdul-Baha went to see them, much to their great joy.  They are now eager to serve the Cause.

    There are pilgrims here from Persia, Russia, India and England, and every night we meet in Abdul-Baha's house and our cups are filled to overflowing.  His health is good. When Mr. Ellis asked Him if He was benefited by the change of air, He replied: "Certainly, one who has been a prisoner for forty years must be benefited to breath another air." I thought to myself, can we Bahais realize what those forty years mean?  The Christians think so much of the forty days Jesus fasted in the wilderness and observe a penitential season to commemorate this, but forty years—for every day a year!

                                            (Signed)  Sydney Sprague

A Muslim hadíth which says that a day would come when God would appear in His Divinity and all men would be struck with awe and flee away. Then He would disappear, and reappear in the garment of Servitude; for it is written: "Servitude is an essence the substance of which is Divinity."

First American Baha'i, Thornton Chase. He describes his meetings with Abdul-Baha during a 5-day visit

An account of the 1907 pilgrimage to Haifa and Akka of the first American Baha'i, Thornton Chase.

 He describes his meetings with Abdul-Baha during a 5-day visit with 4 other early western believers. Total of 4 mp3 files, 53 min. This is an abridged version of "In Galilee," the original LibriVox.org recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater, mixed with Creative Commons-licensed music.

 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s situation prior to His leaving the Holy Land in 1910 for His Western Travels.

Visitors from the West!

 American Bahá’ís in the earliest days -- 

    Louisa A. Moore, to whom ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave the name Livá (Banner)—Banner of the Cause—and  whom  the Guardian of the Faith designated ‘the mother teacher of the West’, was another distinguished member of the group of Bahá’ís on the American continent—a group that included such outstanding women and men as Helen S. Goodall, Isabella D. Brittingham, Lillian F. Kappes, Arthur P. Dodge, Dr. Edward Getsinger, Howard MacNutt, Paul K. Dealy, Chester I. Thatcher.

    Edward Getsinger married Louisa Moore who came to be known as Lua Getsinger. This notable and devoted woman was truly a torchbearer. [She, along with her husband, Edward, heard of the Faith in  1896 and embraced it in 1897.] Among those who heard of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh from Lua Getsinger, and who, in their turn, shone in its service, was May Ellis Bolles, young in years, endowed with wisdom and insight.  Mrs. Phoebe Hearst, the wife of Senator George F. Hearst, also heard of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh from Lua Getsinger.

           In 1898 Mrs. Hearst decided to go to the Holy Land to meet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. She asked a number of Bahá’ís to accompany her on this historic pilgrimage. Edward and Lua Getsinger and Dr Ibráhím Khayru’lláh, together with his wife, were among those invited by Phoebe Hearst. 

    In Paris a number of Americans who lived in the French capital joined the pilgrims. Among them were two nieces of Mrs. Hearst, Mrs. Thornburgh and her daughter Miriam Thornburgh-Cropper, the first Bahá’í  of 

the British Isles (though not the first British Bahá’í), also May Bolles. There were further additions in Egypt, making a total of fifteen.  Because of the exigencies of the time they divided themselves into three groups.  The first arrived at ‘Akká on December 10, 1898. 

    The Hand of the Cause H. M. Balyuzi wrote: This was a historic day in the annals of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. It was also a day unparalleled in the chronicles of the Christian West. Never before had the East, where the Manifestation of God had always appeared, witnessed men and women of the West, wishing to offer their homage, come to the doors of the One to whom the Manifestation of  God had entrusted His authority. Never before had the Center of the Covenant of a Manifestation of God stood guard, thus invincible, over the integrity of the Faith.

    It was the first time that Bahá’ís raised up in the Christian West were coming face to face with the Master.

    (H. M. Balyuzi, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Center of the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh,  pp 67-68, George Ronald.)

Arrival of  visitors from the West

1898 - Last Days of—

         The arrival of 15 visitors from America to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the last days of 1898 dramatically changed 

the development of the Bahá’í Faith when they returned to the West. Shoghi Effendi describes this journey as follows:

    “The return of these God-intoxicated pilgrims,... was the signal for an outburst of systematic and sustained activity,   which, as it gathered momentum, and spread its ramification over Western Europe and the states and provinces of the North American continent, grew to so great a scale that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself resolved that, as soon as He should be released from His prolonged confinement in ‘Akká, He would undertake a personal mission to the West. (Shoghi Effendi, p. 259,  God Passes By, © 1944 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States)

 1907:  Thorton Chase, Chicago, who embraced the Faith in 1894,  visited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in ‘Akká accompanied by young Carl Scheffler, age 17, Arthur Agnew , Mary Agnew, Arthur’s wife, and their son Ruhullah, named by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá after the young martyr Varqá. Mr. Chase, Mr. Agnew, and Mr. Scheffler belonged to a group of men in Chicago who regularly met for lunch in downtown Chicago to discuss the Faith.     (Thorton Chase,

p. viii,  In Galilee,  © 1985, Kalimat Press. )

 Carl Scheffler, speaking to a group in the Chicago area as an adult said that he had to be hidden in a laundry cart on one occasion in order to visit ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in ‘Akká. (Personal note - jwc)

Where did ‘Abdu’l-Bahá live 1900 - 1910? 

‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s residences in the 1900’s - 1910:

 January 1901 - ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was not yet confined to the city limits of ‘Akká (He was living in Haifa.)  

End of January Ethel Rosenberg visited ‘Abdul-Baha in Haifa. She left Haifa in April.. 

    (O. Z.Whitehead, p. 56, Some Early Bahá’ís of the West, © O. Z. Whitehead, 1976, George Ronald.)

August 20, 1901 - the  Governor of ‘Akká informed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that He and His brothers, by the decree of Sultan ‘Abdu’l-Hamid, would now be strictly confined within the city limits of ‘Akká. (ibid) 

April 1904, early in April, Ethel Rosenberg made a second pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Laura Clifford Barney, a brilliant young American Bahá’í who was living in Paris went with her. For eight months Ethel stayed there as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s guest. 

1904, 1905, 1906— Laura Clifford Barney visited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in ‘Akká during which time she made notes of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s answers to her questions about the Faith. He spoke with her in the House of ‘Abdu’llah Pasha.  Later she brought her notes to a form that could be published although that was not her original intention.  The Bahá’í world treasures this collection known as Some Answered Questions.

January 1908:  the Young Turks made their successful revolt. On July 23rd that year their Central Committee issued a decree that forced Sultan ‘Abadu’l-Hamid to restore within twenty-four hours the constitution which he had suspended and to release all political and religions prisoners.  In spite of these events the hostile officials in ‘Akka refused to release ‘Abdu’l-Bahá until in answer to their telegram instructions came from Constantinople to do so.  (O. Z.Whitehead, p. 58, Some Early Bahá’ís of the West, © O. Z. Whitehead, 1976, George Ronald.)

1908:   When freed from prison ‘Abdu’l-Bahá set out to assist the friends in Ishqabad with their plans to build a House of Worship, the first Bahá’í temple in the world.  He gave detailed guidance regarding gardens and architectural features.  This was in keeping with His chief world objectives.  

1909.  Although ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was free, the Master had not yet left ‘Akka to live in Haifa. (ibid)

However, during the year He was able to build a mausoleum on Mt. Carmel marking the resting-place of the Báb, one of His three world objectives.  

Chief world objectives of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:  “As to the three aims which Shoghi Effendi has stated in his America and the Most Great Piece to have been the chief objectives of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’is ministry, it should be pointed out that the first was the establishment of the Cause in America; the erection of the Bahá’í Temple in Ishqábád, and the building on Mt.Carmel of a mausoleum marking the resting-place of the Báb were the two remaining ones.”  ( Shoghi Effendi, p. 87, Directives from the Guardian, India/Hawaii, 1973 edition.)

1909-1910:  ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gradually moves His family from ‘Akká to Haifa. His street address in Haifa was to become #9 Haparsim St.  which in the Hebrew language means “The Persian Street.”   In late summer in 1910 He left suddenly for Egypt. 

                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From John Conkling in Texas, with gratitude for his sharing the fruits of his research with us.


========================================================
100 years ago Abdul-Baha  visiting New York and other country




Priceless eyewitness accounts, written records of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's addresses,

and newspapers as well as magazine articles published in a number of volumes constitute a thorough chronicle of the Master's 1912 travels to and through the United States and Canada.

                                    

[See article bahai-library.com/carew_tribune_abdul-baha.]


The Master did not "tour" the country, He deliberately chose New York as the hub of His travels as He pointed out: "I have always returned to New York, because I wished New York to advance greatly…" Consequently, 'Abdu'l-Bahá's stay in New York City was the longest in one place: 85 days out of 239 in the country. The length of this sojourn and the demanding schedule that He engaged in while in the city are further evidence of the attention the Master bestowed on this community.

'Abdu'l-Bahá found the New York of 1912 to be a place of tolerance by comparison with other racially segregated societies and planned the first Bahá'í interracial marriage to take place here. This was an event of great significance at the time, confirming the Master's statement that interracial marriages are "a service to humanity."

      New York City welcomed 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Religious congregations, peace societies, and universities vied to invite Him. Bahá'ís and others alike, attracted by His love and wisdom, followed the Master from place to place.

      The chronology of the visit of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to New York and the United States is primarily based on two sources: The Diary of Mahmud of Zarkan * and The Diary of Juliet Thompson, from the 1947 version annotated by Miss Thompson.**

Juliet Thompson, one of the early New York City Bahá'ís, was a renowned portrait painter. Her obituary, published in the New York Times, mentions that she "painted the portrait of President Woodrow Wilson and his Cabinet," among other celebrities. In 1909 Miss Thompson spent two months in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's household in the Holy Land and was privileged to be called by Him "the sister" of His own daughter. In 1911, she was called to meet the Master in Switzerland and she was almost every day at His home in New York.

      Juliet Thompson's diary stands out as a phenomenon, unique in the history of religion. In this candid and vibrant testimony, we experience the vicissitudes of a passionate and sincere woman's spiritual experience. Juliet as a painter and a writer brings to life in perceptive details the scenes surrounding 'Abdu'l-Bahá and succeeds in making us feel the reality of the extraordinary spiritual power of One Whom Bahá'u'lláh hailed as "The Mystery of God.

 In 1911, 'Abdu'l-Bahá made His first historic trip to Europe, then He returned to Egypt, in Ramleh, a suburb of Alexandria, until the spring of 1912. On March 25, the Master and His retinue boarded the S.S. Cedric in Alexandria, heading for the United States. The American Bahá'ís had sent thousands of dollars for His journey, urging Him to leave the Cedric in Italy and travel to England to sail on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. But the Master returned the money for charity and continued His voyage on the Cedric.

                        Abdul-Baha  aboard SS Celtic LEAVING USA

  Twenty five years later, a woman who as a child had traveled on the Cedric told a Bahá'í that she had never forgotten her personal encounter with the Master. "A glance that burned" into her soul and frightened her, lest she had displeased Him, and the kindly smile which released her "from terror." She recalled that everyone had remarked about "His majestic bearing, His kingly walk, and above all the strange white light that followed Him everywhere." 

'ABDU'L-BAHÁ IN THE CITY OF THE COVENANT

'ABDU'L-BAHÁ'S ARRIVAL, THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1912

      The momentous arrival of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in New York City occurred on the morning of April 11, 1912. On the tugboat that met the ship bringing 'Abdu'l-Bahá and His entourage to this country were newspaper reporters, among them Wendell Phillips Dodge of the New York City News Association. Mr. Dodge gives an account of the appearance and remarks of the Master:

      "His face was light itself… He is a man of medium height, though at first sight he seemed to be taller… As he paced the deck, talking to reporters, he appeared alert and active in every movement, his head thrown back and splendidly poised upon his broad shoulders most of the time… When the ship was abreast the Statue of Liberty, standing erect and facing it, 'Abdu'l-Bahá held his arms wide apart in salutation and said, 'There is the New World's symbol of liberty and freedom. After being forty years a prisoner, I can tell you freedom is not a matter of place. It is a condition… When one is released from the prison of self, that is indeed a release.'… Going up the river, gazing in a look of bewildered amazement… at the downtown skyscrapers, the "Wise Man out of the East" remarked: "There are the minarets of the Western world's commerce and industry.' "

      By the time the S.S. Cedric docked, a crowd of Bahá'ís had been waiting for hours, eager to meet 'Abdu'l-Bahá. However, one of the American believers, Mr. Edward Kinney* was called forth to board the ship, and he returned with a message from the Master that He would meet the friends at the home of Mr. Kinney at four o'clock.

      'Abdu'l-Bahá and His entourage were driven from the ship to the Hotel Ansonia, Broadway and 73rd Street, His headquarters for the next nine days of incredibly intense activities. After resting and having a cup of tea, He was taken to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Kinney, where hundreds of Bahá'ís had gathered. "Almost everyone was weeping just at the sight of Him." The Master addressed a warm welcome to all, then had a few words with each one.

      *Mr. and Mrs. Edward and Carrie Kinney, their two children, Juliet Thompson and a friend had been on an eight-month pilgrimage in Akka in 1909 and had offered their home to the Master. "They spared neither time nor effort or money to have everything as well arranged for 'Abdu'l-Bahá as possible during His sojourn in New York City." Shoghi Effendi called Mr. and Mrs. Kinney "Pillars of the Faith in the City of the Covenant" and "Pillars of the Cause of God." Bahá'í World XII, pp. 678-9; XIII, p.865.

                     ---------------------------------------------

ABDU'L-BAHÁ COUNTERS RACIAL SEGREGATION

      'Abdu'l-Bahá deplored the racial segregation prevalent in the United States and He "strongly urged the friends to associate with each other in the utmost joy and happiness." He called for such a gathering, and it took place Wednesday, April 17, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kinney, where Bahá'ís and their friends of both the black and white races met in unity. He prepared and served the meal Himself, speaking of the human family as "a garden of flowers of various hues." The Master was most happy and the spirit of the friends was high. It was felt that this was a landmark in the city. This memorable event was followed by a public address at the hotel.

      While pouring out love to everyone, expounding on the Teachings of the Faith, and traveling from place to place in the city, 'Abdu'l-Bahá's humaneness was always apparent. He often showed His emotions, He laughed, He wept. During a talk at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall L. Emery, He was so anguished in His recollection of the sufferings of Bahá'u'lláh that the entire audience was moved to tears.

      Friday, April 19 was a very busy day for the Master and the friends.

      In the early afternoon, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had been invited to attend a play at the Little Theater, "The Terrible Meek," depicting the Crucifixion of Christ, and the Master said to have wept along with the audience.

      At 5 pm, at Earl Hall, Columbia University, professors, scholars, students and others heard Him speak on "religion, science and universal peace." He was invited to visit the various departments of the University, but He had to decline for lack of time. This was followed by a return to the Ansonia, where He was met, as usual, by a crowd of waiting people. Among them was Kate Carew, a reporter for The New York Tribune. 

      We have an excellent description of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in a feature article Miss Carew wrote in which she depicted Him as being of "scarcely medium height, but so extraordinary in the dignity of his majestic carriage that he seemed of more than average height." She appeared not only totally bewildered by the diversity of the crowd but also impressed by the personality of the Master and His warm response to each visitor. 'Abdu'l-Bahá invited Miss Carew to accompany Him and a few others to His next engagement at the Bowery.

      The unusual and moving event at the Bowery Mission was the confirmation of several weeks of Juliet's teaching and dedication. She had spoken about the Faith and the life of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to the derelicts, and in turn, they invited the Master to speak to them. 'Abdu'l- Bahá had previously given $500 to Juliet and to Mr. Edward Getsinger for them to change into two large bags of silver quarters. After a loving talk to about 400 men, the Master stood at the door waiting for them to file by. He looked ahead appraising each man, then pressed some coins into his hand. One of them, John Good, a former criminal who had reformed since Juliet befriended him, declared that the Master had justly appraised each man's need and had given accordingly.

      Returning to the hotel by taxi, the Master was amused by the glittering of Broadway 's electric signs, and was reminded that Bahá'u'lláh loved light, recommending that His household economize on everything except light.

      At the Ansonia, the Master emptied the remaining coins into a maid's apron, who, upon learning of the Bowery event, promised that she would also give this money to the poor. She wanted to say goodbye to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, crying that she had been blessed to serve Him, and asked for prayers.

      The Master had invited the friends for a late supper in His suite. Recalling the performance of "The Terrible Meek" which He had attended early in the day, He said the play depicting the Crucifixion of Christ, should have been more complete. The Master then, told of the life and suffering of Jesus, in so detailed and vivid terms, that He seemed to relive events of "remembered anguish." He also commented on the power of the theater which could influence human feelings in reviving an event which took place 2000 years ago.

      Of the mornings at the hotel, Juliet Thompson wrote: "Oh, those mornings at the Ansonia in the Master's white sunny rooms, filled with spring flowers and roses! People poured in to see Him in droves, sometimes a hundred and fifty in one morning! Exhausted, He received the late arrivals in bed…I would watch them go into His bedroom and come out changed, as though they had had a bath of Life." Charles Rand Kennedy, author of "The Terrible Meek," was there one morning, and deeply moved said: "I was in the presence of God."

      On April 20, 'Abdu'l-Bahá left for Washington as the first stop of a three-week tour of Bahá'í communities. In Washington, journalists wrote that 'Abdu'l-Bahá swept through the Capitol, the Supreme Court, and the Congress "saw fit to adjourn."

      A number of Washington Bahá'ís belonged to the highest strata of society. Receptions organized for 'Abdu'l-Bahá included the elite of government, diplomatic and academic circles. The Master addressed a large interracial gathering at Howard University and expressed happiness, but He sternly commented to His entourage about the evidence of racial prejudice He had witnessed. He related that He had ordered interracial meetings. "The attendance was very large, the colored people predominating. At our second gathering this was reversed, but at the third meeting, We were unable to say which color predominated. These meetings were a great practical lesson upon the unity of colors and races in the Bahá'í Teachings

===================================

THE MASTER RETURNS

      Saturday, May 11, returning from a trip which included, on May 1st, the official laying of the cornerstone of the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, 'Abdu'l-Bahá moved to a top floor apartment in the Hudson Apartment House. To those joyously gathered around Him, He said: "It is only three weeks that we have been away from the New York friends, yet so great has been the longing to see you that it seems three months."

      On Sunday, though still tired, 'Abdu'l-Bahá went to the Unity Church in Montclair, New Jersey. The minister, Dr. Edgard Wiers, had invited the Master and now introduced Him with great respect and emotion "as One of the Great Prophets, Chosen Ones of God."

      'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke on the Oneness of God and Creation, and ended chanting a prayer. A deeply moved audience followed Him to the street, all eyes brimming with tears of joy. After an afternoon shared with a group of friends, the Master returned to New York to address the International Peace Forum at the Grace Methodist Church. This was another triumph as the large attendance gave a standing ovation at the end of a major talk on the Bahá'í Teachings and history, and the establishment of the Most Great Peace.

      On May 13^th, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was to appear as the guest of honor at a meeting of the New York Peace Society held at the Hotel Astor. The Master was sick in bed with a high temperature, Juliet pleaded for Him to rest. "I work by the confirmation of the Holy Spirit. I do not work by hygienic laws. If I did, I would get nothing done," He laughed.

      The peace meeting was an impressive gathering of two thousand people. On the dais was a group of leading personalities of the time: Rabbi Stephen Wise, president; Mr. Short (a friend of philanthropist Andrew Carnegie); Mrs. A. G. Spencer of the Ethical Society; Dr. Percy Grant; Professor William Jackson of Columbia University, and Mr. Topakyan, Persian Consul General. They all made introductory remarks. Mr. Topakyan said: "Our guest of honor has stood as a Prophet of enlightenment and peace for the Persian Empire, and a wellwisher of Persia may well honor Him…In closing, I am happy to say that 'Abdu'l-Bahá is the Glory of Persia today." This was not the only laudatory remark; they all vied to express their reverent admiration, recognizing the spiritual leadership of this "Great Figure from the East."

      Though the Master was visibly tired and His voice was hoarse, He delivered a unique speech on the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh for the age and on the establishment of peace. The response of the audience was such that Mahmud was ecstatic: "Verily, no desire remained unfulfilled to us, the servants of the Covenant. We saw with our own eyes the victory and confirmation of the Kingdom of Abhá." After the meeting, the audience pressed to come near to the Master, "He shook hands with…everyone of those two thousand people!" wrote Juliet.

      Later, back at the Hudson Apartments, a group of Japanese and Indian people were waiting for Him. The Master welcomed them and spoke on the civilization of India and the divine civilization.

THE LAKE MOHONK PEACE CONFERENCE

Persian rug

      Juliet Thompson had previously introduced the Faith to Mr. Khan Bahadur Alláh-Bakhsh, the Governor of Lahore. On the morning of May 14th, this gentleman came to meet 'Abdu'l- Bahá who, warmly, welcomed him. The Governor sent a letter to Juliet stating: "'Abdu'l-Bahá is the Divine Light of today."

      On the same day, the Master traveled to Lake Mohonk, New York, for three days at the National Conference on Peace and International Arbitration.

      In 1911, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had exchanged correspondence with Mr. Albert Smiley, Founder and President of the Conference. As a result, He had been invited to be the featured speaker at the 18th Annual Conference and the Master had scheduled His visit to the United States to include this important event.

      These Conferences were attended by prominent people of New York, Washington DC, and other cities and countries. 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke on the first day on "The Oneness of the Reality of Humankind." Many in attendance were impressed and came on the platform to thank Him, some embracing Him with emotion.

      The Master also gave two general addresses on the teachings of the Faith and many private talks. His main address and commentaries were featured in the Conference report and two of His speeches were published in New York newspapers.

      On the last evening, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had expressed regrets that He should have brought a Persian rug as a gift for Mr. Smiley. Dr. Zia Bagdadi took the challenge of going to the New York apartment to fetch the rug during the night, and to be back in time before the planned departure. After an epic trip by various cars and trains, Dr. Bagdadi arrived in the mailman's horse wagon when the Master was leaving, shaking hands with Mr. Smiley. Receiving the rug, this gentleman exclaimed that this rug was similar to one destroyed in a fire and his wife, still heart broken over the loss, will be very happy.

      Although 'Abdu'l-Bahá greatly enjoyed the beautiful scenery, and the comfortable and quiet setting of Lake Mohonk, He was glad to come back to New York. He loved the Riverside Park area. He had selected a secluded spot there where He liked to go daily and walk by Himself or "sleep on the grass" a few minutes to rest. "When I am alone, exhaustion is removed and I am relaxed," He said. Sometimes, He allowed the friends to go with Him to this "hallowed spot," "His Garden," as the friends named the place and a recurring name in Juliet's and Mahmud's diaries.

Notes

The effect of the Holy Ghost

* 'Abdu'l-Bahá spent four days in Boston, then, returned to New York on May 26. After a brief rest at the home of the Kinneys, although still very tired, He proceeded to Mount Morris Baptist Church (now Mount Moriah) where He was scheduled to address the congregation. Juliet Thompson wrote: "This church suggests an old synagogue and the Master looked Christ-like to the friends." This spiritual feeling is described by Mahmud: "'Abdu'l-Bahá was standing under the arch of the church and reclining exhausted against the pillar…

 That night all saw with their outward eyes the effect of the Holy Ghost. Let no one think that it is only word painting. Yes, the tongues and feelings of all present bear a testimony to it. I write this because it is my duty to record it… all the non-Bahá'ís looked upon the Beauty of the Covenant as a Prophet."

PAINTING 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ'S PORTRAIT

      'Abdu'l-Bahá had expressed a desire for Juliet to paint His portrait and he requested that she come to His home on June 1st, at 7:30 in the morning, to begin work on it. She was given three sittings: the first one on that day, the final two about two weeks later.

      "I went into a panic," she confessed. The light and the location in the basement were poor, and "how could I paint the Face of God?" "I want you," He said, "to paint my servitude to God." "Oh. my Lord," she cried, "only the Holy Spirit could paint Your servitude to God… Pray for me!" "I will pray," answered the Master, "and as you are doing this only for the sake of God, you will be inspired." "And then, an amazing thing happened. All fear went away from me. I painted in ecstasy, free as I have never been before."

THE FILMING OF 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ

      During His stay at the Ansonia, a commercial movie company had requested to make a short film of 'Abdu'l-Bahá for its newsreels. The Master replied at once, "Khaili Khub" (Very good). Some of the friends were upset and explained to Him that this film would be scattered around the country and used in movie houses. He replied: "Besyar Khub" (Most good!)

      Consequently, one day, He appeared at the entrance of the Ansonia for the making of a short film. "It was a wonderfully impressive sight, for as He approached the camera, he was exhorting Bahá'u'lláh to bless this means for the spreading of the Heavenly Cause throughout the world."

      The friends arranged for a longer film to be made at the home of Mr. and Mrs. MacNutt on June 18, and they also made a recording of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's voice chanting "Glad tidings! Glad Tidings!"

"Rejoice! Rejoice! The Sun of reality has dawned!
Rejoice! Rejoice! The New Jerusalem has descended from Heaven!
Rejoice! Rejoice! The Glory of Carmel has shone on the worlds!"

      Although unskilled handling of the camera had 'Abdu'l-Bahá going out of frame and back again, this is a precious legacy, the record of the Beloved Master in action. The film and recording have been duplicated and sent out to all countries where Bahá'ís resided at the time.

      Seventy years later, the film has been incorporated into "The Quiet Revolution," a 58 minutes major film on the Bahá'í Faith, a 1985 BBC production released on English national television and in New York City in January 1986.

      At the end of this memorable day, 'Abdu'l-Bahá traveled 40 miles to visit a Jewish friend who was sick, returning home at night utterly exhausted.

THE CENTER OF THE COVENANT NAMES
THE CITY OF THE COVENANT

      June 19th was an historic day for the Bahá'ís of New York . On that day, 'Abdu'l-Bahá named their city the "City of the Covenant." Also, He spoke of the Tablet of the Branch* revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in Andrianople, and proclaimed His own station as the "Center of the Covenant."

      What a highly dramatic, almost terrifying moment in history! The Son of Bahá'u'lláh, the Prophet of God for our time, suddenly lifting the veil of His humanity, appearing in the Glory of the Power of the Covenant, the Power of Creation! It happened with the swiftness and blinding energy of a bolt of lightning, transporting its two witnesses, Juliet Thompson and Lua Getsinger,** into a spiritual whirling of exaltation and fright. Juliet had been called to work on His portrait on that day. She describes a sense of "peculiar power… in the Master's steps while coming down from His room… a fearful majesty… strange flashing of the eyes…" evoking an Old Testament Figure. Later as He was sitting for His portrait, Juliet recalled the following events:

"I had just begun to work, Lua in the room sitting on a couch nearby, when the Master smiled at me, then turning to Lua said in Persian: "This makes me sleepy. What shall I do?"
"Tell the Master, Lua, that if He would like to take a nap, I can work while He sleeps."
But I found that I could not. What I saw then was too sacred, too formidable. He sat still as a statue, His eyes closed, infinite peace on that chiseled face, a God-like calm and grandeur in His erect head.
Suddenly, with a great flash like lightning He opened His eyes, and the room seemed to rock like a ship in a storm with the power released. The Master was blazing! "The veils of glory," "the thousand veils" had shriveled away in the Flame and we were exposed to the Glory Itself!
Lua and I sat shaking and sobbing. Then He spoke to Lua. I caught the words, "Munádíy-i 'Ahd" (Herald of the Covenant).
Lua started forward, her hand to her breast. "Man?" (I?), she exclaimed. "Call one of the Persians. You must understand this."

Never shall I forget that moment, the flashing eyes of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the reverberations of His Voice, the Power that still rocked the room. God of lightning and thunder! I thought.

Lua behind The Master

"I appoint you, Lua, the Herald of the Covenant. And I AM THE COVENANT, appointed by Bahá'u'lláh. And no one can refute His Word. This is the Testament of Bahá'u'lláh. You will find it in the Holy Book of Aqdas. Go forth and proclaim:"

"This is THE COVENANT OF GOD in your midst."

*In the Bahá'í Writings, Bahá'u'lláh referred to Himself as a Tree, (The Tree of Life), His children as "Branches" and "Leaves". 'Abdu'l-Bahá is entitled "The Greatest Branch."
**Lua Getsinger was one of the first Bahá'í pilgrims to Akka in 1898. 'Abdu'l-Bahá had chosen her for her passionate and irresistible nature to be a "Banner" and inspired her to teach "day and night." Though sick, until her death in Cairo 18 years later at the age of 45, she never spared herself and was given the title of "Mother-teacher of the American Bahá'í Community" by Shoghi Effendi, besides the title of "Herald of the Covenant" given by the Master.

Bahá'í News April 1976.

A great joy had lifted Lua up. Her eyes were full of light. She looked like a winged angel. "Oh, recreate me," she cried, "that I may do this work for Thee!" By now I was sobbing uncontrollably.
"Don't cry, Juliet," He said. "This is no time for tears. Through tears you cannot see to paint."
I tried hard to hold back my tears and to work, but painting that day was at an end for me.
The Master smiled lovingly. "Juliet is one of my favorites because she speaks the truth. See how I love the truth, Juliet. You spoke one word of truth to me and see how I have praised it!"
I looked up to smile in answer and in gratitude, then I was overwhelmed again by that awful convulsive sobbing. At this the Master began to laugh and, as He laughed and laughed, the strangest thing happened. It was as if at each outburst He wrapped himself in more veils, so that now He looked completely human, without a trace left of His superhuman majesty. Never had I seen Him like this before and I never did afterward."

(At one time, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had explained that "laughter is spiritual relaxation." Now the Master very tenderly endeavored to make Lua and Juliet laugh.)

"Perhaps He had just found it necessary, after that mighty Declaration, to bring us down to earth again. He had revealed to us "The Apex of Immortality." He had lifted us to a height from which we could see it. Now He, our loving Shepherd, had carried us in His own arms back to our little valley and put us where we belonged."

      In the afternoon of that day, He sent Lua down to the waiting people to "proclaim the Covenant," then a little later, He followed her and spoke on the Station of the Center of the Covenant, "but not as He had done to Lua and me."

      In confirmation of His explanations, the Master had the Tablet of the Branch read to the friends so they could hear these mighty words of Bahá'u'lláh:

"Whosoever turns to Him hath surely turned to God and whosoever turneth away from Him hath turned away from my Beauty, denied My Proof and is of those who transgress."

      On that same day a copy of the book, "The Brilliant Proof," written by Mírzá 'Abu'l Fadl was received. It was in answer to Reverend P. Easton's virulent criticism of the Faith in London and his letter to America, warning people of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's dangerous influence. The Master was very pleased with the book and ordered its translation to be published in this country.

      This Mighty Day ended like an ordinary day, with more visitors requesting an interview.

THE ONENESS OF HUMANITY

      While in Dublin, New Hampshire, 'Abdu'l-Bahá announced the forthcoming marriage of Mr. Louis Gregory, a Washington lawyer of black heritage, with Miss Louisa Mathew of London, a white lady. The wedding was planned for the 27th of September in New York City. Though the Master was in Denver, Colorado, on His way to California on that day, this union was His work and the ceremony was performed in the City of the Covenant, as He had expressly wished. The simple ceremony at a Church of England took place with nine persons present, including the minister and his wife, a friend of Jewish background, and representatives of the Bahá'í Spiritual Assemblies of New York, Philadelphia and Washington.

      For years, a number of Bahá'í communities had been torn by misunderstanding over racial unity and the concept of interracial marriage implied in the teachings of Bahá' u'lláh. 'Abdu'l-Bahá had invited an unsuspecting Miss Mathew to travel with Him on the Cedric to America, and during the voyage had gradually prepared her to understand His wishes. She had met Mr. Gregory the previous year in Egypt in the presence of the Master. They were both middle-aged, mature persons who respected and were fond of each other. They understood the desire of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to make an example of their union as a service to the Faith, and their profound love for the Master gave them the courage to confront the social prejudices prevalent at the time. Their marriage was a happy one, and 'Abdu'l-Bahá described it as "an introduction to the accomplishment of good fellowship between black and white."

THE FINAL MONTH

photo on the steps of the Bourgeouis house in teaneck
'Abdu'l-Baha visited there july 15, 1912 for dinner

      'Abdu'l-Bahá returned to New York on November 11, after a journey of about three months and three weeks, which had taken Him north to the Montreal area in Canada, across the United States, back and forth, including twenty-five days in California. Fortunately, Mr. Champney's lovely house, so dear to the friends, was available for renting again. Mr. Champney and his relatives had become Bahá'ís by this time.

      This was the last month of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's sojourn in America; 23 days remained before His departure, and His task was not yet done. In 1912, very few of the Bahá'í Writings had been translated into English; consequently, Bahá'ís at the time had little concrete basis to rely upon in the deepening of their Faith. One major accomplishment of the Master's lengthy visit was the many opportunities He had to present the Bahá'í teachings with thorough explanations to various audiences. These utterances were trustfully recorded and carbon copies of the transcripts were already circulating among the friends.

      As timely as the Bahá'í teachings were to the needs of mankind, Bahá'ís in those days lacked the perspective of history to appraise the true dimensions of the Faith, the unique phenomenon which the Bahá'í Revelation constitutes in the spiritual and social evolution of mankind and which is implied in the concept of "the Covenant of God."

      To insure the integrity of His Mission, Bahá'u'lláh had designated 'Abdu'l-Bahá as the Center of His Covenant, the sole Interpreter of His Revelation. From the start of His ministry, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had been confronted by opponents justly known as "Covenant breakers." In 1912, some of these misguided and confused individuals lived in Chicago and were disrupting the unity of the Bahá'ís. The concept of "unity" being inherent to the fundamental structure of the Bahá'í Faith, more was at stake in Covenant-breaking than the creation of a splinter group or sect.

      The primary purpose of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's journey to America was to officially proclaim His Station as the Center of the Covenant, to rally the unity of the Bahá'í Community, and to establish the strong foundation of love and integrity upon which the future of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh would stand and progress.

      With complete disregard for His frail physical condition, the Master gave most of His time in America to the friends, to their spiritual needs, to turn their weaknesses into springboards for future greatness, to weave a web of love connections between them. Answering their ceaseless inquiries, He patiently nurtured each one of them into the Faith. As Reverend Ives noted, "He sought the soul, the reality of everyone He met." Much was accomplished in this direction, particularly in New York City. On July 16, Mahmud could observe: "His extended stay in New York brought wonderful results among the friends."

      On June 19, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had made the official Proclamation of His Station, as "The Center of the Covenant." On that day, the Mystery of God revealed a glimpse of the awesome spiritual power implied in the statement of Bahá'u'lláh:

" Whosoever turns to Him hath surely turned unto God…"

      During the three weeks ahead, the last act of this historic drama was to be unfolded. 'Abdu'l-Bahá declined most official invitations and spent the rest of His sojourn perfecting His task of unity. He poured the infinite spiritual power of His divine love into the creative energy which will make the City of the Covenant the "Center of Signs" for centuries to come.

      The pattern of these final days was that 'Abdu'l-Bahá spent mornings at His home, then would go to the home of Carrie and Edward Kinney, followed by other visits. He gave only a few public talks. At intervals, He would escape to His Garden to relax and catch the November sun, still bright and warm in New York.

      November 12th: The Birthday of Bahá'u'lláh. Some of the friends met at the home of Mrs. Krug who had weekly women's meetings on Tuesdays. Juliet describes the Master's invoking "Ya Bahá'u'l-Abhá" with such force that "…it was as though He were calling Someone on the same plane with Him… and Who would certainly come" and she felt His presence!

      Later, 'Abdu'l-Bahá took Juliet to His Garden and instructed her in detail on how to be firm in the Covenant and help bring unity among the friends. "…You must love Me," He said, "for the sake of God." "You are all I shall ever know of God," she cried. "I am the Servant of God," He replied.

      Shaken, on the way home Juliet was wondering "Could it be that I was not firm?" The following day, Juliet went early to 'Abdu'l-Bahá's house to thank Him for His mercy and patience with her. "I was asleep and You woke me." The Master replied: "I pray that you may ever be awake. There are a few souls in America whom I have chosen to be teachers of this Cause… I wish you to have all the qualities of the teacher."

      Addressing a large number of Bahá'ís at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kinney, the Master exhorted them "…to strive for the emancipation of their souls from passion and desire… to be aware of selfish ones who would lead them astray from the Path of God." At first, the Master was seated between the two large rooms. Then, He rose in a majestic and dignified manner, His beautiful face transfigured by a powerful emotion and invoking the sufferings and sacrifices of Bahá'u'lláh and the Martyrs, He spoke of firmness in the Covenant. The friends, their eyes brimming with tears, were galvanized.

      On the evening of November 15, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was annoyed that some people would comment that they did not see the difference between Christianity and the Bahá'í Faith, or they did not understand the advent of this New Dispensation. En route to the house of Juliet, the Master said: "The time has come for Me to throw bombs!" To a crowd occupying the entire length of the house, He spoke powerfully on the greatness of this Cycle, the great Victories of Bahá'u'lláh over the Kings and Rulers of His time, and on the meaning of the Bahá'í Revelation for mankind.

      Public appearances during this period included a talk at the Genealogical Hall, on the evolution of all forms of existence, of mankind and civilizations. "He ended this address with the chanting of a prayer which drowned the hearts in a surging sea of ecstasy and rapture…" commented Mahmud.

THE LAST ORDEAL

      On November 18, upon being invited, 'Abdu'l-Bahá visited the J. Pierpont Morgan Library, where He wrote a few sentences in the guest book, praising the philanthropist and asking God's blessings on his work. The event was reported in The New York Times, including the complete translation of the Master's remark which Dr. Farid had written in the guest book.

      In the afternoon, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kinney became the stage of a drama. "The Master put Howard MacNutt through a severe ordeal, an inevitable ordeal…" commented Juliet.

      'Abdu'l-Bahá had instructed Mr. MacNutt with the mission of going to Chicago to meet with the misguided individuals and clarify their status in the Faith. Mr. MacNutt failed to understand the danger of the forces of disunity at this time in the history of the Faith and had avoided the issue, trying to justify his action in a letter to a Persian friend. The result was a dark shadow cast over the community, which since his return was shaken by arguments and uncertainty. Now, Mr. MacNutt was to meet the Master.

      In the little time left before His departure, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had to act swiftly. He called Mr. MacNutt in His room, on the second floor, and after a while He was heard to sternly ordering him to publicly recognize his mistake and retract his words at once! "Go down and tell the people: I was like Saul. Now I am Paul, for I see." * Though reluctantly, Mr. MacNutt went down the stairs to the large assembly of believers and, "his back shrunken…" barely audible, went through his retraction. During this time…"the Master leaned over the stair rail, His head thrown far back, His eyes closed, in anguished prayer… This is like Christ in Gethsemane," Juliet thought.

      When Howard MacNutt went up toward His room, 'Abdu'l-Bahá ran forward to meet him. "Our Lord was all in white that night and as He ran arms wide open He looked like a great flying bird. He unfolded Howard in a close embrace… welcomed with ecstasy this broken man who, though bewildered, had obeyed Him." The Master then called Mr. Kinney and others to His room and asked them to embrace Howard MacNutt, and from now on to work together teaching the Cause in perfect love and unity in the City of the Covenant.

      "Obedience," the Master once said, "Obedience, is the rod by which I measure the love of the friends." The following night, someone gloated over Mr. MacNutt's chastisement. The Master sighed: "I immersed Mr. MacNutt in the fountain of Job last night."**

*Reference to Biblical Saul of Tarsus who became Jesus' Apostle Paul after his vision on the Road to Damascus.

**J. Thompson's Diary, pp. 369-72.
Howard MacNutt's love and gratitude for the Master never failed after his ordeal. He went on as a dedicated teacher of his beloved Faith, until his and Mrs. Mary MacNutt's untimely death in a car accident.

THE DAY OF THE COVENANT

      On November 20, 'Abdu'l-Bahá made a last visit to the home of Juliet and Mrs. Thompson. After resting in one of Juliet's room, He visited every room of the house and said: "This house is blessed." These words echoed in the heart of Juliet and her mother for ever…

      By spending Saturday, November 23, in Montclair, New Jersey, the Master missed the booking deadline for the S.S. Mauretania, to the delight of the friends. In the evening, the Day of the Covenant was celebrated with a great banquet at the Great Northern Hotel. The banquet room was magnificent; more than 300 Bahá'ís attended, some coming from the regions of Washington, Philadelphia and Boston. A few dignitaries such as Mr. Topakyan, were also invited. Before the food was served, 'Abdu'l-Bahá went among the guests, anointing everyone with attar of rose, a Persian custom to honor guests. The Master gave a short talk.

      As the Great Northern Hotel manager had stubbornly and vehemently refused to allow black guests at the banquet, the friends organized a great interracial feast at the home of the Kinneys the following day. Many of the white ladies rose to serve the meal. The Master was very pleased and said: "Today you have shown the Commandments of the Blessed Beauty in your actions and have acted according to the teaching of the Supreme Pen."

      On November 25, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was the honored guest at the annual luncheon of the Club Minerva at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. Mrs. Mary MacNutt was the President of this renowned women's club. The Master spoke on the virtues and rights of women. He next visited the home of Mrs. Asa Cochran, where He gave a talk on the abolition of prejudices and on acquiring perfection through spiritual power.

      Later, Juliet was at 'Abdu'l-Bahá's home waiting for the Master with Dr. Percy Grant, who had come for his farewell visit. The Master was happy to see Dr. Grant and apologized for keeping him waiting. He said, "I was captured by 300 women this afternoon. Is it not a dreadful thing?" They met in private in the Master's room. Dr. Farid, who was the interpreter, later told Juliet that Dr. Grant had expressed great concern for the safety of 'Abdu'l-Bahá who was going to a war area (Turkey and the Balkans) and had offered his services to help Him in any way he could, asking to be kept informed of His well-being.

      'Abdu'l-Bahá was born on May 23rd, 1844, on the same night the Báb, Forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh, revealed His Mission. In the early days of the Faith in Akka, the Master told the Persian friends, that this day was not to be celebrated as His birthday. It was the Day of the Declaration of the Báb, exclusively associated with Him. But, as the friends begged for a day to be celebrated as His, He gave them November 26th, to be observed as the day of the appointment of the Centre of the Covenant. It was known as the great Festival, because 'Abdu'l-Bahá was the Greatest Branch. In the West, it became known as the Day of the Covenant.*

      In this context, the scene witnessed by Juliet on this November 26, 1912, in New York, takes a special significance.

      On this Day of the Covenant, Juliet went to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kinney to meet with 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He was on the upper floor with the Persian friends, Mr. Montford Mill, Carrie Kinney and others. Dr. Bagdadi and Dr. Farid were working on the official translation of The Tablet of The Branch under the stern supervision of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. The translation was submitted sentence by sentence to the Master until He was satisfied with the rendering. "I shall never forget… His sterness, His terrific majesty as he directed that translation." Throughout the proceedings, Juliet was overwhelmed and reacted with uncontrollable crying, comforted by Mahmud and Valíyu'lláh Khán, who understood her feelings.

Future generations of Bahá'ís can only be grateful for Juliet Thompson's great love for 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and her sincerity, that He had praised. In her emotional testimony, we can see, unfolding within three days, the historical purpose of the Mystery of God in the City of the Covenant: June 19; November 18 and 26- events which can be remembered as the divine triptych which firmly established the continuity of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh. **


*From H.M. Balyuzi "'Abdu'l-Bahá," p.523.
**During a 1980 pilgrimage in Haifa, this writer asked Hand of the Cause Mr. Furitan, if he knew the purpose of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in the City of the Covenant. Mr. Furitan explained that the Master had planned to build up the unity of the Bahá'ís in New York City to counter the destructive activities of the Covenant-breakers in Chicago. Mr. Furitan asserted: "Yes, and He stopped the Chicago Covenantbreakers from New York toward the end of His sojourn!" Also, at the Bahá'í International Archives, inquiry was made about the status of Juliet Thompson's diary. The friends were shown a package wrapped in brown paper and string with Shoghi Effendi's hand writing: " Diary of Juliet Thompson to be published in due time." And we were told "Shoghi Effendi loved it!"

---

FAREWELL!…

      During the last few days, the house of 'Abdu'l-Bahá was crowded with eager friends. The Master told them: "I always derive pleasure from our meetings. I shall always remember these days." The friends came to look at His face, "to turn to the Dawning Place of the Divine Covenant… He was imparting joy to the sad, hope to the hopeless and a flame to the dormant while He guided strugglers to the right path." At another time, the Master said, "…the purpose of the Holy Manifestations of God was not to found religions and churches, but to educate souls who will become teachers of mankind… The people of Bahá must endeavor day and night to enforce this divine purpose."

      On that Thanksgiving Day, November 28, the Master expressed love for Americans and hope in their destiny to evolve toward spirituality with the same energy now directed toward material achievements.

      Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Emery had invited 'Abdu'l-Bahá to move to their home for the last few days, but most of the large meetings were held at the Kinneys' until the end. Some of the friends wanted to offer money to the Master and gifts of jewelry for His relatives. He asked them to give everything to the poor. As the friends insisted, He said that He accepted their gifts, but they should sell them for His sake and give the proceeds to the fund for the construction of the House of Worship in Wilmette.

      Speaking of impending international war, 'Abdu'l-Bahá expressed the wish that America would lead the world to peace and world unity. "In the religion of Bahá'u'lláh this question of peace is a positive command and a religious obligation… It is a positive divine command and is, thus, certain to come to pass."

      At the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kinney on December 2, 'Abdu'l-Bahá announced His departure. "These are the days of my farewell to you, for I am sailing on the 5th of the month. Wherever I went in this country I returned always to New York City." The Master gave a beautiful exhortation ending with these words: "Be illumined, be spiritual, be divine, be glorious, be quickened of God, be a Bahá'í."

      This was not yet the end. In spite of all the final preparations, 'Abdu'l-Bahá continued to have meetings at the Kinneys', mostly with Bahá'ís. However, ministers and rabbis still sought to reach Him for guidance until the last day. His final public appearance was made the evening before His departure, at the Theosophical Society, where He delivered an address on the eternity of creation, the evolution of the spirit, and the power of the Manifestation of God.

      Juliet had asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá for permission to stay "in some corner of His home" the entire day of December 4. She was allowed to do so although He was seeing many others. After everyone had left, the Master told Juliet that the proceeds of the sale of the photographs of His portrait that she had planned to send to the Temple fund were for her to keep. He was aware of Mrs. Thompson's and Juliet's dire financial situation since the death of her father. The portrait had been exhibited at the Church of the Ascension for several weeks, and now 'Abdu'l-Bahá was taking it with Him.*

      On Thursday, December 5th, Juliet had gone early in the morning to the Emery's (last home of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in New York). She was trying to fill her memory with the Master's every move and expressions. The Master took her hand telling her, "Remember, I am with you always. Bahá'u'lláh will be with you always." He had expressed often these thoughts to the friends.

      Juliet and some of the friends drove to the pier with the Master and followed Him up to His cabin on the S.S. Celtic. Then they all went to the large first class lounge, packed with Bahá'ís from various parts of the country. Walking back and forth, a familiar action when speaking to the friends, 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave them His last exhortation in the City of the Covenant, while all the friends were weeping quietly.

* The original portrait has been lost. Only a few of the 1912 photographs are kept in private and bahá'í archives. The illustration in this book is one of these 1912 prints, from the estate of Mrs. Asa Cochran, courtesy of the Hopson-Samuel family.

      He reminded the friends that they were standing for the unity of all nations and for world peace while a war raged in the Balkans. Then He said, "As to you, your efforts must be lofty. Exert yourselves with heart and soul that perchance through your efforts the light of Universal Peace may shine and this darkness of estrangement and enmity may be dispelled from amongst men.

      "You have no excuse to bring before God if you fail to live according to His command, for you are informed of that which constitutes the good pleasure of God… It is my hope that you may become successful in this high calling, so that like brilliant lamps you may cast light upon the world of humanity and quicken and stir the body of existence like unto a spirit of life.

      "This is eternal glory. This is everlasting felicity. This is immortal life. This is heavenly attainment. This is being created in God's image and likeness. And unto this I call you, praying God to strengthen and bless you."

      The passengers and officers of the Celtic were astonished at the scene: "Their surprise was beyond expression," noted Mahmud. "The Master was seated in a corner of the lounge, while the believers flocked around Him for the last minutes left." Juliet lamented, "…It was death to leave that ship. I stood on the pier with May Maxwell, tears blurred my sight. Through them, I could see the Master in the midst of the group of Persians waving a patient hand to us. It waved and waved, that beautiful hand, till the Figure was lost to sight."

      From the ship, Mahmud could see the friends on the pier, "…the steamer moved out to sea, but as far as the eyes could see the multitude of the friends surged like a mighty host… The Beloved spoke about the power of the Greatest Name. 'Behold!' He said, 'By the power of the Cause of God a new spirit has been breathed into the hearts which has produced a change in the souls. Continuously the assistance of the Beauty of Abhá reached us and invariably the lights of victory shone from the Supreme Horizon. We received the confirmations of the Kingdom of God and the assistance of the Invisible Sovereignty of the Beauty of Abhá which He promised clearly in the verse:

'We see you from the horizon of Abhá and with the hosts of the Supreme Concourse and the armies of the Angels of Nearness We assist those who rise to help the Cause.'"

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IN CONCLUSION

      We may take the time to reflect on the extraordinary events that took place in this country in 1912 as they were part of a greater pattern.

      In God Passes By, Shoghi Effendi, after relating the trials and sufferings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and the recovery of His freedom, wrote: "So momentous a change in the fortune of the Faith was the signal for such an outburst of activity on His part as to dumbfound His followers in East and West with admiration and wonder, and exercise an imperishable influence on the course of its future history. He Who, in His own words, had entered prison as a youth and left it as an old man, Who never in His life had faced a public audience, had attended no school, had never moved in Western circles and was unfamiliar with Western customs and language, had arisen not only to proclaim from pulpit and platform in some of the chief capitals of Europe and in the leading cities of the North American continent, the distinctive verities enshrined in His Father's Faith, but to demonstrate as well the divine origin of the Prophets gone before Him and to disclose the nature of the tie binding them to that Faith."

      In this country, followed by throngs of Bahá'ís and anonymous people alike, and trailed by groups of astonished journalists and writers, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke to the lowliest of society and to the loftiest socialites, to leaders of thought and representatives of governments. He addressed large audiences, praising Christ in synagogues, bringing Mohammad's teachings to Christian churches and the unity of religion and science to universities, further proclaiming the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh and His Mission of Peace to a world at the brink of world war. The Master nurtured the friends, one soul at a time, captivating new believers, confirming wavering ones, and made proud standard-bearers of the humblest, uniting all in the embracing shelter of His Divine Love.

      Finally, The Mystery of God, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, unveiling the Spiritual Power of His Station as Center of the Covenant of Bahá'ulláh, endowed New York with the imperishable title of "City of the Covenant."

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'Abdu'l-Baha with Howard Colby Ives
source on line  Eliane Lacroix-Hopson
aka Eliane A. Hopson and other sources compilation ========================

Abdu’l-Bahá visited Montreal in August 1912. 

His first act the morning following His arrival was so characteristic of His wonderful love and sympathy:  the healing of a sick child. A wealthy family, living opposite the Maxwell home in Montreal, had a little daughter who had been an invalid all her life. The mother of this child, also an invalid, was the first to beg ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to come and see them inasmuch as they could not go to Him.

When the message was given to Him, He was told of the invalid child, and a great softness and seriousness came into His face. “Do you wish me to heal this child?” He asked. And as the reply was an ardent appeal, He immediately went to the home of this family. The pale little girl with great luminous eyes came into the room and walked straight into ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s loving outstretched arms. For a moment all was silent.

Then hugging her fondly, He claimed, “This child is not of this world! She is from the Kingdom of Abhá and has come to the world at this time to be the cause of the guidance and illumination of all her family, both in the seen and unseen worlds! From now on throughout all eternity she is under the special protection of Almighty God!”

He laid His hands gently on her head and shoulders and then told the family that she must go out every day, in the middle of the day, on the ground. Then she would be entirely healed.

Nine months later when the Master’s words had finally taken effect, as the snows were melting from the ground in early spring, this beautiful child came out of her house and walked on the ground. She was perfectly healthy, strong and well.

Howard Colby Ives was a Unitarian Minister who became a Bahá’í after meeting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1912. He left his position in the ministry to travel around the country with his wife Mabel, teaching others about their faith. He was a writer, poet, and prolific correspondent with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi. The Ives Research Project aims to let all those whose lives were touched by Howard and Mabel to collaborate in studying the wealth of historical documents related to them.