Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Juliet Thompson, Diary of Juliet Thompson, Los Angeles: Kalimat Press, 1983, bahai-library.com.
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THED ~
FJ UET
. N
With preface by Marzieh Gail
The
DIARY
of
JULIET
THOMPSON
~
with a prefa~e by
Marzieh Gail

Kalimat Press
Los Angeles

\ Copyright © 1983 by Kalimat Press

Third Printing

Published from the 1947 typescript
prepared and annotated by Juliet
Thompson.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Thompson, Juliet.
The diary of Juliet Thompson.
"Published from the 1947 typescript prepared and
annotated by Juliet Thompson"-Verso t.p.
1. 'Abdu'l-Baha. 2. Thompson, Juliet. 3. Bahais-
Biography. 1. Gail, Marzieh. II. Title.
BP393.T48 1983 287' .8963'0924[B] 83-lO540
ISBN 0-933770-27-8
CONTENTS
At 48 West Tenth by Marzieh Gail . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. vii

The' Akka Diary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

With 'Abdu'l-Baha in Thonon, Vevey, and Geneva .. 147

'Abdu'l-Baha in America ....................... 223

v
AT 48 WEST TENTH
by Marzieh Gail
~
JULIET THOMPSON
Whether or not General Tom Thumb (Barnum's midget, and at the start of his career twenty-five inches long,
weighing in at fifteen pounds) ever owned the Greenwich Village brownstone where Juliet and Daisy
(Marguerite Pumpelly Smyth) lived so many years, we
do not know. At the time when we knew the place,
Daisy was renting it from Romeyne Benjamin, brother of
Dorothy Benjamin who married Enrico Caruso.
Like its fellows in the row, it was narrow and high,
with black railings to either side of the front steps, other
steps leading down to a long basement room, and a strip
of garden in back. Inside, up from the front hall, narrow
stairs hugged the wall on your right.
The old house, painted light blue when we last saw it,
long after the inmates loved by us were gone, might well
have been the wealthy midget's, as Juliet was inclined to
believe: it was just such a place.
When Daisy asked' Abdu'l-Baha how to live, He said,
"Be kind to everyone," and Daisy was. The house was a
haven for a motley crowd. Here, Daisy's brother Raphael
told me he had once, during the Depression, left his bed
briefly in the night, and returned to find a sailor in it,
complete with live parrot. Here, at one given time, in an
upstairs room Dimitri Marianoff, Einstein's former sonin-law, who had become a Baha'i, was writing a book on
Tahirih, while Juliet was revising her I, Mary Magdalen
on a lower floor and I, at ground level, refugeeing from
the family apartment uptown, was finishing Persia and

ix
BY MARZIEH GAlL

the Victorians. Here Daisy, like Juliet a fine artist, sat
among their many guests at the firesides. Usually inaccessibly vague, Daisy would from time to time utter a
great truth. Once when her cat unsheathed its claws and
raked delicate upholstery, Daisy spoke: "Cats are more
£un than furniture," she said.
'Abdu'l-Baha had been all over the house. His living
presence had blessed it all. In a dark comer of Juliet's
whispering old studio stood a fragile armchair of black
oak-it would later be willed by her to Vincent Pleasant
-surprisingly small, with a cord across it, none ever to
sit in it again, the chair of 'Abdu'l-Baha. He loved her
studio room. He said it was eclectic, part oriental, part
occidental, and that He would like to build a similar
one.
Here, Juliet had read in manuscript the books of her
friend and neighbor Kahlil Gibran. Here she had struggled with her love for Percy Grant. Here, by my time, we
talked a little about the land in Chiriqui which (such is
my memory of it) Lincoln had helped her father, Ambrose White Thompson, his close friend, to acquire. A
rich tract of land in northern Panama it was, and Juliet
believed that somewhere in Columbia, which then
owned the area, a government building had burned
down, and all the relevant documents about the property
had gone up in flames.
After her father's death, Juliet and her mother were
poor. Juliet could, of course, have married money. Many
men sought, as they used to say, her hand. Two prominent Baha'is who proposed to her were John Bosch and
Roy Wilhelm. Come to that, Mason, Admiral Remey's
son, whom 'Abdu'l-Baha wished her to marry, was not a
poor man. Juliet told me that in those days Mason had

x
AT 48 WEST TENTH

grown a red beard, and as they sat together he would talk
of the children they would have, and Juliet would visualize, floating in the air about her, the Remey babies, each
with a small red beard.
Mostly, we discussed the progress or lack thereof of
our Baha'i community in New York and the nation at
large, and one day we decided that what our Faith most
needed in America was the qualities of George Townshend. Immediately, we determined to cable the Guardian and ask him to send us George Townshend-a preeminent Baha'i who was the former Canon of St.
Patrick's cathedral in Dublin and Archdeacon of Clonfert-to travel nationwide and teach. Far from ignoring
our doubtless brash suggestion, the Guardian at once
replied, with a radiogram received February 19, 1948:
JULIET MARZIA 48 WEST 10TH STREET NEW YORK
REGRET TOWNSHEND'S EFFORTS DUBLIN VITALY NEEDED
SIX YEAR PLAN LOVE SHOGHI.
'Abdu'l-Baha teaches that we must never "belittle the
thought of another" IBaha'i AdminstIation, p. 22), and
although Shoghi Effendi was carrying the whole BaM:i
world on his back, he did not belittle ours, and he took
the time to answer.
Once, when the powers that be were making life difficult for me in another city, Juliet wrote them a letter in
my favor. To this, there was no reply. What status did
Juliet have? She was only one, the Master said, that future queens would envy, only one who would be remembered long after the rest of us were gone and forgotten.
She was always a rebel. She did not hesitate to speak
well of the Germans during World War I, and to exhibit
the Kaiser's picture on her living room table. Something
like setting up a statue of Herod in a cathedral, at the

xi
BY MARZIEH GAIL

time. In later years, she decided to rewrite I, Mary
Magdalen and make Judas a certain leading individual
who afterward lived on to receive great honors in our
Faith.
Juliet was a Celt, from a long line of early bards, and
she was kin to Edward Fitzgerald, of the Rubaiyat. Her
Irishness did not, apparently, extend to that country's
religion. She told me that when her father was dying, he
was by chance in the hands of the nuns, and they moved
about, seeing to it that extreme unction las it was then
called) was duly administered, while her non-Catholic
mother wrung her hands. Reassuring, the moribund
raised his head and said: "Never mind, Celeste, it
doesn't amount to a damn."
Rebels are valuable, but they are not always right.
Once, contrary to everyone's advice, Juliet's strong feelings about an individual led her and Daisy astray. She
made us all come to the man's talks, or rather talk,
which was always about love. We got so we hated love.
"No wonder he advocates love," was Harold Gail's comment, "look what it's done for him." It had certanly
given him Juliet and Daisy, and only later on did they
see the light-the light being that his main interest
seemed to be Daisy's bank account.
As the Guardian once commented, our World Order is
founded on justice, not love. Our governing institutions
are Houses of Justice, not love.
The man did bring many to hear about love at Juliet's,
which used to remind me of Romeyne Benjamin's
gloomy prophecy, that the ceilings would fall in.
It was the unconventional, rebel quality in Juliet-this, plus her sympathy and true love-that attracted so many to her, particularly the young. All ages,

xii
AT 48 WEST TENTH

sexes, skin colors, and degrees of wealth and servitude,
used to foregather at 48 West Tenth. Her name was, incidentally, in the New York Social Register, along with
her brother's-"but I am only there as a junior," she
laughed.
This unconventional quality of hers, frightening to
any establishment, appealed to the Guardian, as it had to
the Master before him. We remember writing to the
Guardian once, about a town where the activity was
barely detectible, and he replied that the situation was
due to "the lethargy and conservatism of certain
elements in the community."
'Abdu'I-BahA praised Juliet repeatedly for her absolute
truthfulness. On her second pilgrimage, when the
Guardian asked her, "Do you like the /Wilmette) Temple?" she answered: "No, it looks like a wedding cake."
She added, relaying the conversation to me: "We used to
call it 'Mrs. True's church.' " (Mrs. Corinne True, later
a Hand of the Faith, was known as "the Mother of the
Temple.") She said Mason Remey withdrew his design,
in favor of Louis Bourgeois', although each received the
same number of votes.
Needless to add, the ethereal, lacy, floating House of
Worship at Wilmette does not look like a wedding cake,
but Juliet had an opinion and she voiced it. "Let us
remember," the Text says, "that at the very root of the
Cause lies the principle of the undoubted right of the individual to self-expression, his freedom to declare his
conscience and set forth his views." /Baha'i AdministIation, p. 54).
We read in her diary of the Master's telling Juliet "a
thing so wonderful" that she could not repeat it. In after
years she confided to BahA'i pioneer Bill Smits what that

xiii
BY MARZIEH GAIL

thing was. "You are nearer to me than anyone here,"
'Abdu'l-Baha had said, "because you have told me the
truth." Asked what He meant by "here," she said, "Oh,
New York, the United States-I don't know."
This diary we have here is not the original, longhand
one. She destroyed that. She was essentially a private
person and all those secrets have blown away. This diary
is the core of the original: she kept whatever she wanted
posterity to have, sat up in bed with the portable on her
knees and typed it herself. I was one of (necessarily) few
to receive a carbon, and mine has some of her own handwritten notes in the margin. Some years afterward I had
the carbon professionally typed for the National Spiritual
Assembly, but years later it could not be discovered in
their files. Also, Philip Sprague mimeographed parts of
it, but where that material is, we do not know.
Still more years later, when Harold and I were back
from Europe and living in New Hampshire, I became
aware that with so few copies in the world it might be
lost forever, and consulting with fellow Baha'is we had
xeroxes made, so it would stay safe. Meanwhile someone-was it Daisy?-had brought out a handsome booklet, printed by the Roycrofters, East Aurora, New York,
and titled 'Abdu'l-Baha's First Days in America [without
the diacriticals), From the Diary of Juliet Thompson. It
bears no date or copyright, is forty pages long and contains only excerpts: a teaser, as it were.
The truth seems to be that during her lifetime the
Baha'is in charge of publishing did not cotton to the
diary. "Too personal," they said. They probably meant
that there was too much love in it. We understand this,
but we note that the mass of the believers were always
eager for it. Here was a woman blessed as perhaps no

XIV
AT 48 WEST TENTH

other occidental Baha'i was blessed. Not only was she
received by 'Abdu'l-Baha in the Holy Land, in Switzerland and the eastern United States, but she had an
artist's eye and a writer's pen, and thus, better perhaps
than any, she was able to evoke those so often irretrievable days and hours.
'Abdu'l-Baha prophesied of her that: "In the time to
come, queens will wish they had been the maid of
Juliet." Certainly she received priceless opportunities,
and proved adequate to her good fortune.
Love is not blind, it is "quick-eyed," George Herbert
said. 'Abdu'l-Baha likened Juliet to Mary Magdalen
because she loved, and saw, so much. She had that same
storied love that Mary had-that love which after all is
the only thing that holds the Baha'is together, or for that
matter holds the Lord to His creatures, or keeps the stars
in their courses.
She says here that one early morning (on that breathless, ecstatic, tear-drenched pilgrimage) she gave up her
will, made over her desires and her life to the Will of
God, and saw how, when we are able to do that, "the
design takes perfect shape." Then peace comes, she
says, and "beauty undreamed of blossoms upon our
days."
Again she tells how the Master once gathered the
American pilgrims together-they being symbols of
all-and said He hoped that a great and ever-growing
love would be established among them. He knew that
their one main desire was to live in His presence, and He
told them how this could be done.
"The more," He said, "you love one another, the
nearer you get to me. I go away from this world, but
Love stays always."

xv
BY MARZIEH GAIL

Juliet's death notice in the New York Times says that
she was born in New York, but the jacket to her book, I,
Mary Magdalen, undoubtedly more to be trusted, has her
a Virginian by birth, and brought up in Washington,
D.C.
She was a cult figure. People became possessive about
her, regarded her as theirs and only grudgingly doled her
out. This was particularly true of Helen James, who
came from the Caribbean area and was a long-time companion. I can remember Helen angrily barring the door to
me one day, when Juliet was sick. It did not bother me
too much-I knew from mythology that dragons guard
treasures. Then there was another time when I had
prevailed on a man to come over to the Village all the
way from Brooklyn, and record Juliet's voice as she read
from her diary. (On wire, it was. The business was new
then. J And Helen tried, in the midst of it, to break in
from the other room and let in even more noise, besides
what was already being reproduced from the traffic on
West Tenth.
You can say for Helen that she was a true friend to
Juliet, and faithful. One midday, years after all this, as
Juliet lay in her bed, it seems that she looked up at
Helen and asked, ' 'Do you want to come with me, and
be with 'Abdu'I-BahM"
"No," Helen told her, "I am not ready yet. 1/
And then, as she watched, she saw Juliet die. It was
December 4, 1956. They had moved by then, the Times
said, to 129 East Tenth. I was glad that she did not die at
number 48.
The Guardian's cable, received by Daisy Smyth on December 7, said "DEEPLY GRIEVED" and "HER REWARD

xvi
AT 48 WEST TENTH

ASSURED." To the National Spiritual Assembly he cabled,
"DEPLORE LOSS," and he directed that a memorial gathering be held for her in the House of Worship. In this cable
among other praises he referred to her "IMPERISHABLE
MEMORY," said that she was "FIRED WITH . . . CONSUMING
DEVOTION" to the Center of Baha'u'llah's Covenant, and
called her "MUCH LOVED, GREATLY ADMIRED . . . OUT-
STANDING EXEMPLARY HANDMAID [OF] 'ABDU'L-BAHA."

48 West Tenth Street was a house dedicated to
'Abdu'l-Baha. Often when you were let in the front door,
you heard His voice-the recorded, spontaneous chant
made in 1912-loudly reverberating through the rooms.
One day Juliet took Robert Gulick and me up the
street to the comer of Fifth Avenue, and we entered the
beautiful Church of the Ascension that had once been
Percy Grant's pride before his ruin, and she showed us
exactly where 'Abdu'l-Baha stood, delivering His first
American public address on April 14, 1912.
He came out of the vestry on the right, just as the
choir burst into "Jesus lives." He sat in the Bishop's
chair-which broke the nineteenth canon of the Church,
for the unbaptized may not go behind the chancel rail.
The red plush chair with its high back was still there,
just as it had been that other day, although no flame
burned on the altar then. When He spoke as you looked
past the low steps to the altar, He was on the right, and
He stood on the fifth flagstone.
'Abdu'l-Baha had told Juliet she must either break
with Percy Grant or marry him. She had broken with
him. Percy had arranged this meeting for the Master as a
peace offering to Juliet. From this very pulpit, to win
Juliet away from her Faith, he had often inveighed

xvii
BY MARZIEH GAIL

against the decadent East, had even denounced the II

Baha'i sect," but today he had filled the church with
lilies and arranged for One from the East, and Head of
the Baha'is, to speak.
Juliet said that she used, in her story of Mary Magdalen Iwhom, as 'Abdu'l-Baha remarked in the diary, she
even physically resembled) many things she learned
from the Master himself. This book has inclined many a
heart toward our Faith, and Stanwood Cobb considered
it "one of the most graphic and lofty delineations of
Christ ever made in literature."
She illustrated her story with portraits, three of them:
one haloed, of the Master's face; Mary wears Juliet's
face, they being look-alikes; and the handsome lover,
Novatus, wears the face of Percy Grant. She was a
serious artist, frequently exhibited, and a member of the
National Arts Club. She had studied at the Corcoran Art
School, then at Julien's in Paris, and with Kenneth
Hayes Miller in New York.
During the Coolidge era, Juliet'S beauty and social
background, along with her artistic gifts, carried her into
the White House. lIt is interesting to note how many
Baha'is have been received at the White House, all the
way from Ali-Kuli Khan and Florence, and Laura Barney,
in the early days to modems like Robert Hayden and
Dizzie Gillespie). Juliet was there to make a portrait of
Mrs. Coolidge, incidentally one of the most popular of
First Ladies.
"The President came in to watch," said Juliet, "chewing on an apple, and I told Mrs. Coolidge I could not put
up with that."
The portrait she did of 'Abdu'l-Baha, described here in
the diary, no longer exists, except in a photograph.

xviii
AT 48 WEST TENTH

Time-damaged, it had to be restored, and Juliet felt the
original was gone forever. The Kinneys maintained that
He did not like it because He said it made Him look old.
'Abdu'l-Baha greatly encouraged her art, and told her it
was the same' as worship, but toward the end she no
longer cared to go on with it, nor even cared for her onceloved New York as it had become, and all she wanted to
do was teach the Faith.
Sometimes Juliet and Marjorie would recline at the top
of Juliet's large bed, while Daisy and I would sit on chairs
at the foot. The sooty warm spring air would blow in from
the little back garden, down where Rebecca-a statue
picked up by Romeyn Benjamin-stood scanning the
horizon, endlessly waiting on her pedestal, left hand to
brow. It was one such time when the conversation centered on Percy Grant, that dramatic preacher who, in our
view, certainly merits a biographer, not only for his small
role in our Faith but because he represents so much of
New York history at the century's tum.
"Poor Julie. How long did you love him?" I asked.
"Seventeen years, darn it." (In those days it went without saying that the love was platonic. J
And that is how, reinforced by Marjorie, Juliet told me
how things turned out for Percy Grant. Significantly, his
end is relegated in the diary to a footnote. The story of it
goes like this:
Grant was-as 'Abdu'l-Baha remarked to Ali-Kuli Khan,
comparing the popular society clergyman to his disadvantage with the fine Unitarian minister, Howard Ives
-a womanizer. (Here, 'Abdu'l-Baha used a graphic Persian word. J His remark was prompted by the fact that,
as they were leaving the church by a side door, they
accidentally encountered the rector with a woman in his

XIX
BY MARZIEH GAIL

embrace. Later the Master, father to daughter, even more
graphically but in other words, warned Juliet to the same
effect. And in the long run, it is of note that finally a
woman toppled Grant down.
She was a Cuban-descended beauty of great wealth,
whose luxurious car would be seen outside Grant's rectory by day and night. She had a dead-white face with
bright, red-painted lips, and was a given to wearing evening gowns with did not hide the fact one breast had
been completely removed, while the other remained
without flaw. No intellectual, she was what Marjorie
called "eruditized" by her association with famous artists
and scholars.
Wherever Percy Grant went, she went, gazing up at
him as he towered over her, and calling him "Little Rector." Without his knowledge, she spent $60,000 redoing
his house. When she had their engagement announced in
the Paris Herald, his only comment for the press was:
No comment.
Next, she sensed that Percy was unfaithful-it was his
chambermaid this time-put detectives on his trail, and
turned over their findings to the vestrymen Ithe Episcopal administrative body) of his church. On a given Sunday, when Grant was scheduled to preach, they forced
him to resign, and took down his name.
He was also required to pay back the $60,000, which
wiped him out, and at that time Juliet went about among
the parishioners, collecting funds to help. Most of the
press, except for The Times, was brutal, she said. No
church but one, Guthrie's, St. Mark's in the Bowery,
would let him preach. In any case, the words would not
come any more.
As to the woman, she lived on, constantly under the

xx
AT 48 WEST TENTH

surgeon's knife, constantly giving sumptuous dinner
parties at which all she herself could eat was a little rice
from a silver bowl-meanwhile assuring the guests that
this was simply the best way of maintaining her jslim
and lovely) shape.
At the very last meeting Percy and Juliet ever had-it
was in a drug store, and the conversation languishedshe asked herself how she could ever have loved him.

With her final moments in the presence of 'Abdu'l-
Baha, Juliet brings her diary to a close.
On December 5, 1912, the ship sailed away, taking the
Master out of this hemisphere for always. Physically, He
would be unobtainable now. That was the last, sad day
when He uttered His final spoken words to America,
words in time to be read by millions, then heard by only
a few. Florence Khanum remembered only four automobiles coming to the pier, she and Ali-Kuli Khan being in
the second one. These two believers, as well as Juliet,
although they could not know it that day, would never
look upon His earthly face again.
Juliet tells how, aboard the Celtic, more and more
Baha'is crowded into the Master's cabin, and how they
all went above to a spacious lounge. There, Ali-Kuli
Khan translating jas the Star of the West reports, giving
his Baha'i name, Ishti'alJ, the Master paced up and down
as He spoke:
"The earth is ... one home, and all mankind are the
children of one father .... Therefore ... we should live
together in . . . joy. . . . God is loving and kind to all
men, and yet they show the utmost enmity and hatred
toward one another .... You have no excuse to bring
before God if you fail to live according to His command,

xxi
JULIET THOMPSON
in later years
AT 48 WEST TENTH

for you are informed of . . . the good-pleasure of God .
. . . It is my hope that you may ... stir the body of existence like unto a spirit of life."
Then the visitors slowly left the ship, and Juliet
described 'Abdu'l-Baha's final look "as He bade His immature children farewelL" That loving anguish, those
weary, prescient eyes gazing from His thin, ravaged face,
are clearly seen in a photograph taken by Underwood
and Underwood at the last moment-and Life Magazine
/December 11, 1950) reproduces it, but with less clarity:
the Master's look, from the rail of the ship, at the upturned faces of the American Baha'is. Somehow, with
Juliet, we were able in after years to have three full-sized
copies made from the old photographic plate, and only
just in time, for it broke then, as a messenger carried it
across New York.

They still return to haunt the mind, those vanished
days and nights at Juliet's. I know the steps of those long
gone still echo there. I know the powerful chant of 'Abdu'l-Baha: "Glad tidings! Glad tidings!" rebounds from
wall to wall. Surely all is still there as it was before: the
spidery old chairs, the creaky, uncertain floor, canvases
looming down in the dark, coals in the grate. Juliet in
gold brocade and purple velvet: blonded, fluffy hair,
smiling blue eyes, a man on either side.
"You are not beautiful," her mother had told her.
"You are not handsome. You are lovely."
"There is a magic in Juliet's eyes," Dimitri Marianoff
said.
MARZIEH GAIL
SAN FRANCISCO

xxiii
THE 'AKKA DIARY
June 19 to
August 27, 1909
~
JULIET THOMPSON
Naples.
June 19, 1909.
[/n Naples. In an old palace on the bay-the Via
Partenope. Palaces around us, ruined palaces on the
hills. Vesuvius to our left, Capri before us. This is the
view from our window, Alice Beede's and mine. Yet all
the rich beauty of Italy is as fantasy to me. The Reality
of the Master· glows beyond. It is to the Master's heart I
would fly! And we are going to fly there! We arrived this
noon and sail tomorrow night for Egypt.

·'Abdu'l-Baha.

Haifa.
June 26, 1909.
ells I write I look out on Mount Carmel, the flat-roofed
white houses of the East with their bright blue blinds in
immediate view.
What can I say? I am speechless.
Jesus from the ground suspires. This line has been
singing and singing in my head all morning. And yet, it
is more-oh, far more-than that. The Spirit of the Living Redeemer is breathing its peace into the air. As I sat
side by side with Alice this morning in our high whitewashed room, gazing and gazing toward Carmel looming
up in its great bare grandeur just before our eyes, suddenly I felt that heart-consuming Spirit and melted into
tears.

Haifa.
June 28, 1909.
<We are still here in the hotel at Haifa, Nassar's hotel. I am
sitting in the hall, looking through the wide window at
the end, across twelve miles of the bay to the Holy City.
'Akka, dreamed of for nine long years-the Mecca of my
prayers-is before my bodily eyes! I am absolutely inarticulate. What I have felt, what I have seen, is too vast to
be expressed in human language. I can find no words
great enough to convey the impressions of these last
three days-or two days, I lose track of time! And as yet,
I have not seen 'Akka! In His infinite mercy and wisdom

THE 'AKKA DIARY

and love the Master is preparing us; in his gentleness.
Yet even the preparation has been almost too much for
the human heart.
That first sight of Carmel, with its Mystery, the Holy
Mountain, "the Mountain of the Lord/' broke me down.
I am still overpowered when I look at it, and as I grow
more sensitized I will surely feel it more and more. Here
the Divine Spirit breathes and reveals itself. I know now.
Ah, the poor human hearts to whom that Spirit is not
revealed, to whom the material is everything, who cannot know of the Spiritual Kingdom surrounding them,
who have not rent the veil! Will they believe me when I
return to testify? I would" ascend to the cross" for them!
To breathe this Truth into the world I would give my
own last breath with joy. I can now understand the
ecstasy of the martyrs. I pray to be one of them, to be
worthy of their destiny. I know now what the Master
means by the Holy Fragrances. I have come to the center
of their emanation. The air is laden with the Divine Incense-verily, the Breath of God. It is almost unbearable. I am immersed, lost in it. My prayers used to
grope through space. Now I am conscious of a close communion with a heart-consuming Spirit of Love, a Spirit
more intensely real than the earth and all the stars put
together, than the essence of all human love, even than
mother-love.

Later, 'une 28, 1909.
[/ have been sitting close to the window-my window
into Heaven!-my eyes fixed on 'Akkci. The phenomenal
world has faded away. This is indeed, indeed the Reality.
That City in the distance, white in the sunlight, has

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

been drawing the very soul out of me. I have been feeling the Power of the Magnet there.
Although we were to go to 'Akka today with the Holy
Mother and the Holy Leaves, * dear Carrie'st illness,
which began last night, has prevented it. (It is hard to
write; the two little boys, Sandy and Howard Kinney, are
playing around me.) Carrie will surely be well in a few
days and in this illness of hers some meaning must be
hidden. We are all drawing closer through it. An intensely devoted, united group will enter the Presence of
our Lord. Now I shall try-only try-to tell you of what
I have seen. These privileged eyes . . .
Friday afternoon, the day we came, Amin:j: and 'Inayatu'llah§ took us to the latter's house on Mount
Carmel, just below the Tomb of the Bab. A simple
house, flat roofed, square, white; its doorway an arch
above rough stone steps, at each side of the arch a
cypress tree.
Two women were standing in the arch waiting to greet
us. One seemed to be a young girl. She wore a straight
white gown, and a white veil half covered her heavy
dark hair with its two thick braids hanging forward down
her breast. Set in the midst of that frame of hair was a
little pale drooping face with eyes too big for it. This
was Khcinum I)iya, daughter of martyrs, the wife of
'Inayatu'llah. The other was a tiny old lady. Her gown

*Holy Mother is the title of Munirih Khanum, the wife of
'Abdu'l-Baha. Holy Leaves designates the ~men of Baha'u'llah's
family.
tMrs. Carrie Kinney, a prominent Baha'i from New York.
tDr. Aminu'llah Farid (Ameen Ullah Fareed), a nephew of Munirih
Khanum.
§Dr. Fadd's half brother.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

was blue and her veil draped close, like a nun's, around
her withered aquiline face, which was the color of old
parchment. I seemed to be back in the days of Jesus.
Both received us with real love.
Soon Mirza Asadu'llah* came in: a frail old man, his
eyes so luminous that they lighted his whole face and
made him appear like a spirit. His smile was full of
humor. Then his wife entered. She approached us with a
glowing love and took each one of us into her arms. Her
dear little daughter, Faral).-Angiz, served us with tea:
honey-colored tea in delicate glasses. Then Mirza
Asadu'llah, in his turban and his long black' aba, sitting
by a grated window with a stone water jar on its sill,
taught us in simple words pearls of wisdom. And I
thought of what Percy Grantt had said to me: "It is not
what the Master will say, not even His life, which will
influence you, but His personality." For it was not the
words, not the wisdom, but a great sanctity emanating
from them all that overwhelmed me-a tangible strong
holiness, a heavy perfume of Spirit in the air pressing
down upon my senses. I cannot express it.
As well as I can remember, these were the words of
Mirza Asadu'llah, interpreted by Amin: "Your work is
the work of the disciples. You are the educators in
America. And you must not be discouraged that you
have not yet seen results. It is like the work of the
parents who give the best years of their lives to their
children and perhaps die before the children are grown.
-Father of Dr. Farid and brother-in-law of 'Abdu'l-Baha. He was one
of the Persian teachers sent to America by 'Abdu'l-Baha at the tum of
the century.
tRector of the Church of the Ascension in New York. Juliet was, at
this time, in love with him.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

An ignorant person would say: 'How foolish are these
parents to give their best years to their children rather
than to themselves and their pleasures.' Likewise an ignorant bystander, watching a farmer sowing in his
field-let us say almond seed-might think: 'What a
foolish man to take this almond, which he could eat and
enjoy, and bury it beneath the ground, where it will only
disintegrate.' Yet one who has knowledge of seed sowing
would at once see that the farmer is sowing one almond
to reap one-hundredfold.
"The most effective teaching is that which is accomplished by deeds, not the intellectual teaching.
Words have their station, but the station of deeds is
higher. The effect of good deeds is certain to appear in
life. It may not be perceptible at first, but will be so at
the appointed time. As a famous poet has said: 'Achieve
good deeds and cast them into the River Euphrates.
Some day their effects will bloom in the Sahara of
Arabia.' "
Then spoke the wife of Mirza Asadu'llah, her strong
face glowing, her eyes full of tears: "I know from my
own case that this is true. Did I not forsake my whole
family in Persia, to be richly rewarded now in this kinship with you from the West? For each dear one I gave up
in Persia I have found many in America, more precious
to me now even than my own kin, since the true relationship is of the Spirit. In Persia my little son was
stoned: and see, Mr. Kinney, what a father he found in
America-in you!"
"Love/' she added, 'is the basis of life."
Her intense emotion as she spoke penetrated into the
core of our beings. We wept. I rose, bent over her and
kissed her and she clasped me in her arms and held me

THE 'AKKA DIARY

close. Then something within me opened. A fire of love
never before experienced in my superficial existence was
kindled in my heart from that flame, her heart. By the
light of these saints, these torches of God, I see how,
even in my deepest moments, my life has been but a
shallow stream.
Mr. Kinney asked a question: "Although a life of good
deeds is certainly pleasing to God, is not a life given to
the Cause of greater value?"
Mirza Asadu'llah smiled and answered: "These are
synonymous. "
"The divine qualitites," he continued, "should be real
and innate. They should well up spontaneously from the
heart. One cannot prove brotherhood by intellectual
proofs. Is a man your brother because Isaiah or Ezekiel
said so? Two brothers do not need to prove that they are
brothers. So all you have to do is to truly love one
another. That love will accomplish all things."
From this blessed household we went to the Holy
Household to visit the Holy Leaves. I shall never forget
that little procession as they entered the room with the
dignity of queens, led by the Greatest Holy Leaf. * She
was all in white: the Greatest Holy Leaf, the daughter of
the Blessed Perfection. t Her face had the look of one
who had passed through crucifixion and was resurrected
in another world. In it shone great blue eyes, eyes that
had looked upon many sorrows and now were ineffably
tender. Behind her came Tuba Khanum, Munavvar
Khanum,:t and Edna Ballora.
·Sister of 'Abdu'l-Baha; the premier woman of the Baha'i Revelation.
tBaha'u'llah.
tTwo of 'Abdu'l-Baha's daughters.

. J

~.

THE GREATEST HOLY LEAF Iseated, center left)
with the Ladies of the Household. Haifa, early 1900s.
THE 'AKKA DIARY

Ah, what can I say? Nothing but this: As a bud that
was little and hard opens in the sunlight, so my heart
opened to a wealth of love inconceivable to the human
mind.
That night we went again to see the Holy Leaves.
They are staying in the house that Madame Jackson·
built. We sat on the broad marble steps, Mount Carmel
looming, a dark mass, above us. Above the mountain
hung the moon. Down in the village the little white
dice-like houses, each with its pointed black cypress
tree, were a pale blue in the moonlight. The bay to our
right splashed its waves on the beach.
I whispered to Munavvar Khanum: ' 'What is that-it
cannot be imagination-what is that breathing from
Mount Carmel? It is too strong for me. It is unbearable!"
I covered my face with my hands. Munavvar pressed
close to me.
"Ah, you feel it too?" she whispered back.
I have not yet spoken of RUQa Khanum, the youngest
daughter of our Lord: beautiful, like a strong Madonna-with a great outgoing warmth-and so human. Next
day we had tea in her house. The high, airy room in
which we were received is painted white. A linencovered divan runs around the walls. There are no decorations-no furniture even-just white simplicity. The
Greatest Holy Leaf was there, Tuba and Munavvar
Khanum, and two little women in blue with blue veils
on their heads, relatives of the Bab.
We had already had tea at 'Inayatu'llah's with
Asadu'llah and his family. Mr. Kinney had asked a question the answer to which I must keep. "Some of the

• A Baha'i from Paris.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

Theosophists claim that Christ was taught by the sufis.
How are we to reply?"
Mirza Asadu'llah smiled. "Could the sun be lighted
from a lamp? If such knowledge originated with sufis,
why is it that they did not manifest it as Christ did? The
churches, the hospitals, the illumined souls that sprang
up from the seeds of Christ's teachings, why is it that
these effects did not appear from the teachings of the
sufis, if Christ's teachings were born of theirs?"
After these blessed visits, Amin took Alice and me to
an olive grove on Mount Carmel where our Lord often
walks. Elijah, too, had walked in that same grove and
among those very trees, so ancient are they. The sun was
setting behind the mountain. The sky was opal. Flocks
of sheep and of goats driven by singing shepherds passed
us on the road. Men in flowing dress and the circle ted
kaf£iyyih approached and passed us. A woman rode by on
a donkey, a long blue veil on her head, in her arms a
baby.
That evening the ladies of the Holy Household came
to see us and we had a heavenly hour with them. Later
in the night Carrie developed a serious illness. The doctors (called in the next day), Amin and a doctor from the
British Hospital, said that it was typhoid fever. There
were unmistakable symptoms.
Carrie had been taken ill on Sunday night. On Monday
we were to have driven to 'Akka with the Holy Family.
Early Monday morning I hurried to their house to tell
them of Carrie's illness and that, of course, we could not
go with them now. Immediately Tuba and Munavvar
returned to the hotel with me and we all went up into
Carrie's room, where she lay tossing on her bed with a
terrifically high fever. Munavvar and Tuba, standing by

THE 'AKKA DIARY

the bed, bent over it with the tenderest love. "We will
all pray for you, Carrie,' I they said. "Our Lord will pray
for you. His prayers are always answered."
As Tuba bade me good-bye at the door of Nassar's
hotel, she said, "Tonight this will pass."
Munavvar too whispered, "Tonight."
At midnight it "passed." I was with Carrie when she
woke up free from fever. Tomorrow we leave for 'Akka.
But I have been very happy just staying here-perhaps
too happy. I have been afraid to meet my Lord. I long to
see Him but feel unutterably shy. How unworthy I am to
stand in His Presence I realize with my whole being. I
remember a dream I had once in which I was standing in
Percy Grant's house and heard that the Master was coming there soon-and I hid that His holy eyes might not
see me. That is the way I feel now.

'Akka.
July 2,1909.
[J know I can only write brokenly, here in this Palace of
the King.
We came here (can it be?) day before yesterday only.
My life is overturned by a cataclysm of the soul. Love
for the Face of my Lord fills my breast. This is REALITY,
all else-a dream!
At sunrise of the day we came I climbed with Amin to
the Tomb of the Bab.
When we entered the Tomb the mystery of the Holy
Mountain revealed itself to me. Here was an essence, a
concentration of holiness diffused from this Secret Spot
like rays shining from a veiled sun. Yet, is the sun
wholly veiled? I have never been able to look long at the
Tomb. It dazzles some inner sense in me.
After I returned: a knock on my door-and the voice of

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

X! * She had just arrived, a complete surprise, from Egypt.
How often I had prayed that she might be with me in the
healing Presence of our Lord-and here she was in answer to my prayers! As she had come without the required permission, we were obliged to leave her in Haifa
waiting for word from the Master. But He sent for her
almost at once, and now she is in 'Akka.
Never shall I forget that afternoon's journey. I was
dazed, numb, unable to realize-yet, afraid. For one
thing I did realize-and that was my own unworthiness.
But the scenes through which we passed should have
helped me to realize, to sense, some of the divine joy
toward which we were traveling.
We were in the Holy Land. We were in a bygone age.
We drove along a wide white beach, so close to the sea
that its little waves curled over our carriage wheels. To
our right, a long line of palm trees. Before us, its domes
and flat roofs dazzling white beneath the deep blue sky:
'Akka, the Holy ·City, the New Jerusalem. Camels approached us on the sand, driven by white-cloaked
bedouins, their veils bound by circlets; or sheep, led
by shepherds in tunics and carrying crooks, striped
headcloths framing their faces. And once there came a
family, the woman riding a donkey, a child in her arms,
while a man walked beside her. The woman was
wrapped in a dark blue veil.
We forded the river Kishon, then Hebron, and at last
reached the walls of the Holy City, the City of Peace.
Walls: walls within walls, menacing walls. Tall, prisonlike, chalk-white houses, leaning together as they rose
toward a rift of sky, slits of barred windows set here and
there in their forbidding fronts. Streets so narrow that
our carriage wheels grazed the buildings on either side,

·Caroline Rodgers.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

streets sometimes bridged over by houses that met in an
arch at their second stories.
Suddenly a wide expanse before us. A garden. The seawall. The sea. Our carriage stopped. I knew we were at
the door of the Master. My heart almost ceased to beat. I
felt we had arrived too soon, too suddenly, that I was too
unprepared.
The curtains of the carriage were raised. In front of a
great stone house, very picturesque and rambling, stood
a group of men in turbans, long white robes, and dark
'abas Icloaks) with faces miraculously pure-shining,
smiling-whose hearts seemed to welcome us. Then one
with a very tender face: Siyyid Asadu'llah, an old man,
led us through an arch to a great inner courtyard open to
the sky, where two giant palm trees stood in the midst
of flower beds. Two stairways of old worn stone, one on
either side of the courtyard and diagonally opposite each
other, led directly to the third floor, on which the Holy
Household lived. The railing of the st{lir leading to the
Master's room was vine covered.
As I entered the court, a great spasm of feeling convulsed me. My unworthiness overwhelmed me. The
light of the inner court was too strong. I sobbed and
bowed my head.
The Kinneys and Alice had gone ahead of me. I followed them up the stairs with the vines, across a small
open court with low white walls, to a room next to the
Master's. This room I was to share with Alice.
Soon Edna Ballora came in. She took me to the window. Outside was a large square of bare ground, four
trees in a row at a little distance; beyond these a street of
tall houses, and to the right, at the foot of the double sea
wall, a long, narrow garden.

I
SIYYID ASADU'LLAH
THE 'AKKA DIARY

"The Master is in the garden," said Edna.
He was in white, seated at the side of a wall in the
center of the garden, surrounded by guests.
My first thought as I saw that Figure was God
Almighty/-such was the majesty and purity. I then
thought: King of men! Lion of the tribe of Judah! *
Soon He came into our room. He burst into it like the
sun, with His joyous greeting, "MarlJ.alxi/ Mar1J,alxi/"
(Welcome! Welcome!) And His effulgence struck me
blind.
Alice fell at His feet. I could not kneel. I could not do
anything. At last, I knelt for a moment. Then He led us
to the divan by the window and, speaking formally to
me, placed me at a distance from Him; while to Alice,
again at His feet, He spoke with smiling tenderness.
Sitting in the comer of the divan, now surer than ever
of my unworthiness, I prayed: 0 God, remove this thing
which separated me from my Lord!
Suddenly He changed His seat. "Biya!" (Come!) He
called to me lovingly, drawing me close to His side.
He asked me many questions, answered by Alice, for
still I could not speak. When the father of John saw the
angel, he was struck dumb for days,t and I was in the
Presence of the Lord of angels-of the long expected
One, heralded for ages from the mountain of the Lord.
The great overwhelming Spirit in Him, the Divinity of
His Being deprives one of all one's powers, even the
power of sensation, for a time. Yet He makes Himself so
simple: in the mercy of His Love, in His great Godtenderness, bends so close to us.
Suddenly my heart burst open to the outpouring from
• An allusion to Rev. 5:5.
tSee Luke 1:22

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 17, 1909

His Heart, like a rose beneath strong sunbeams. A beam
seemed to pierce my heart. At that instant He flashed a
lightning glance at me. When He left the room, as He did
almost at once, my breast dilated as if a bird were
spreading wings in it. I went to the window. Just as I did
so, Munavvar appeared in the doorway. "The Master is
calling you, Juliet," she said, and she led me to His
room.
That dear little room, wood paneled, with its whitecanopied bed, its divan, its simple little dressing table,
and on the windowsill two stone water jars: nothing
more. He was sitting on the divan at the end nearest the
door, and when I entered, He beckoned me to His side.
As I passed Him to take my seat I wanted to kneel at his
knees-my own knees almost drew me down. But, fearing to be insincere, I would not yield. He took my hand
in His-His so mysterious Hand-so delicately made, so
steely strong, currents of life streaming from it.
"Are you well? Are you happy?"
But my lips seemed to be locked. I was helpless to
open them.
"Speak-speak to Me!" He said in English.
A sacred passion had been growing in my heart: my
heart was almost breaking with it.
"Is not my heart speaking to Thee, my Lord?"
"Yes, your heart is speaking to Me and your spirit is
speaking to Me. I hear, I know."
Then he inquired for the two believers I cared for least.
Of one I could honestly say when he returned from
'Akka he was on fire.
"And he remained but a few days," said our Lord.
Then: "Do not think your services are unknown to Me. I
have seen. I have been with you. I know them all. Do

THE 'AKKA DIARY

not think I have not known. I have known all. For these
you are accepted in the Kingdom."
My "services"-and He knew them all! He had
"seen": seen their pitiful smallness and the lack of real
love with which I had tried to serve. I bowed my head
with shame.
"Forgive my failures."
"Be sure of this." After a moment He said again, "Be
sure of this." Then He dismissed me.
As I passed Him the second time, my knees did draw
me down; my heart drew me down to His feet.
Later that evening He came to our door, a blue door in
the whitewashed wall, leading out into the open court.
We knelt in the doorway, Alice and I.
"We are at home, Lord," I said, "at home, for the first
time."
"Yes. Home, home. It is your home."
That night at dinner I sat on His left. Ah, the little dining room! It opens on the court, at right angles with the
Master's door. It is simple and small and white and its
two windows face the sea.
This is what He said at table, looking again and again
toward the window, sometimes raising those wonderful
eyes to the sky, sometimes closing them, waiting-communing with One Whom we could not see, then speaking.
Mr. Kinney had said to the interpreter: "We have no
questions to ask. We wish Him to fill our spiritual
needs."
Then our Lord: "The most important thing is that
which comes through the Spirit-the Breath of the Holy
Spirit. The soul through the Spirit can realize the
Kingdom. The soul can recognize and feel the Love of
God. Distanced cannot prevent the receiving of spiritual

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

bounties. Hills and mountains cannot check that! Why?
Because of the chains and bonds of the Spirit. The sun is
very far, in the highest position. There is a great distance
between earth and sun, yet remoteness and distance cannot prevent its rays from shining on us.
"Without firmess there will be no result. Trees must
be firm in the ground to give fruit. The foundation of a
building must be very solid in order to support the
building. H there be the slightest doubt in a believer, he
will be without result. How often did Christ warn Peter
to be steadfast! Therefore, consider how difficult it is to
remain firm, especially in the time of trials. H man endure and overcome the trials, the more will he become
firm and steadfast. When the tree is firmly rooted, the
more the wind blows the more the tree will benefit; the
more intense the wind the greater the benefit. But if
weak, it will immediately fall.
"As Christ foretold, we will take the real food in the
Kingdom with the Father. That is the real meeting. It
has no limit, no end, no separation."

July 1, 1909.
C&e next morning at six we were called to early tea.
I wish I could give you a picture of this dear old shabby, beautiful palace, become the most intimate of homes
to me.
Opening from the little court, that chalk-white court,
so glaring in the sun, a great gray hall with stone walls
and a mosaic floor. A bare hall, except for the richness of
the floor and two high perches, a macaw on eachsplashes of scarlet and emerald and blue against the expanse of gray. Little birds hopping about on the floor like

THE 'AKKA DIARY

familiar spirits. Opening from the hall, to the right-a
wall full of arched windows opposite its entrance-a
very high whitewashed room with linen-covered divans
lining its walls and a large straw mat on its stone floor.
This was the room where every day we had prayers and
early tea with our Lord.
That wonderful tea hour in the fresh morning! First
there was the Persian chanting. Then tea was served.
The Master always sat in the right-hand comer of the
divan by one high window, correcting the Tablets dictated to His secretaries, the small, glazed, ivory-colored
leaf of parchment in His left hand. Around Him on the
divan we sat with the Holy Family. Along the divan and
on the floor sat the families of martyrs, a number of
children among them, whom the Master had taken under His own care. The samovar stood on the floor at the
entrance on a Persian tea-cloth, a beautiful happy-faced
woman behind it serving the tea. She had deep dimples
in her cheeks and her hair hung in thick black braids, a
white veil partly covering it.
Her story was this: Years before in Persia, when she
was a bride fifteen years old, she was with her motherin-law in a room of their house on the ground floor when
suddenly they heard a howling mob outside. And then a
severed head was thrown through the window and rolled
to the young bride's feet. It was the head of her husband,
a boy of nineteen. The girl fainted, but the mother quietly rose, took the head of her son to the washstand and
washed off the blood, then carried it to the window and
threw it out to the mob. "What we have given to God,"
she said, "we do not ask back."
As we entered the tearoom the Master asked how we
were. Were we happy? Had we slept well? "Here," He

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

said, "you cannot be very comfortable. In New York it is
better and more beautiful than here." He smiled and
added, "There it is beautiful. You have parks and trees.
But here the heart is good."
"You have all received letters from me," He said, continuing to correct a Tablet. Then, handing one to
Munavvar Khanum, "This is a Tablet to an American
believer which I have just corrected."
In the Tablet He had said, "Thank God you are all
helpers." And I had just been thinking: Never can we
hope to help this All-Powerful Being. He had spoken of
the Word of God as having created unity among Muhammadans, Jews, and Christians and said that through the
power of the Blessed Perfection we had all been made as
one soul in many bodies, one light in many lamps; therefore we should strive to spread and increase this unity
and love.
Then He began to speak to us: "Thank God that He
has gathered us all together here. Before this Cause was
established the East and the West never met. But now,
since the Cause is established in Persia and America, the
East and West are united, happy, and in perfect love with
one another. It is only a great Power that can accomplish
this. Formerly in Persia it was impossible for Christians,
Muhammadans, and Jews to be friends and to meet lovingly; but now, in this same Persia, all creeds come
together in perfect love. I hope all will make an effort
that this love and union may progress." Then, turning
away and gazing out of the window as though He were
looking into the future: "That all religions may become
one; all people be of one creed; all nations as one; that
all differences may be removed. And this is what I
hope."

THE I AKKA DIARY

July I, 1909. At luncheon.
Our Lord asked for news of Mr. MacNutt. * Mr. Kinney
spoke of the unity in New York.
Our Lord said: "You have been the bearers of such
good news that I want to make you very happy. Good
news indicates good deeds. Unity is the result of good
deeds and action. At the present time there are good believers in America-sincere and firm in the Covenant.
"Man first is like a pupil. He becomes learned. Then
he becomes a teacher. First he is a patient. He must attain perfect health. Having attained it, he may become a
doctor. At first you are children. You become mature.
Now you must be like fathers and mothers." Each time
He made a point He smiled His marvelous smile, looking at one or another of us.
I'I desire that each of you become so great that each
may guide a nation. Now the friends must endeavor to
attain such stations so as to teach the people of America. Divine qualities are unlimited. For this reason you
must not be satisfied with one quality, but must try
to attain all. Each of us must improve himself, that he
may attain nothing short of the best. When one stops,
he descends. A bird, when it is flying, soarSj but as soon
as it stops, it falls. While man is directed upward, he
develops. As soon as he stops, he descends. Therefore I
wish the beloved of God always to ascend and develop.
"There exist in man two powers. One power uplifts
him. This is divine attraction, which causes man's elevation. In all grades of existence he will develop through
this power. This belongs to the spirit. The other power
*Howard MacNutt, a leading Baha'i from Brooklyn.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

causes man to descend. This is the animal nature. The
first attracts man to the Kingdom. The second brings him
down to the contingent world. Now we must consider
which of these will gain more power. If the heavenly
power overcome, man will become heavenly, enlightened,
merciful; but if the worldly power overcome, he will be
dark, satanic, and like the animal. Therefore he must
develop continually. As long as the heavenly power is the
great force, man will ascend.
"I have met many of the beloved of God this year.
Therefore I am very happy."

(Footnote added in Brumana, Syria, where I was copying my rough notes: I think of Him often as sitting there
at the table. I see Him there often. But I cannot write of
it. I found it impossible at first to raise my eyes to the
Splendor of His Face. But later I had many marvelous
glimpses.)

July 2, 1909. Early morning tea.
c4fter those first dear fatherly questions-Were we
well? Were we happy? Had we slept well?-He said: "Our
real happiness is of the Kingdom. Here we seek no happiness, because in this world happiness does not exist.
If you consider, you will see that people are all in trouble. The majority of people whom you question have
nothing to tell you but of their troubles! Their hearts are
not at rest. And they cannot have this rest of heart but
through the Love of God. Therefore we must know that
happiness exists in the other world and not in this."
Still correcting the Tablets, He said: ' 'There are many
letters I should write, because I have to communicate
with the East and West."

THE 'AKKA DIARY

Handing a Tablet to Munavvar KhAnum: "This is the
Tablet in regard to events that have happened in Persia."
He asked me not to take it down. It referred to political conditons in Persia and prophesied that unless these
changed and union was effected between the opposing
sides, foreign powers would step in and divide the country. * After this, He said lovingly: /lIt is very nice to see
you here-that you have at last reached here. Tomorrow
I am going to take you, Myself, to the Tomb of BahA'u'-
llah. I was going to take you today, but as I am busy and
have to take the Governor out, I cannot do so."

July 2, 1909. Later in the morning.
dfe sent for me. My self-consciousness, my shyness
had made me feel shut out from Him, but my heart had
been continually crying out, with ever-increasing love,
to Him. When I entered His little room and knelt at His
feet and looked up into eyes of Love which I suddenly
found I could meet, He put out His hand and said,
"Now; now!"
I laid my head on His knee. The tears came. He lifted
my face and wiped them away. "God shall wipe away all
tears. "t Ah, this blessed Day!
I cannot remember exactly what happened, only that
Love immeasurable flowed out from Him and was reflected in my poor heart. One thing I do remember.
When He lifted my face, while He was wiping away my
tears, He said in a voice of infinite sweetness, like the
sighing of the wind which "bloweth where it listeth and
·Iran was at this time in the midst of the Constitutional Revolution,
1906-1911. Eventually, the country was divided into two spheres of
influence: Russia took the north, and Great Britain the south.
tCf. Rev. 21:4, Isa. 25:8.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

we know not whence it cometh or whither it goeth":*
"Speak. Speak to Me!"
His words in English sink into your very soul. What I
lose by not understanding Persian!
"0 my Lord, may my life speak to you!" I cried.
Then I presented Him with the petitions:
First I gave Him Lua'st and read Him a portion of one
of her letters, speaking of her tests and difficulties.
"You love Lua?" He asked in that voice of heartpiercing sweetness, that voice which is indeed the calling of the Spirit, the instrument of Divine Love. "She is
dear to you? Your friend?"
"She is my mother. I love her with my whole soul.
Thy Love," I said, "has united so many hearts in eternal
bonds." I spoke of my love for May Maxwell.
"Your sister?" He asked.
"My sister and my mother too."
"Your mother." He said it was this that made Him
happy: to see that the sisters loved one another.
"Help me to love all," I begged. "In this I have
failed."
"This is what I wish for you: that you will love all."
"With Thy help."
I gave Him the letter from Mr. MacNutt. He smiled at
the name. I mentioned Laura Barney's beautiful
goodness to me and prayed for blessings for her.
"Khayli khub. Khayli khub," (Very good. J He said.
I gave Him Mother Beecher's+ message.

*Cf. John 3:8.
tLua Getsinger; one of the first American Baha'is; the "Mother
Teacher of the West."
tMrs. Ellen Beecher, grandmother of Hand of the Cause Dorothy
Baker.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

Munavvar Khanum translated: "Our Lord will pray for
her that she will attain to all she wishes."
I gave Him Mrs. Parsons' * message, that she longed to
establish a spiritual city on the Potomac, the inhabitants
of which would live for the good of the whole rather
than the one, and asked that the way might be opened
for her to come to see Himi also whether she should
come alone or bring her family.
"My Lord, you know Mrs. Parsons?"
"I know. I know." Then he said, "That city I hope
will be a spiritual city and that the people of such a city
will be perfectly united. In a physical city, of course, it is
impossible to have everyone united. But in a spiritual
city it is possible that all be united and in every way
cemented. The spiritual city is like the sea, and the inhabitants of this city are like the waves of the sea. In
every way they are connected and united. I hope she will
be able to build such a city as this. I hope she will be
able to do all the services she wishes and that the way
will be opened for her to come."
His eyes were half c10sedas He gave this message. He
seemed to be communing with her.
I read Him Bernard Ginzig's message, that "He had
heard the voice of the Spirit in the realm of arti that he
was a seeker of truth in the world of mysteries."
"Tell him: Give thanks to God that you are a seeker
after the mysteries of existence and ask God that He
reveal to you the Mystery of the Kingdom. Should you
know all the mysteries of the world and know nothing of
the Mystery of the Kingdom, it is useless. To know the

*Mrs. Agnes Parsons, a prominent believer from Washington, D.C.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 17, 1909

mysteries of the world is very good when this knowledge
is joined with the knowledge of the Mystery of the
Kingdom."
He also said it was good for Bernard Ginzig to follow
the art of designing.
In my hand, among the supplications with which I had
been entrusted, was a letter from Barakatu'lhih* to me.
As he had not known, when he wrote, that I was going to
'AkkA and as his letter therefore contained no message,
it was just in remembrance of him that I had taken it to
our Lord. In it he said he feared I had forgotten him. I did
not read it to our Lord, only held it up, saying: "This is
my last letter from Mr. Barakatu'llAh."
"You love Mr. Barakatu'llAh?"
"Oh yes, my Lord!"
He smiled.
"Write to him and say that you are in 'AkkA and say
that you wish very much to have him here too. Tell him
you have not forgotten him!" (with a sudden captivating
smile, tipping His head to one side, and looking at me
very knowingly). "Tell him you have not forgotten him
and that you wish he were here with you. Say that you
mentioned his name in the Presence of 'Abdu'I-BahA and
He gave you this message for him: that 'Abdu'l-Baha
says He loves him very much and He will pray for him
that he may be assisted to do some work in Japan. Until
now the Word of God has not been raised in Japan.
Perhaps he may become the cause of its being proclaimed there. In every country in which a new founder
appears who will raise there the words of the Kingdom,

• A Persian Baha'i living in New York.

•

A GROUP OF NEW YORK BAHA'is (c. 1912)
Standing (I. to r.): Alice Beede, Roy Wilhelm, Mrs. Sprague,
Marie Botay, 'Laurie Wilhelm (Roy's mother), Mirza
'Inayatu'llah, Carrie Kinney, Mirza Barakatu'llah, Mr. Wilhelm
(Roy's father), Mr. and Mrs. Percy Woodcock. Seated (I. to r.):
Unknown, Marian Botay, Marie Billit, Sam Kinney.
JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

that man will be greatly helped. Therefore 'Abdu'l-Baha
hopes that he IMr. Barakatu'llah) will become wonderfully assisted."
I gave Him Claudia Coles' message.
"Give My salaams to Claudia Coles and say: I will
pray for her that she may obtain all her desires and that
everything, including herself, will be exactly as she
wishes."
I read Him Mrs. Ives'* long message.
"Say that she must continue to do to this man as she
has been doing, she and Mother Beecher both. She must
not change. She must try to be kind to him.
"First: herself. She must make every effort to
enlighten her soul and to attain to such a condition
where no sorrow or disappointment will have any effect
upon her. The condition of entire and complete submission is the best one, for when one reaches this condition
one is perfectly submissive to everything. And when she
will be so, she will entirely forget her own will and ask
nothing but the Will of God. Whatever is done in this
world is the Will of God. And since one, when in this
condition, has no will of his own, his will is the Will of
God and whatever he does is the Will of God."
I supplicated that she might come and look upon His
face.
"Khayli
- khub,"
- He said. IVery good; very well.)
To Mary Little: ' 'I will pray for her and ask help from
the Kingdom for her and pray that she may become as
she wishes."
To Bertie Warfield: "Give her my greetings and love.
Tell her I have accepted her love."
*Mrs. Mabel Rice Wray Ives, a Baha'i from Newark, N.J.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

"How do you like all these messages?" He said, smiling His smile of enchantment. "I give you such long
messages because of the love in your heart. It is for this I
love you-because you are so sincere and have a great
love in your heart and love many of the believers. I see a
great love in your heart. That is why I love YOU.' I
I said: "If I have any love, it is Thy gift to me. I pray
for the universal love, that I may love all, my Lord.' I
"Inshil'llah! That is what I desire for you: that you
love each and allj that you love all the people of the
world. This is My wish for you./I
Just then X was announced. Our Lord asked Munavvar
KhAnum to bring her in.
Then Munavvar returned with X. We two had a sacred
meeting with our Lord. She spoke so tenderly of me. He
answered tenderly. He then sent for Alice Beede. As she
entered the room He said, with His enchanting smile:
"Friends? Friends?/I
Alice spoke up in her impulsive way. "If people are
your friends they are mine. /I
"All are My friends. Eachj every one./I (In English:)
"My friends. My friends. I I
I was moved to take X's hand.
"She is mine?/I I asked. "Mine forever?"
He smiled and said, "Yes. Yes./I
Next He sent for Carrie. And when we were all at His
feet, Munavvar interpreting for us. He said: "I hope a
great love may be established among you and that day by
day this love will increase. I have gathered you all
together here that you may be gathered in the same way
in the Kingdom of God, and that you may love one
another very, very much. If you love one another as you
should, it is just as though you had loved me as you
should. The more you love one another, the nearer you

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

get to Me. I go away from this world, but Love stays
always. Therefore you should love one another very
much. And I hope that you will become the cause of
establishing great love among humankind and that,
through the help and assistance of God, you will be able
to establish in this world the Love of God. Baha'u'llah
endured all these hardships and difficulties only for the
sake of establishing Love in this world."
X said: "I wish I might be like this rose and exhale
such fragrances."
Our Lord: One could be much more beautiful than
I I

this rose. For the rose perishes. Its fragrance is just for a
time. No winter has any effect upon such a Rose as
Man."
"I wish," said Alice, "that when we go home we may
be able to diffuse what we have received here."
Our Lord: As I have said before: Man first is like a
II

pupil. He becomes a learned man; then he becomes a
teacher. First he is a patient. He must attain perfect
health, and, having attained it, he can become a doctor.
What I wish to say is that those who have attained the
Kingdom of God will themselves become doctors. All
the people of the world are patients, are ill. They are in
great need of doctors, so that through the help of the doctors they may be cured of their spiritual diseases.
"The life of man will at last end in this world. We
must all take out of this life some fruit. The tree of one's
existence must bear fruit. If a tree has not fruit you must
cut it down and bum it. It would be useless for other
purposes. And what is the fruit of the human tree? It is
the Love of God. It is love for humankind. It is to wish
good for all the people of the earth. It is service to
humanity. It is truthfulness and honesty. It is virtues
and good morals. It is devotion to God. It is the educa-

THE 'AKU DIARY

tion of souls. Such are the fruits of the human tree.
Otherwise it is only wood, nothing else."
"Thou hast been so merciful, my Lord, to permit X to
come while I am here."
lilt is for your sake. You must be sure when you are
with her to say only those things that will help her, for
should she do anything wrong again it would not be good
for the Cause."
liMy Lord," I said, weeping, "I am so conscious of my
own imperfections I can never feel hers are greater than
mine."
"You must never think of your own imperfections,
but of the power of BahA'u'llAh which can free you from
all."
I was kneeling at His feet. Raising my hands I said:
"Dear Lord, free me from this terrible self-consciousness." (For the fact, often proved, that He knew every
thought in my mind had put me into a dreadful state.
Thoughts I could never really have thought would come
flying into my head like evil, fantastic birds-and I knew
He read them! I
"I will pray for you that you may be freed from it."
Again the tears came to my eyes and again He wiped
them away, smiling His divine smile.
"I supplicate for X, dear Lord. I love her with all my
soul."
"I hope she may overcome and be exactly the opposite
of what she has been in the past. I will pray for her."

July 3, 1909. Early morning tea.
<Our Lord: "I want to tell you that most of the nations
and the majority of the people are in perfect ignorance.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

They are trying night and day to do something to destroy
the foundation of man. There are among them political
fights and wars. There are conflicts and disturbances.
Every day they are inventing new instruments for the
destruction of human life. There are among them also
religious disputes and conflicts and disputes of patriotism. You hardly find two men between whom there is
real harmony and sympathy.
"Now you must do your best, so that you may be able
to remove all these conflicts and disputes. You will
change this darkness into light; you will change this
batred and menace into love and harmony, because your
aim is a glorious one. .
"It is sure you will have to endure many difficulties in
this Cause and that great obstacles will come before you.
You will have many hindrances. But you must confront
all and you must endure all these difficulties.
"You must give up all differences among you-differences of opinion-and all work for the same aim. You
must be qualified with divine attributes, so that the
Word of God may assist you, so that the bounties of God
may descend upon you. And know that without the help
of the Holy Spirit you will not be able to do this. And the
magnetism of the Word of God is sincerity of intention.
And until you are entirely severed from yourself and
emptied of yourself, you will never be sincere enough.
"You must entirely sacrifice yourself. You must close
your eyes to all rest. You must give up even your happiness and your enjoyments so that you may be able to
do this.
"It is true that you will be blamed very much and you
will have some difficulties and troubles. It is sure that
people will show enmity toward you, and it is possible

THE 'AKKA DIARY

your own relatives even will try to oppose you. But you
must be firm. And if you will be firm and steadfast, be
sure that you will become victorious. You will be the
cause of the union of the world of humanity.
"As Christ said to a rich man: 'Go, and give all you
have, and take up your cross and come and be My follower.' * This saying of Christ's indicates that unless one
is free from everything, one cannot be a real follower of
Christ."

July 3, 1909. Luncheon.
<Our Lord: ' 'Jesus Christ said: 'Freely have ye received;
freely must ye give.'t That is to say: Man has received
the bounty of the Kingdom for nothing, so you must give
it to others as you have received it. That is to say, not to
wish for any reward or compensation from the people.
You should ask your reward of God.
'.'But in this new Revelation many of the believers
have attained the Kingdom of God with great difficulty.
They gave much to obtain it.
"The Blessed Bab and Baha'u'llah were the Possessors
of the Kingdom. They gave the Kingdom to the people.
But they had many trials and difficulties. The Bab exposed His breast to thousands of bullets from the enemy.
Baha'u'llah, too, spent all His life in the prisons. The
beloved of God obtained the Kingdom by the sacrifice of
their lives, under calamities and oppressions. Their
houses were destroyed and their honor lost. All their properties were pillaged. Their families and children were

·c£. Mark 10:24.
t Matt 10.8.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

taken as captives, and at last they themselves were martyred. Now consider how difficult it was for these people
to obtain the Kingdom. Not withstanding this, the
Kingdom is so great that still they received the Kingdom
freely!
"Now the purpose is this: that you also should procure the Kingdom with so many sacrifices. It is possible
you may have these calamities and difficulties. The people will accuse you, blame you and injure you, but you
must show forth firmness and steadfastness. And should
there be no trials, nothing will be accomplished. But
when trials appear many will greatly develop. That is to
say: those who are sincere believers, firm in the Cause,
will develop and advance; but, on the contrary, those
who are weak in their faith will escape. But My hope is
that you will show forth firmness."
"Tell Miss Juliet Thompson," He said suddenly,
laughing, "that I am going to strike her. Others are delicate, but she is strong and can stand it." He laughed
again. "I am going to beat her."
"It has seldom happened in any age or cycle that
women have been killed as martyrs, but in this great
Revelation many women have been martyred. It happened many times that enemies among the women collected together, striking and beating a Baha'i woman.
Still they could not appease their hostility, their rage, by
striking. They bit with their teeth. And this was due to
their great rage."
The Master laughed all through this, from the time He
mentioned my name to the end, a strange laugh. I was
sitting by His side at this meal.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

July 3, 1909. Dinner.
<.Our Lord: All animals and birds sleep early. This is
/I

the creative law of God. The birds sleep early. The rule
is to sleep very early. This is God's wish. Children wish
to go to bed early. Gradually man acquires the habit of
sleeping later. To sleep at sunset is the law of God. All
children, birds and animals sleep involuntarily.
"His Holiness Christ manifested in these countries,
but in the beginning His Cause was spread in Europe and
it superseded all other religions, notwithstanding that in
Asia there were many religions, such as Zoroastrianism,
Judaism, the star-worshippers and idolators, who are
still existing in India. But in Europe and America His
Cause overcame all others. Now it is our hope that although this Truth was revealed in this part of the world,
it will be spread and promulgated throughout America
and Europe.
"His Holiness Christ said: 'The Children of the
Kingdom will go out from it, but from the uttermost
parts of the earth many will come and enter into it.' '"
Now the inhabitants of Syria are bereft, for they have no
capacity, but you, who live in remote countries, have
caught this Light. The people from around here are
deprived, but you from such far countries have attained.
"A blind man, though he sit near the light, cannot see
it; but a clear-sighted man can see from afar. A man afflicted with a cold, if he be in a rose garden, cannot inhale the fragrances, but one whose nostrils are pure can
inhale from a long distance. The people who are in these
-Matt. 13:27.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

cities are deaf and blind, but you, having an open eye
and a pure nostril, can see the Light from afar and inhale
the fragrances of this Rose Garden.
"Is this clear to you?"

July 4, 1909. Early morning tea.
cdf!lunavvar KhAnum chanted a prayer.
Our Lord: "In this prayer which we have just read,
BahA'u'llAh meant 'Abdu'l-Hamid, the Turkish sultan
who has lately been deposed,'" and the verses are:
'I implore Thee, 0 My God and the King of the nations, and ask Thee by the Greatest Name, to change the
throne of tyranny into a center of justice and the seat of
pride and iniquity into the chair of humbleness and
justice. Thou art free to do whatsoever Thou wishest and
Thou art the All-Knowing, the Wise!' "
"A Power above the power of kings," I whispered to
Munavvar.
"And still," she whispered back, "and still we ask for
miracles.' ,

That day, the fourth of July, He took us Himself to the
Holy Tombt in the morning.
I realize now why the Gospels are written so simply. I
find I am only able to state bare facts. But these surely
are more eloquent than all human comment on them.
Let me give them to you, then, simply:
First, with a father's tender care, He came to the carriage with us and watched us start. At the house in Bahji

*This had taken place on April 27, 1909.
tThe Shrine of Baha'u/llah.

THE I AKKA DIARY

He joined us in a cool, whitewashed room, its door and
window-trimmings painted blue, the usual linen-covered
divan lining its walls, under three wide windows. Outside stood wonderful trees, like still sentinels guarding
the Tomb. Sanctity hung in the air, a brooding spirit.
Nowhere else in the world is the beauty of nature so
impregnated with the soul of Beauty, a reflection from
another world. In the air of 'Akka and Carmel is-Life.
On a table was a single photograph, Lua's. Our Lord
called me to sit by His side, then, pointing to the photograph, said: ' 'Your friend! "
I got it and placed it on a little table close to His elbow, between the couch where He sat and my own chair.
As I did this His face lit up with a smile of heaven.
Tea was brought in-in the little clear glasses always
used in 'Akka-and He served us with His own hands.
Then, seating Himself again on the divan, He called the
four children who were with us: two of his own little
grandsons (Shoghi Effendi and RuhiJ and the two Kinney
boys, and with a lavish tenderness, a super abundance
of overflowing love, such as could only have come from
the very Center and Source of Love, He drew all four to
His knees, clasped them in His arms, which enclosed
them all, gathered and pressed and crushed them to His
Heart of hearts. Then He set them down on the floor and,
rising, Himself brought their tea to them.
Words absolutely fail me when I try to express the
divine picture I saw then. With the Christ-love radiating
from Him with the intensest sweetness I have yet witnessed, He stooped to the floor Himself to serve the little children, the children of the East and the children of
the West. He sat on the floor in their midst, He put sugar
into their tea, stirred it and fed it to them, all the while

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

smiling celestially, an infinite tenderness playing on the
great Immortal Face like white light. I cannot express it!
In a comer sat an old Persian believer, in a state of complete effacement before his Lord, his head bowed, his
eyelids lowered, his hands crossed on his breast. Tears
were pouring down his cheeks.
Then our Lord took a chair and, facing the windows,
pointed out these beautiful trees to us. In His spread
white robes, with His majesty of pose-a sudden overwhelming majesty, after that tender humility lin a way
Michaelangelesque, only far transcending thatl, yet with
the divine sweetness that is never absent, no matter how
tremendous the Power displayed-He appeared at first
glance as the King of kings to me; the next instant once
more the Spirit of the Christ, the Son, flashed upon me.
Then, the two aspects were one.
He said: "We cannot in this world realize the bounty
of God, nor can we appreciate His Love, but in the next
world we can do so.
"When man is in the world of the womb, God showers
upon him all blessings. He gives him all the organs,
eyes, ears, etc. But man cannot put this favor into use
there; it is not manifest there. When the child is born
from the world of the womb into this world, then all
those blessings and gifts which God showered upon him
in the world of the womb become manifest and useful.
His gifts were not known in the world of the womb,
though men did possess them there, but the world of the
womb had not the capacity to receive the manifestation
of these gifts. Similarly with the gifts and blessings
which God showers upon man in this world. This world
is not fit and has not the capacity for the manifestation
of these gifts and blessings. But when man enters the

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

World of the Kingdom, then those gifts will be
manifested.
, 'For example, one of the gifts of God is to be able to
pay a visit to the Holy Tomb, but man cannot fully
realize it while in this world. But when he enters the
World of the Kingdom, there the blessings and gifts will
become evident and clear.
"Is this clear to you?"
Then, giving us· each a handful of jasmine, He led us
one by one to the jasmine-strewn threshold of the Holy
Tomb. As He led me, His hand quickened me. Never can
I forget its vital, tingling pressure.
We knelt at the Divine Threshold. Suddenly, He was
beside us: luminous, silent. Bending, He anointed our
foreheads with attar of rose. Then He lifted each of us to
our feet. And then, in a voice which struck across my
heart, causing my entire being to quiver, the memory of
which even now pierces and wrings my heart, He
chanted.
When He had finished He asked Mr. Kinney to chant. I
could scarcely bear the thought of a human voice following His. Yet Mr. Kinney sang beautifully: "0 Lord,
make us pure and without desire." My whole being
echoed this prayer.
Our Lord then requested us all to sing; and the hymn
we chose was "Nearer, My God, to Thee."
While our Lord was chanting I could not look at Him,
but during the singing that followed, I kept my face
turned toward Him. I still see Him standing by the window, the translucence of that majestic profile, the
grandeur of that luminous head, white turbaned against
the white wall.
We left the Holy Tomb.

THE 'AKKJ DIARY

"Come and I will show you My garden," said our
Lord. "Come, follow Me."
With the little children-Sandy pressed close to one
side, Howard to the other-He led us. In folds indescribably graceful, His white robes blew about His
Figure. Divineness breathed from it. That which He
manifested then was the tender Love of the Good Shepherd. We followed in His Footsteps over the stony field:
His garden?
"Other sheep have I that are not of this fold ... My
sheep shall know My voice ... And there shall be one
fold, one Shepherd." * As I followed, my heart chanted
this.
Having gone about a quarter of a mile, He stopped and
pointed out over the Mediterranean.
"Look," He said, "the sea, the sea!"
Mr. Kinney said, "America lies beyond."
Then our Lord: "America and this land are one. The
world is one-is one!" lin His ringing English) .
. "America and this land are one. The five continents of
the world are one. All the nations are one, through the
Power of Baha'u'lhih."
By "His garden" did He not mean the united world-tobe?

In the morning we were all sitting in our room IAlice
Beede's and mine), Carrie and X with Alice and myself,
and were discussing something and not agreeing and getting inharmonious, when there came a tap at the door.
And there stood the Master, in white in the sunlight, His
hands full of jasmine for us.

·John 10:16.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27 I 1909

Later in the day, after our return from the Tomb, another sort of talk was going on in our room. Someone
said something off-color. It was carried on by someone
else. Remembering our sacred morning, my soul rebelled
against it. Again came the tap at the door. We were not
dressed, not ready to receive our Lord, to open to Him.
That night He called us into His room-His small,
dark, wood-paneled room, very dark now with only two
candles burning in it, their little flames flickering as a
breeze blew through the window. He looked so mysterious, so unearthly in the dim light. We seated ourselves
at His feet.
"How are you?" He asked, "Are you happy? You
should be happy after your visit to the Blessed Tomb today. Did you think of Lua?"
X and I told Him that we had. Carrie said she had
thought of each and all the believers as they sat in the
hall during the meetings. His face lit up with that
marvelous smile with which He always blesses us when
we speak of our love for others.
"Very good. Very good. That is what pleases God."
Alice said, "It is the Fourth of July, the day we
Americans celebrate our independence."
Our Lord: ' 'Yes, it is a good day in America, the day of
your physical freedom. But today you celebrated your
spiritual freedom. Physical freedom is a good thing, but
spiritual freedom is of greater importance. Really the
first thing is to have the soul free. And you must be very
happy to have attained spiritual freedom on the same
day when you attained physical freedom. I hope that as
on this day you attained the physical freedom, in the
same way you will be free from all passionate desires and
human inclinations.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

Then He went on: "The world is in prison and bondage through the leaders of religions who have taken the
Spirit captive.
"The Jewish rabbis have always tried to convince the
people that their religion is the true one, that they are
the chosen nation by being descendants of Abraham, and
that they are the only people who can enter the
Kingdom.
"Likewise the Catholic priests. What they say to the
people is this: that they possess the true religion, they
are the accepted people of God and they alone can be
saved.
"Likewise the Shaykhs. * They speak against the
Christians and say: 'God had a Son and the people
crucified this Son of God!' They say: 'What a foolish
thing these Christians teach-that God could have a Son
and He, the Son of God, was crucified by human
hands!'
"You see how the heads of each of these religions have
captured the souls of man and brought them under this
narrow control.
"Now BahA'u'llAh has come and given freedom to
these captive souls and released them from their
bondage. "t
We talked of our walk behind Him-in His Footsteps
-over the stones and thorns. I quoted: "My sheep shall
hear My voice and there shall be one fold and one
Shepherd." Then X referred to His serving the little

*Leaders of Muslim orders.-Eo.
tThis I have written from memory with the help of Munavvar
Kbanum, so it is not so strong as when the Master gave it.-J.T.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

children. II Suffer the children to come unto Me."· I said
it was a symbol of His serving us, who are His little
children.
"They are My sons. You are My daughters, My
descendants by the Spirit, which is the nearest relationship. This day you are spiritually free." Then He dismissed us, saying, "Go and rest."
As we were leaving the room I told Him it was my
mother's birthday.
"God will bless her. God will bless her," He said. "I
have a message for your mother. I will give it to you
tomorrow. "

Alas for the sin of disobedience! He had said "Go and
rest." But we were so anxious to write down His words
while they were fresh in our minds that we stayed in the
dining room until late, and-shameful to confess after
our day in Heaven!-began to argue about the New York
Assembly: as to whether or not it was united! Mr. Kinney declared that it was. I said it was not. I even went so
far as to mention the breeder of the discord, to condemn
her destructive work!
But when X and I crept off to the room we were temporarily occupying-crept through the black, vaulted
halls and rooms, over the old stone floors, to the rear
wing of the house-a feeling of guilt such as I could
hardly bear consumed me.
Next morning when I met our Lord outside the dining
room door, in the sunny little court I so love because it
is associated with His footsteps, with the benediction of

·Cf. Matt. 19:14, Mark 10:14, and Luke 18:16.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

His Presence, looking with eyes that ... forgave? ...
no, that understood . .. deep, deep into my eyes, He put
out His hand and took mine in a clasp of love.

On the night of July 3, when I was on the housetop
with Munavvar Khanum: a little miracle! One of
countless miracles I experienced while in the Palace of
the Divine Magician.
That housetop-roof of the House of the Lord-surely
the place for the revelation of mysteries! I find I can
scarcely speak of it. Yet I long to make a picture of it. To
me it represents the summit of my existence.
When we first came to 'Akka, every night we would
all go up to the housetop to walk or sit in the moonlight,
Tuba and Munavvar Khanum, Edna Ballora, Carrie,
Alice, X, Miss Gamblin the governess, and myself. Later
this changed and I went up alone with Munavvar. On
the stones of the roof was spread a Persian rug and on
this we would lie together, Munavvar and I, and under
the midnight sky, talk of deep things till our Lord
appeared.
And indeed on that roof He was an Apparition. I can
see Him now, pacing up and down, up and down, with
that swift, free tread which is somehow like floating,
His white garments blowing about Him in long, sweeping lines. His background: millions of stars.
On the night of that third of July, Munavvar and I
were alone, sitting on a parapet, looking out beyond the
strong double sea wall to the sea; to our right, in the
moonlight, the dome and minaret of the mosque and a
tall palm tree; to the left, the garden of the Master;
behind us, the grim, square barracks, first prison in
'Akka of the Blessed Perfection and His Family.
"I have such a funny little message for our Lord from

ruNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

my mother," I said. "I don't know how I shall ever give
it to Him!"
"I wonder," Munavvar laughed, "if it is like the
message of the mother of Laura Barney!"
"I shouldn't be surprised! It is about my art. She
wants me to give up teaching in the Cause-my precious
little mother!-and devote all my time to my art."
"Well, isn't that funny!" said Munavvar, "That is just
what our Lord was saying to me yesterday. He said He
had a message for your mother. That she did not understand your giving up everything for the Cause, neglecting your art to devote yourself to the Cause. Europeans,
He said, did not understand these things. He was going
to speak to you about it." *

July 5, 1909. Early morning tea.
<Our Lord to X, who was to leave that moming:t "This is
the third time you have been here. It has been a great
pleasure for you to have been with your friends each
time. Now a long trip is before you. If throughout this
trip you are always sincere in your intentions you will
enjoy it very much. This ought to be a spiritual and not a
physical journey. You must always do your best to behave spiritually, not physically, so that everyone who
meets you will know that your intention is to do good to
mankind and your aim to serve the world of humanity.

-That day (the third of July) we had been to the House of the Blessed
Perfection in 'Akka. It is a palace, spacious, stately, but it has not the
charm of the Master's House. In the room of the Blessed Perfection
was a marvellous atmosphere. I felt intense vibrations, currents of
Life. When we left, X leaned her head against the door.-J.T.
tShe was on her way to Iran.-ED.

THE I AKKA DIARY

Whatever you do, let the people know you are doing it
for good, not only to earn your own living. By doing
thus you will be able to serve every city to which you go.
Now associate with good people. You must try to associate with those who will do you good and who will be the
cause of your being more awakened, and not with those
who will make you negligent of God. For example, if one
goes into a garden and associates with flowers, one will
surely inhale the beautiful fragrance, but if one goes to
a place where there are bad-scented plants, it is sure
he will inhale an unpleasant odor. In short, I mean that
you will try to be with those who are purified and sanctified souls. Man must always associate with those from
whom he can get light, or be with those to whom he can
give light. He must either receive or give instructions.
Otherwise, being with people without these two intentions, he is spending his time for nothing, and, by so
dOing, he is neither gaining nor causing others to gain.
"You must keep these words very well. This is the
third time you have come here. Fruits must be the results
of these visits. Patients go to a hospital. Some leave but
slightly improved. Some leave more ill than when they
entered. And some leave entirely cured. I hope you will
be of those who are entirely cured. You must be very
thankful that you have come."

In His room fifteen minutes later.
To X: "You have made your third visit here. Know that
We have been very kind to you, and We love you very
much here. It is rare that believers come here three
times. You must appreciate and be very thankful for this.
You must appreciate this great blessing and act as is

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

worthy of a spiritual daughter, so that when I hear news
of you I shall be happy.
"May God protect you under all circumstances."

July 5, 1909.
d-/e sent for me. Taking off my shoes, I entered the beloved room and sat in my place at His feet, on His left.
My place. May I be there forevermore in spirit! It was
always to this place He beckoned me. First I would
kneel, then sit in the Oriental way. He would draw me
close, would gather my hand into His, would sometimes
press my head against His knee.
"I am going to give you a message to your mother today," He said with His smile of love. "Now, give Me her
message. Speak. Say. Do not be afraid."
"She told me to give You her dearest love."
"Ah!" He smiled.
"And to tell You I was her dear, precious child ... "
"Ah, very good!" He pressed my hand, smiling.
"And to say . . ."
"Speak. Go on."
"That she did not wish me to be a teacher in the
Cause. She wished me to devote my time to my art,
which was a gift from heaven. That I was not qualified
to teach. That I was too sympathetic to enter into
peoples' lives to the extent I did. That I let people make
inroads into my home for the sake of what I thought my
duty. That she wanted me to change all this and become
devoted to my art."
"Is there anything else?" He asked.
"No; I think not."
"Give your mother My best love. Tell her you (lIe her

THE 'AKKA DIARY

dear child; you are her daughter. But though you are her
physical child, you are My spiritual child, and I love you
and you are dearer to Me than you are to her, and I am
kinder to you than she is and I want your good more
than she does and I think of you more than she does.
"As to your art: It is one of the Teachings of
BahA'u'llAh that art is identical with an act of worship.
And you must go on with your art and improve in it.
And through this very Cause you will be able to make
great progress in your art, for you shall be helped from
Above.
"But as to your being a teacher: In a short time your
mother will be proud that you are a teacher. This is an
eternal honor upon your family. Lately I have seen that
God is looking upon your family with eyes of Providence. Though your mother does not realize it now, in
the future she shall know that this is a cause of eternal
honor to your family.
"You must do both. You must be a teacher and go on
with your art. And give some time to your mother.
"What do you think of these messages to your
mother?"
, 'What do I think of the rays of the Sun that give
Life?"
"I am glad to see so much love in your heart."
"How is it that the Lord of mankind has drawn to
Himself such a tiny atom, such a little piece of
nothing?"
"My wish for you is that you make spiritual progress,
more and more."
When He spoke of my art, He pressed the palms of my
hands. When he spoke of my teaching, He pressed my
head and shoulders.
To be so near, so near that great Dynamo of Love, to

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

have been lifted up out of the mass of God's needy
creatures and drawn to the Heart of the Divine
Magnet-may my life blood flow in gratitude!

July 5, 1909. Luncheon.
<Our Lord: "There are two kinds of changes and alterations. One causes descent and one ascent. The one
which causes descent is not good, but on the contrary.
The other change, which causes ascent, is acceptable.
"For example, a child from the time of being in the
womb of its mother until it grows to maturity, changes
in many stations, and this change is accepted and
praiseworthy. For instance, 'Mr. MacNutt'" (smiling
toward little Howard Kinney, whom He always called
"Mr. MacNutt" after his godfather, Howard MacNutt, a
very dignified man who looks something like George
Washington) "after many years will grow up and pass
through many changes and will get moustaches and a
beard and will be a man!
"Consider the bread. It changes and changes until it
gives power to the body-and then it becomes man. This
change is acceptable, because it replaces what has been
eliminated from the body. The mineral carbon changes
in many stations until diamonds are produced from it.
"But the change which is hated in all cases is, for example, as follows: A man is faithful; he gives up his
faith. A just man becomes cruel. A seer, a clear-sighted
man, becomes blind. Or: to be alive and then to die; to
be steadfast in the Covenant and, for some idea, to
become the enemy, like Kheiralla.· At first he was a

*The believer who first brought the Baha'i Faith to America. He later
rebelled against 'Abdu'l-Baha and broke the Covenant.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

very firm man and was in the utmost faith. Then he
wavered. Such a change is hated.
"Many firm souls had the greatest capacity and were
like the wick and fire. As soon as they came in contact
with the fire they received light. By a single meeting
they were so improved and converted that they were entirely changed. While others were for a long time My
companions, yet never changed. You find a man will be
wakened by a single call. Another is never quickened
even if you discharge a cannon! As soon as the ray of the
sun shines through crystal it will burn, but if the same
ray fallon a stone, no effect is produced."
When He spoke of Kheiralla I looked at my Lord,
startled and anxious. Could He mean that I might prove
weak? He smiled at me-oh, with such sweetness. My
fears vanished before that sun!
He called Mr. Kinney's attention to the rice.
"Rice. Rice," He said in English, "very good." Then
looking at me and laughing: "She is smiling at My
English!"
"I smile because Your voice makes me happier than
anything in the world."
Soon, sensing my wish to speak to Him, only for the
sake of speaking to Him: "Speak. Speak."
But I had really nothing to say! I brought forth this:
"Even this physical food is the best in the world."
"That is because of your intense love. A poison given
by a friend is like honey. A Persian poet says: 'The
poison which comes from Thee to me is my antidote. A
wound from Thee is remedy.' Certainly these physical
dishes are tasteful to you because you have the greatest
love."

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 17 I 1909

I supplicated that He might give me poison and wound
me in His Cause, that I might be found worthy of this.
"I will. When afflictions and bitter conditions taste
sweet to man, this shows that he is favored in the sight
of God."
Mr. Kinney said: "I am not eating now, but my Master
is feeding me."
Our Lord: "I, Myself, am the Food."
As He spoke His head was bowed, His hands upturned, like cups, in His lap. He sat, the emodiment of
Divine humility. A great Mystery flooded the room, and
a tremendous Power.
"How like Jesus that sounds!" whispered Mr. Kinney.
"Jesus," said our Lord, His head still bowed, "was the
Bread that came down from Heaven, but I am the Food
prepared by the Blessed Beauty, Baha'u'llah."
After a moment of dazzling silence, little Sandy said,
"Why are you crying, mother?"
I could not cry. I seemed to be translated into the
Spiritual Kingdom.
In few moments the Master turned to me and smiled.
"Eat. Eat, Juliet."
Because He had told me to eat, I felt that I must. I did
so; finished the food on my plate to the last morsel,
though I could scarcely swallow it. For the time, I was of
the Heavenly Kingdom, made of other elements. The
physical food was like dust and ashes in my mouth.
Coarse grained, too, it seemed.
Later I understood what He had really meant by "Eat,
Juliet." He had invited me to partake of the Food prepared by the Blessed Beauty.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

In the large tea room.
July 5, 1909, 5 P.M. Afternoon tea.
Dur Lord: "We ought to pray for Miss X, that she may
become just as God wishes her to be. If she be so, it will
be very good, because God always loves those who repent and are sorry for what they have done. Such people
are ashamed before God and become very humble.
"Once a Pharisee and a Publican entered the Temple
to pray. The Pharisee said: 'Thank God I am not as other
men.' The other said: 'God have mercy upon me, a sinner!' Christ said of these two: 'The Pharisee is not acceptable in the Kingdom of God, but the other is acceptable,
because the Pharisee is trusting in his own action, but
the other is depending upon the forgiveness of God.' *
"But the only thing is this: One should remain firm in
his repentance. I will pray for her."

In His room.
July 6, 1909. Morning.
dfe sent for me, called me into His room this morning.
Taking my hands in His Life-giving hands. He asked me
those first dear questions: "Are you happy, Juliet?"
"So happy!"
"Are you well?"
, 'Thou knowest, my Lord."
He told me He was pleased with me. Then He asked
me for the verbal messages. He forgets nothing.
I gave Him dear Sylvia Gannett's message.
*Cf. Luke. 18:9-14.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

"She is such a beautiful spirit," I said. "She is a
peacemaker. She never criticizes anyone."
"It is a very good quality that she does not talk about
others' faults, for many troubles are caused by speaking
against one another. Because to talk badly behind the
people is very bad."
I spoke of Herbert Rich and received a wonderful private message for him.
To Miss Colt (who had sent the humblest of supplications): "Give My kindest love to Miss Colt and say: You
are worthy of everything. Tell her that if she were not a
worthy soul she would not have been blessed with entering this Cause and she could not be able to follow the
Word of God. She was not unable to hear the Words of
the Kingdom. I will pray for her."
"What do you think of all these messages? I give them
to you because of the love in your heart."
I spoke of May Maxwell and Mariam Haney and said
they were beautiful.
"You are all beautiful," He replied. "And Mrs. True?"
He then asked.
"I don't know Mrs. True, except through letters."
"I love Mrs. True very much."
I spoke of Mr. MacNutt and Mr. Harris, and also mentioned Mr. Hoar. "They have borne so beautifully," I
said, "their ordeals of the past winter." *
He was silent for a moment, then asked: "Cannot you
unite these two factions?"
"0 my Lord!" I gasped. "I! I have longed for years to
see them united."
·That is, Howard MacNutt, Hooper Harris, and William Hoar. This
refers to disputes involving these believers which took place in the
New York Baha'i Community.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

"I know. That is why I love you so. You can do it
because you have love."
"If it is Thy command, I can do it, for Thou wilt help
me. I have not been able in the past because I had not
enough love and was not patient enough with those who
see less clearly than others." (I meant those who belittled His station, comparing Him with the apostle Peter.)
"You must become more patient. It would be well if
some others would help you. For instance, Lua Getsinger, Miss Barney, Mrs. Brittingham, Mrs. Maxwell,
also Mrs. Kinney, and anyone else you think would promote harmony. If you could have feasts and meetings in
your houses and bring together the chief speakers in the
utmost love; and if, when you have the opportunity, you
would speak to them on the importance of unity, it
would be very well. You will be assisted in this."
"Why is it the Lord of mankind has been so bountiful
to this atom?"
"If you all could know how I love you, you would fly
away with joy!"
"Think of Me often," He said. "Think of the times
you have spent here. I hope you will become the
daughter of the Kingdom; that you will become the
essence of purity and very heavenly; that you will
become enlightened by the light of the Love of God and
the cause of the enlightenment of other maidservants. Is
there anything else?"
"There are three little things in my heart, my Lord."
"What are they?"
"I have a little godchild named for me, who was born
under very unfortunate circumstances."
"I will pray for her that she will be blessed both in this

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

world and in the spiritual world." The love and the
understanding beaming from His face set my heart
forever at rest for the little Juliet.
"My brother?"
His smile became brilliant. "Your brother!" lin His
ringing English). Every one of His words in English burns
into your soul. Oh, if I only knew Persian! "Well, what
is it for your brother? Speak!"
"My Lord, he is like a beautiful rose bud: not yet
opened."
Looking at me with divine loving kindness, He said:
"I hope this bud will become a beautiful full-blown rose
and exhale the sweetest fragrance. What else?"
"My Lord," I said, "I pray that Percy Grant may
become a believer."
He pressed my hand two or three times and laughed,
and smiled down at me.
"Do you want this very much?"
"Oh my Lord, yes! So much!"
"I will pray for this. I will pray for this. But," and He
smiled again, indulgently, "you too must make an effort. You must help him. I will pray for him."
Then He dismissed me. Kissing the hem of His garment, I left Him.

July 6, 1909. Luncheon.
Dur Lord: "Afflictions and troubles are due to the state
of not being content with what God has ordained for
one. If one submits himself to God, he is always happy.
A man asked another: 'In what station are you?' The
other answered: 'In the utmost happiness.' 'Where does

THE 'AKKA DIARY

this happiness come from?' 'Because all existing things
move according to my wish. I do not find anything contrary to my desire. Therefore I have no sorrow. There is
no doubt that all the beings move by the Will of God,
and I have given up my own will, desiring the Will of
God. Thus my will became the Will of God, for there is
nothing of myself. All are moving by His Will, yet they
are moving by my own will. In this case, I am very
happy.'
, 'When man surrenders himself, everything will move
according to his wish."

, 'Today I have answered the questions of all. Now you
are left, Mr. Kinney!"
Mr. Kinney: "There is only one question in my soul.
How can I love you more?"
Our Lord: "I will answer you later."
Mr. Kinney: "The Board of Council· has met for three
years past in my studio and I am very proud of it."
Our Lord: "It is indeed worthy to be proud of. I hope
your home may always be the place of the gatherings;
that the beloved of God may always come together
there, be engaged in commemoration of God, have
heavenly talks and speak through the confirmation of
the Holy Spirit. Your home will be one of the heavenly
constellations, InshiJ.'llah, and the stars will gather
there."
Mr. Kinney: "What could I ask for more?"
Our Lord: "There is nothing superior to this."

*The early name of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of New
York.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST '17, 1909

July 6, 1909. Dinner.
Dur Lord (through an interpreter): "The spiritual food
is the principal food, whereas the physical food is not so
important. The effect of the spiritual food is eternal.
Through the material food the body exists, but through
the spiritual food the spirit will be nourished. The
material food, that is, the food for the body, is simply
water and bread, but the food for the intellect is knowledge and the food for the spirit is the significances of the
Heavenly Words and the bounties of the Holy Spirit.
"If there were no love, nothing would be pleasing.
Many come here and eat, but they do not appreciate it."
The Master had written a Tablet to the believers in
Tihran that they should organize a meeting in which
Baha'i women will teach and train others to teach the
Cause. Now they have written the news to the Master
that they have arranged this meeting and nineteen girls
and women attend. This meeting will advance directly,
and will be the cause of developing the girls in every
way.

In our Lord's room.
July 7, 1909. Morning.
<11'hile Munavvar Khanum, Carrie, Alice, and I were in
the room of our Lord this morning, suddenly smiling at
me, He said: "Do you think your mother will like My
message to her?"
"Her heart is so pure she must love it, Lord." My
hand was in His.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

"She will like that part about your art," He said, with
His witty smile.
"She said you would straighten out my life."
"Say to her: I have two arts: one physical, the other
spiritual. The physical one is that I draw the images of
men. My spiritual art is that I draw the images of the
angels, and I hope that at last I shall be able to draw pictures of the Perfections of God. My physical art will at
last end, but my spiritual art is everlasting. My physical
art can be done by many, but my spiritual art is not the
work of everyone. My physical art makes me dear to
men, but my spiritual art makes me dear to God.
Therefore I work to perfect both of them."
"Thou hast straightened out my life!"
With his smile of light He said: "I am the Heavenly
Artist. Although I am sitting here, my pen is working in
every part of the world, over the pages of the hearts."

July 7, 1909. At luncheon.
cfIt this meal I was sitting beside Him.
Our Lord (through an interpreter): "The Master's love
for you is like an ocean and your love is like a drop. The
distress and calamities which the Master has endured for
your sake for many years, you could not endure for one
day. And now, should anyone offer Him the entire existent world in exchange for one of you, He would not accept it. This means that one of you is dearer to Him than
the whole world. If a thousand swords be used on the
Master's neck, or against Him, He accepts that, but
would not be content that one hair of your head should
be taken away.
"About two years ago some spies came from Constan-

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

tinople and it was a terrible day for the Master. He sent
all the believers from 'Akka that none should be harmed
but Himself. He sent them all away that no one should
stay in 'Akka except Himself-that if there were any
kind of calamity, it should be for Him alone. *
"You must realize by this expression how much He
loves the believers./I
The Master groaned, and left the table.

Every afternoon Tuba and Munavvar KhAnum, Carrie
and Alice and I had tea in the room of our Lord. On this
seventh of July we had a most heavenly talk. Returning
to my room with a yeaming heart, breaking under His
Love, and with a devastating sense of my own unworthiness, I wrote Him a supplication. I told Him my heart
was paralyzed by His bounties and it killed me to think
that this heart, receiving so much, realized so little. I
begged Him to open it wider and wider to the rays of His
sacred Love.
Scarcely had I finished this pitiful little plea when I
saw Him standing at my door. That Holy Figure in white
in the sunlit court! I gave Him my supplication. He took
it and, calling Munavvar KhAnum, beckoned us both to
follow Him to His room. Then He asked Munavvar to
translate it. When she had done so, He simply said,
"KhayJi khub, " IVery well.) and dismissed me.
Later in the afternoon, the Master struck me the first
blow! The beginning of the shattering of my earthly
hopes. After this, He took from the inside pocket of His
long, flowing cloak my supplication. Unfolding the
paper and looking at me with grave sweetness, he

·See God Passes By. pp. 269-71.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

pointed to the last paragraph, May my heart open wider
II

and wider to the rays of Thy sacred Love." He then
folded it again and put it back in His breast-pocket.

Still later in the afternoon.
"oWy daughter! My dear! My soul! My spirit!"
"Lord, anything You send me I will bear.' I

"Yes. Yes."
I was on my knees. I looked up to see the Christ-Face
yearning over me, His hands raised in blessing above my
head. I shall never forget that Face. It was lifted as
though in prayer, His eyes closed, His lips apart.
Then He held my head against His heart, and I heard
the Heart of 'Abdu'l-Baha beat.
I went to my room. Standing, facing His room, I
reached out my arms and my heart cried: I love You.
But I made no sound. Almost instantly He appeared at
my door. I knelt in the doorway. "I love You; I love
You," I said. He looked at me with unearthly luminous
eyes, then turned away. Once more I held out my arms.
He looked back.
The night of the seventh of July we all sat on the roof.
He was in His little room on the roof. He sent out His
cloak to put around Carrie, who felt cold, and she shared
it with me. My tears fell on His cloak. I had realized
this: "With His stripes are we healed. " *

July 7, 1909, 9 P.M. At dinner.
<.Our Lord: "Since the day you arrived you have daily
progressed and you have almost changed.

·Isa. 53:5, 1 Pet. 2:24.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

"Some souls come here and return unaltered. It is
precisely like one who comes to a fountain and, not being thirsty, returns exactly as he came. Or, like a blind
man who goes into a rose garden: he perceives not, and,
being questioned as to what he has seen in the rose
garden, answers, 'Nothing.'
"But some souls who come here are resuscitated.
They come dead; they return alive. They come frail or ill
in body; they return healed. They come athirst; they
return satisfied. They come sorrowing; they return
joyous. They come deprived; they return having partaken of a share. They come athirst; they return
satisfied!
"These souls have in reality done justice to their visit.
Praise be to God, you are of these souls and you must be
exceedingly happy.
"If a cow should go to a prosperous town, a city full of
bounties and divine blessings, and should be asked as to
what it had found in this town, it would say, 'Nothing
but cucumber peels and melon rinds. ' But if a
nightingale should fly to a rose garden, when it returns
the reply would be, 'Verily, I have scented delicious
fragrances, seen most beautiful flowers, most delightful
verdure, drunk most refreshing water from gushing fountains; and I have found new life!' Now the reply of a beetle would be, 'All you have heard concerning the rose
garden is false. There is neither a delightful fragrance nor
beauty of verdure, nor is it joyous. In fact, when I
entered it, I was displeased. All you have heard is false.
Had I not escaped, I should have died!' "

THE 'AKKA DIARY

July 8, 1909.
£In the morning of July 8, the Master rushed with
tremendous energy into my room and placed me with
His two hands on the divan, then, going down to the
garden and into a little house below my window, He dictated Tablets all morning, every now and then coming to
the window, standing in the sunlight and looking up at
me. Never shall I forget the Face of my King at the window. Just before He left the house in the garden, once
more He looked up. I was faithful at my post; in fact, I
had not dared even to move.

In His room.
Afternoon, July 7, 1909.
Munavvar, Carrie, Alice, Juliet.
"cllu this trouble and hardship is just for this end: that
you may love one another as you should, so that you
may be perfectly united."
To Carrie Kinney: "Let Me give you the good tidings
that your family and your children will be greatly
helped; and you must be very happy for this. I love your
'Mr. MacNutt' very much. It is good that you have two
Mr. MacNutts! Others have one Mr. MacNutt, but you
have two! Of course you love Mr. MacNutt, because he
has been the cause of your spiritual life. The physical
father is the cause of the material life, but Mr. MacNutt
was the cause of your spiritual life. Therefore you owe
him much."

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

July 8, 1909. At Luncheon.
C7he Master spoke of the many letters He had answered
that morning and of the packages still unopened. Mr.
Kinney said: "I will write Your letters for You!"
Our Lord: "Very good; very good. Write a letter and
answer it yourself. Look into your heart and see the
answer. The answer is what is written on the tablet of
your heart. That which is written upon paper is subject
to corruption and various accidents, such as consumption by fire and moth, but that which is inscribed on the
tablet of the heart is imperishable and everlasting. A day
will come when all My communications upon paper-all
My writing-will be effaced. But that which I have inscribed upon the hearts will not be effaced. There is no
end to it. For I write the Word of the Love of God upon
the hearts, and the Word of God is eternal."
The Master said He was exceedingly happy because of
Mr. Kinney's presence at the table (after a short illness),
, 'for we are all assembled together."
"Just consider what the Bounty of Abha has achieved!
Just observe in what a condition we are! Imagine not
that if you were to sacrifice all upon earth, you could
produce this attitude."
Little Howard (aged four) from his high chair: "Won't
the Master come to New York?"
Our Lord: "Perhaps you do not know that I am always
there with you, for though My body is absent, My heart
is there; My Spirit is there."
Mr. Kinney (to the interpreter): "Tell the Master He
will always be an honored Guest."

THE 'AKKA DIARY

Our Lord: "I am the Host, not a guest. For to be a
guest is to be there temporarily, whereas the Host stays
forever."

One day at lunch a huge dish of macaroni was put on
the table. The Master, laughing, rose from His seat, took
the platter in His own hands, brought it to little Howie's
high chair and served him a very big helping. Then He
told us that "Mr. MacNutf' had come to His door that
morning, had taken off his shoes and left them on the
door step, then had run to Him, the Master, where He
was sitting by the window, thrown his arms around the
Master's neck and whispered in His ear: "My Lord, can't
we have macaroni for lunch?"
"He is never allowed it at home, laughed Carrie.
II

In the Master's room.
July 8, 1909.
[In the early afternoon He called us all into His room.
Beckoning me to sit in my accustomed place and taking
my hand in His, He began: "You are fortunate that during these few days I have not been very busy, for to some
others it happened I had less time to give them.
"The desire of My heart is that each of you, when you
return to America, will be just like a torch flaming with
the Love of God, and that your speech will be wonderfully loosened, so that when you enter the meetings, you
will enter them with full eloquence and with perfect
courage. I kiss the mouth of Sandy so that he may have
wonderful speech, especially for this purpose. II

He then dictated messages to various believers. On our
expressing regret at burdening Him with so many, He

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

said: "Everything that is a sign of your love toward one
another, though it take my time, yet it makes me happy.
And if you will realize how much I love you all, you will
know that even were I occupied day and night with your
affairs, I would never tire. For My Love is not a physical
one to make Me tired. My Love is purely spiritual and
divine. Therefore I am never tired."
Through Carrie to Mrs. Gibbons:· "You must always
look forward to My will and desire. My will and desire
are that you should honor and respect all humankind, especially the believers. Never try to be the cause of hurting anyone's feelings. On the contrary, make every effort
to become the happiness of hearts. There is no greater
sin than the breaking of hearts and there is no greater action than to be the cause of the happiness of hearts. If
you want My happiness, try to be kind to Dr. Fischer, "t
las I caught my breath in wonder at His knowledge, He
smiled down at mel "and do something that no illfeeling may exist any more between you."
Carrie asked for a message for Mrs. MacNutt, "if it is
not too much."
ITo us: I "I love you all so much that the more I mention you the happier I become. Say to Mrs. MacNutt:
Though you stayed in 'Akka a short time, it is as though
you had stayed one year, for in that short time the instructions and teachings of God were revealed to you and
you have accepted them with a pure heart, for you had
the capacity for receiving the divine bounties. Therefore,
in a short time you have attained to a new spirit. I ask
God that you make progress day by day and that you
*Mrs. Louise Gibbons, a Baha'i from New York.
tRey. O. M. Fischer, an Episcopal clergyman who was also a Baha'i
in New York.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

may have a greater portion of the bounties of
Baha'u'llah. "
Through Alice to Robert Rich: "Give My love to him and
say: Mrs. Beede mentioned you here and said good things
about you. I know you have gone through sufferings in
your life, but the sufferings and troubles in this world are
the cause of awakening one. Therefore, you must be
thankful for what sufferings you have and give thanks to
God that you have not been shaken by your tests. For the
tests are very great and sometimes will be the cause of
one's being quite neglectful. But, thanks be to God, you
have faced them firmly. I will pray for you, so you may obtain the desire of your heart."
Through me to Thorton Chase: "Give My greetings to
Mr. Chase and say: Miss Juliet mentioned you here with
love-and with a face full of light. And she mentioned your
kindness to her. I am pleased with you. And for your
endeavor and zeal in serving the Kingdom of God I am
very happy. And I hope you will yourself become the embodiment of the instructions of Baha'u'llah, so that each
one who sees you and knows your actions will know that
the teachings of Baha'u'llah are manifesting through
you."
To Mr. Windust* through me: "Give Mr. Windust My
kindest love and say: Though physically I have not met
you, in reality I have seen you often. Why? Because in
Spirit and heart I am always with you. I am inseparable
from you. And I know your desire is My good-pleasure.
Therefore I am pleased with you."
Through me to Annie Boylan: "Your message was delivered and the good tidings of the union and harmony

·Mr. Albert Windust, a Baha'i from Chicago.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

among the believers of New York caused a happiness in
My heart. For each one in this world has a desire. But My
desire is the realization of the perfect love in the world of
humanity. The mention and thought of all the believers day
and night, must be love, union, and brotherhood. This
union will be the cause of their progress in all conditions."
Through Alice to Mason Remey: "Give My greatest
love to Mr. Remey and say: You are very dear to me. You
are so dear that I think of you day and night. You are My
real son. Therefore I have an idea for you. I hope it may
come to pass."
He turned to me and, smiling, said: "Do you love Mr.
Remey?"
It crucified me, but I answered, "Yes." Again the
Master smiled.
Later, while I dwelt in anguish on the significance of His
words-while the pencil with which I was taking them
down slipped from my hand-He turned to me smiling
again and, pointing to my notebook, said: "Write; write!"
Soon He dismissed us.

Near sunset we went to the Holy Tomb.
Just before we went He came to our room-Alice's and
mine-and, seating Himself on the couch, while as usual I
sat at His feet, He said: "Now I am sending you to the
Tomb, and you should ask there all you wish and desire.
And I will pray also, here, for what you pray. And there
you will pray for everything you wish."
In that unutterably holy place I prayed for unity in New
York. I prayed to be strengthened to fulfill His Will. I implored for strength to meet my great tests. I prayed for my
father, mother, and brother and for every friend I could

THE 'AKKA DIARY

think of. Then I took from my heart the love of my life and
gave it into the hand of Baha'u'llah. I asked but one thing:
that this once-beloved of my heart might know His Beauty
and might serve His Threshold.

July 8, 1909. Dinner, 9 P.M.
<Our Lord, smiling: "Are you happy owing to your visit
to the Tomb? Mrs. B. [Beede]?
Alice, with a face all shadows and tragedy: "You must
feel that I never was so happy."
Our Lord: "Although our assembly tonight numbers
only ten outwardly, in reality it is representative of all
the beloved of God. Why? Because it pictures the Baha'i
community. The seed, no matter how small, in the
estimation of the perceptive mind, is a veritable tree.
The mind images the tree and the tree is revealed from
the seed. Likewise, when I see you it is as though I were
seeing all the beloved of God. The Teachings I give to
you are the Teachings I would give to all the beloved of
God.
"Today when you visited the Holy Tomb, I during
that very time directed My attention to the Supreme
Concourse of the Kingdom of Abha and supplicated confirmations in your favor.
"Praise be to God, your hearts are overflowing with
the Love of God and you have no great attachment to
this world. The thing which is necessary for you now is
discourse. It is My hope that you will attain an eloquent
discourse, for I have loved you exceedingly. Consequently I anticipate an eloquent, expressive, and excellent
discourse on your part after your arrival in America. Rest
assured in the fact that the breaths of the Holy Spirit will

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 17, 1909

aid you, provided no doubts obtain in your hearts. Is not
this so, Juliet? Is not this so, Mrs. B.?"
He helped each of us from His plate. To me He gave
His bread. I was sitting beside Him.
"You will remember these nights very often. These
nights are rare. They are not obtained always.
"I hope the party that has come, Mr. and Mrs. Kinney,
Mrs. B., and Juliet, will be real Baha'is and that your
deeds and actions will manifest this when you return to
New York. I have given you so many blessings. I hope
you will be able to speak fluently and with great power
in the meetings and share with the rest of the friends
what you have received here."
That night /July 8) I went to the housetop alone with
Munavvar Khanum.
"Dear," I said, "do you remember my supplication
that Percy Grant might become a believer? I have had only one strong love in my life: for him. We both knew it
the moment we met. Then a blow came, and I refused to
see him any more. I even left New York for a time
because, really providentially, only a day or two after
that blow, I was called to Washington to paint a portrait.
And in Washington, Munavvar, Ahmad showed me a
Tablet just arrived from the Master to a friend of mine,
who had mentioned Percy Grant in one of her supplications-merely mentioned his name in a prayer for
him-a Tablet in which was a message to him and to
myself:

'Say to Percy Grant and Juliet Thompson: 0 ye intelligent ones, there is no rest or tranquillity in this
world. There is no composure of mind. The world is
in need of the Heavenly Glad-Tidings. Therefore, turn

THE 'AKKA DIARY

ye to the Kingdom of Abha and seek after spiritual
attraction, for life without this is death and this evanescent world like the mirage in the desert.'

"This is as well as I can remember it. And ever since
then this spiritual attraction has been growing. But today I took this love out of my heart and returned it to
God. And now I am ready to do the Master's Will."
"Why did you do this, dear?"
"Because I believed it to be the Master's Will."
"What made you think that?"
"Don't you know?"
"Yes, dear, I think I do. Something He said this afternoon?"
"Yes, dear."
"Our Lord has asked me to speak about this to you,
Juliet. He seems to wish it very much. He knows this
other man too, but He thinks Mr. Remey would be better. But He also wishes to know your own feelings."
"He knows my own feelings, Munavvar darling. There
is no flinching in me that He does not know. But I have
prayed to make any sacrifice, and I could have no greater opportunity. I could make no greater sacrifice than in
marrying a man I did not love. But for the Master's sake
I would do it joyfully."
"But, dear, He would not wish you to go against your
inner feelings. Tell me about it."
"Perhaps I am too much attracted by people of brilliant
intellect. And this man I love has such a powerful one!
But how can I think of my own preferences when the
Master wishes something else for me?"
Suddenly our Lord appeared on the housetop. Walking

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

up and down like a king, He began to talk to us. I listened
in breathless wonder. Most of what He said has escaped
me. I can only write fragments.
He told me He wished me to have a great power of discourse. He spoke of love. He said I had a great capacity
for love, that this was the promising sign in me. II Qurratu'l-'Ayn,"* He said, "had nothing but her love. This
was her power."
I spoke of how deeply I felt my unworthiness.
"Capacity attracts," He answered. "The greater your
capacity, the more you will be filled. When the child is
hungry and cries for milk, the milk of the mother begins to
flow rapidly."
I could scarcely speak after all He said. When His bounties are pouring upon me I always feel paralyzed. All my
senses are numb, dead. It kills me to be so, beneath the
outpourings of His generosity. To be in the Presence of
the Lord and not aglow! I am filled with shame and the
sense of my utter unworthiness. I murmured to Munavvar
Khanum: I I Say to our Lord for me: What matters the
physical life now? I can do nothing for Him, for Whom I
want to do everything, but follow His commands and
wishes to the minutest detaiL"
He then came and sat on the rug beside us and began
to speak of Mason Remey. Oh, to picture Him as He was
then-no longer the Lord, the King, but the tender
Father-a something eager (if I may use the word) in His
manner and tone.
He told me He loved Mason Remey so much and He
loved me so much that He wished us to marry. That was

*TAhirih, Bab! heroine and Letter of the Living.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

the meaning of His message to Mason. He said it would
be a perfect union and good for the Cause. Then He asked
me how I felt about it.
I answered: "I will gladly fulfill Thy wish."
"But what are your inner feelings?"
"Lord, Thou knowest my inner feelings."
"You love this other man? You love?"
"It is secondary now. My only desire is to fulfill Thy Will.
Thou knowest best. My only desire is to give all I have for
Thee-to give my dearest. I can do this now. This is my
opportuni ty. ' ,
"But, my daughter, My wish is for your happiness.
You must be frank with Me about it. The inner feelings
cannot be forced. In speaking with you just now I was
giving you spiritual commands. This is different; this is
material, and, in regard to it, I am not commanding but
suggesting. This union with Mr. Remey is merely an
idea, a suggestion of Mine."
"Thy suggestions and ideas come from the Infinite
Wisdom."
"But-understand Me-I wish your happiness."
"I should rather follow Thy wish. I should be happier
following Thy wish than in marrying the man I love."
"Well, is it possible for you to love Mr. Remey as you
do this other man?"
"Is it possible, Lord?"
"If it is possible to love Mr. Remey equally well, for
him to take the place of the other, then I should be
glad." He paused a moment. "But your marrying the
other is very good, if you can make him a believer. And
you must pray for it. If you see that he has an inclination
to become a believer, even before he does so, you can

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27 I 1909

marry him. If you can lead him to the Cause this is very I
very good. Am I not a kind Father?" He asked.
I spoke brokenly of His Love.
"I am the Essence of Love."
I remember His saying later: "Appreciate this night.
Many a soul, both now and throughout the ages, would
give their lives for five moments of such a night on this
roof with Me-and with Munavvar Khanum."
During the tender talk that followed, I asked: "May I
come here again?"
"Yes; yes!" He replied. "You have permission to
come whenever you find you can do so."
Ah, "many a soul, both now and throughout the ages,
would give their lives for five moments of such a night
on the roof with Him-and with Munavvar Khanum."

July 9, 1909. Morning.
die called me to His little room. Tuba Khanum interpreted for me. What He said to me I cannot tell-only a
tiny part.
"You have stood a very great test. I love you dearly.
Your tests have been very, very great. And when they
came you did not flinch" (raising His hand with a strong
gesture) "but stood firm and met them bravely. And
they were very great."
"My Lord, I have been grieving for not having met
them more perfectly."
Then followed what I cannot tell. Only my Lord, Tuba
and myself, and Beings in the Unseen World who live in
the Presence of the Master, know what He said to me
then. I wept at His feet.

THE 'AKKA. DIARY

"What I have told you is because of this," He said,
"this condition of your heart."
"Be happy," He continued. "Think if you were at-the
feet of Christ in His time, His hand covering yours."
"I am so unworthy. I am so dead. Quicken me into
Life!"
"I will. Be at rest, and I will. I will widen you. I love
your love."
"Perhaps I feel so dead in order to realize that everything comes from Thee, that without Thee I am indeed
dead. Without Thee I can do nothing."
At the end He said: "Go, and be My light in
America."
Kissing the hem of His garment, I left Him.
A little later, still on the housetop, He pointed to the
waning moon. "The moon . . . the stars . . . the East
... no! I am the Sun of the West!" He said.
"For us? Us Christians?"
"Yes. For you."
After an interval: "I am not worthy, Lord, that Thy
Glory should be revealed to me yet?"
"No."
"But some day?"
"Yes."
There was a flash from His eyes. For an instant they
were like brilliant stars before which the stars in heaven
paled. Then He veiled them with His lids. Two more
flashes, and they became as usual. Unworthy though He
had found me, He, in His mercy and love, gave me three
glimpses of His Glory.
"My Spirit loves your spirit. I love your heart." He
touched my heart; and it leapt beneath His fingers.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

"The strings of my heart vibrate," I said, "beneath the
fingers of the Divine Musician."
He touched it again; and again it was strangely stirred.
"Ahh!" I breathed.
"Why 'Ahh'?"
"This heart will sing for Thee forever!"
He covered my lips with His hand.
"Love," He said. For a moment he lifted His hand.
"Love," I repeated. His hand closed again on my lips.
"Love!" He said, lifting His hand.
"Love," I repeated. He made me repeat it many times.
He touched my eyes and my forehead.
"I am Thy new creation," I said. "Keep me unspotted
from the world." I had been kneeling at His feet. I raised
my face and looked up. That Face of Grandeur, the long
gray hair blown about it, under the stars!
"My Lord!"
"Yes!" with incredible majesty.
"My King!"
"Yes!"
"0 Christ!"
There was no answer.
"Word of God!"
"Yes!"
"King of the Seen and the Unseen!"
"Yes!"
"Prince of Peace!"
"Ah. Peace . . . " He seemed to sigh the word: from
that housetop, across the world. I shall never forget the
heartbreak in the sigh.
Then, turning to me: "I am thy Father. Say: Thou art
my Father."

THE 'AKKA DIARY

"Thou art my Father."
"I am thy King. Say: Thou art my King."
"Thou art my King."
"I am thy Beloved."
"Thou art my Beloved!"

July 9, 1909. Luncheon, 12:30.
<Our Lord: "How spiritual are our meetings! In the utmost love are we set aglow! The hearts are all attracted
to each other. It is just like being one soul, one body.
Such a meeting as this is impossible and cannot be organized save through the Love of God. There is no material
interest whatsoever. There is no worldly desire at all. In
the utmost purity and holiness has the Force of Divinity
assembled us. All, with perfect sincerity, are directing
our attention to the Kingdom of Abha, and our greatest
desire is His good-pleasure.
"New pilgrims have arrived from Persia. Souls firm in
the Covenant have arrived. They have come in the utmost love. The Light of the Love of God is radiant in
their countenances.
"Yesterday Mr. Kinney asked me concerning music
and I promised I would answer him today:
"Music is of the important arts. It has a great effect
upon the human spirit. Musical melodies are a certain
something which prove an accidental * upon ethereal
vibrations. For voice is nothing but the expression of
vibrations, charged therewith, which affect the nerves of
the ear. Musical melodies are therefore those peculiar effects which are produced by vibrations. However, music

• A musical term: an altered note (such as a sharp or flat) foreign to
the key indicated by the signature.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

has the keenest effect upon spirits. Although it is a
material affair, its tremendous effect is spiritual and its
greatest attachment is to the realm of the spirit.
"If a person desires to deliver a discourse, it would
prove more effective after musical melodies. The ancient
Greek philosophers, as well as the Persian, were in the
habit of delivering their discourses in the following manner: First, there would be musical melodies, and when
the audience had been influenced to a certain extent
thereby, they would leave their instruments and begin
their discourse.
"Among the most ancient musicians of Persia was one
named Barbad. When a great question was asked at the
court of the king and the ministers failed in persuading
the king, the matter would be referred to Barbad. Whereupon Barbad would go with his instrument to the court
and would play the most appropriate and touching music: and the end would at once be gained. Because the
king would immediately be affected by the musical melodies. Certain feelings of generosity would swell in his
heart, and he would give way.
"You may try this. If you have a great desire for something, if you wish earnestly to attain your end, try to attain it in a musical audience. But there are people who
are like stones, and music cannot affect a stone.
"Now let us go back to the original subject: Music is
an important means for the education and development
of humanity. But the main cause for the development of
humanity is the Teaching of God.
"Music is like this glass which is perfectly pure and
polished. It is precisely like this clear chalice before us.
And the Teachings and Utterances of God are like the
water. When the chalice is in the utmost state of purity,
absolutely clear and polished, and the water is perfectly

THE 'AKU DIARY

fresh, then it will confer life. Wherefore, the Teachings
of God, whether they be Utterances in the form of homilies, or prayers and communes, when they are melodiously chanted will prove most impressive. It is for this
reason that His Holiness David sang the psalms with
melody in the Holy of Holies at Jerusalem.
"In this Cause the art of music is of paramount importance. The Blessed Perfection, Baha'u'Hah, when He first
came to the barracks often repeated this statement: If
among His immediate followers there were some who
could play some musical instrument, for instance the
flute or the harp, or who could sing, it would have
charmed everyone.
"In short, musical melodies play an important role
in the outward and inward qualities of man, for music is
the inspirer and motive power of both the material and
the spiritual susceptibilities. What a motive power it is
in feelings of love! When a man is attracted to the Love
of God, music will have a great effect upon him."
The Master turned to the window and pointed to a
ship on the sea.
"See: a ship!" He said to Alice, who was sitting beside
Him at this meal.
"If we build the Temple quickly, /' she asked, "and
send a ship for You, will You come to America?"
"I will come of My own volition to America if they
build the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar quickly. But," /sadly and
very gently) "they will not build it quickly."
I was sitting next to Edna BaHora. Taking her hand, I
said to our Lord: "May Edna help me with the meetings
in my studio when we return to New York?"
"Khayli khub. Khayli khub. You love Edna BaHora?"
He asked, His eyes-so holy, so shining-fixed on me.
"Oh yes, my Lord!"

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

"Very much?"
"Oh so much!" The love already in my heart for Edna
was fanned to an intense flame. It burned; it hurt me.
"Very, very much?"
The Master was still gazing at me, and now I could
scarcely bear that flame in me, in which my heart itself seemed to be melting away. Tears rained down my
cheeks.
"Edna," cried the Master, "behold your friend! It is
possible for fathers and mothers to weep when their
children are in trouble, but it is rare that they weep
merely for love of their children, as Juliet has wept for
love of you."
Oh, Heavenly Artist! For one brief moment He had
created in me the Love of God; He had given me a foretaste of that Love-other-dimensional, superhumanwhich with my whole soul I pray I may attain some day.
For without this universal love how can we hope to
work for the Kingdom of God, the oneness of man on
earth?
And, in that mysterious moment, I understood that
the universal love is not II impersonal. " I loved not only
Edna's soul, but all of her. I could have died for her.

July 9, 1909. Dinner, 9 P.M.
Dur Lord: "Tonight Mr. Sprague* is going to speak to
you, because he has been to Persia and has spent a year
in Tihran. Hence he shall speak."
Mr. Sprague: lIlt is impossible to speak when our Lord
is here."
*Mr. Sydney Sprague, a prominent American Baha'i and traveling
teacher. See Sydney Sprague, A Year with the Baha'is in India and
Burma (Los Angeles: Kalimat Press, 19861, especially pp. 1-11.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

On being further pressed by our Lord, he referred to a
meeting where a Jew, a Christian, and a Muhammadan
were present and, remaining for the night, shared the
same bed.
Our Lord: "Consider what the power of the Covenant
has done! It was an impossibility for a Zoroastrian to
unite with a siyyid and a mulla with a Jew. And for these
to assemble with a Christian was an absolute impossibility. But the power of the Covenant has even so
gathered them that they are accounted as one spirit.
Although the bodies are numerous, the spirit is one.
"About thirty or forty years ago, in the province of
... , the Muhammadans assaulted the Jewish colony
and began a wholesale slaughter, and only those Jews
who, narrowly escaping, could get to the mosque to confess were saved. The rest were subjected to wholesale
murder. And those who apparently were converted are in
reality, up to the present time, Jews. But many became
Baha'is.
"Mirza 'Azizu'llah Khan whom you met: his father
was martyred, and his brother at the age of twelve gave
his life for the Cause. II
At the table that night was a boy from India, brought
to 'Akka by Sydney Sprague, who was taking the child to
his own school in Turkey to educate him. The father of
the boy had given his life for Mr. Sprague. It happened in
this way: Mr. Sprague was then in India, teaching the
Cause and, in his enthusiasm, he remained till too late
in the summer in Calcutta. A plague broke out and the
people died by hundreds. Every hospital was crowded,
the doctors and nurses were all busy. Even the Baha'is
had their hands too full. Mr. Sprague came down with
typhoid fever. One of the Baha'is wrote to another in a

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

nearby town, to a shopkeeper named Kay-Khusraw, asking his help. Kay-Khusraw immediately closed his shop
and made his will. Then he said good-bye to his familyforever in this mortal1ife-and went to Calcutta to nurse
his American brother, whom he had never seen. Under his
tender care, Mr. Sprague recovered, but scarcely was he
convalescent when the plague overtook Kay-Khusraw
and within a day or two he died.
Mr. Sprague told me the whole story. He knew that he
must pay a visit to Kay-Khusraw's family, but he dreaded
facing them, more than anything, he told me, that he
had ever had to do. But when he entered their house,
the greeted him with outstretched arms. "Do not feel
sad," they said. "It was right that Kay-Khusraw should
give his life for his brother. Besides, Mr. Sprague, you
are a great teacher and Kay-Khusraw was a humble
shopkeeper. He could never have served the Cause as
you can."

A sweet picture of the Master: He had sent for us that
afternoon to meet Mr. Sprague and the Persian believers
and, not being ready, I put on a dress I could slip into
easily. As I passsed the Master standing in His door: "I
am afraid I am not dressed well enough," I said.
He touched my arm, smiling with the utmost sweetness.
"The Persian believers do not look at the dress, My
child. They look at the heart."

July 10, 1909. Morning.
Dur Lord has just called me into His room with Munavvar.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

"I love you very dearly," He said. "That is the reason
I am speaking so freely to you. To others I do not speak
so freely. This is just for you.
"Do you know Miss ... ? She came here and was full
of love and aglow. Then she returned and married and
her love for the Blessed Perfection grew cold. Now I
want to tell you," (and He put His arms around me and
held me close, and never shall I forget those protecting
arms!) "I want to tell you not to marry this man until
you have made him a believer. Because afterward it
would be more difficult. First make him a believer. You
can. Then he will be a good husband to you and will
make you very happy. And he will be a good believer. I
speak to you so freely because I love you so much. To
others I say: 'Do as you like.' But to you I am more explicit and I say: Do not do this. You only see the beginning. I see the end. But do your best to make him a believer. You can. He will become one out of his love for
you. He loves you now. The first love is very strong.
After you were married it might not be so easy. Then he
might influence you. I will pray for you and assist you
and you will do this. But do not yield. Do not marry
him, though it take years to make a believer."
Those strong arms of Love gathered me closer-my
refuge, my shelter, my eternal protection. I know that
whatever may come in the future I shall feel in the moment of test: those arms, those great tender, tender
arms. No one knows what such a clasp is save those who
have been in the arms of 'Abdu'l-Baha.
"It is because I love you so that I say this," He
repeated. "When you return," He continued, "say to
him: If you will go yourself to 'Akka, you will see that
which is beyond conception. If you go you will find all
your conceptions useless in comparison with the Real-

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

ity. If you go you will be given that for which you would
not exchange all the kingdoms of the world."
"Shall I tell him this from Thee?"
"It is wiser not to-yet," with that wonderful witty
smile. "If you see some softening you may."
"You know him?" I asked.
"I know everyone in the world."
"You love him?"
"Yes, I love him. As you are my daughter, I want him
to be my son."
"ls he not the material martyrs are made o£?"
"Make him so!" He smiled. "Am I not a kind Father,
Juliet?"
"Thou art too kind. I am crushed beneath Thy love
and generosity."
"You had a great test about this and you passed it
well. Speak; speak," He said. I I Tell Me all you wish to
tell Me."
I began to speak of Percy Grant and of his lifework,
carried on in the face of strong opposition and at the risk
of his worldly career.'" But I stopped very soon, feeling
that words were so futile. My Lord knew all.
When I left Him I kissed the hem of His garment.

-In 1893 Rev. Grant had become rector of the New York Church of
the Ascension, long the stronghold of fashionable, orthodox Episcopalians, but now with a dwindling congregation in a declining neighborhood. His sweeping innovations were successful, but controversial: pews were no longer private property, but opened to the public;
sermons were preached on issues of the day; new afternoon musical
services attracted hundreds; Sunday evenings, the People's Forum
debated political and economic questions, often until midnight.
Grant became the militant leader of the radical wing of the city's
clergy.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

July 10, 1909.
d-/ow can such a pen as mine write of superhuman
things?
On the morning of July 10, our Lord Himself took us
to the room where are kept the pictures of the Bab and
the Blessed Perfection, Baha'u'llah.
The room is very long and bare. At the further end of it
stand three easels and on each easel a picture. We approached those Sacred Pictures from afar. To the left, as
we approached, was a miniature of the Bab; to the right a
miniature of the Blessed Perfection and, in the center, a
photograph of the Blessed Perfection.
The instant I saw that photograph I fell with my face
to the ground, trembling and sobbing. It was as though
the Picture were alive and Something had rushed from it
and struck me a blow between the eyes. I cannot explain
it. The power and the majesty were terrific.
Soon the Master touched me on the shoulder. (I had already risen to my knees and was staring at the photograph. J He drew my attention to the miniature of
Baha'u'llili. "This is a painting. This will interest you,
Juliet.' I
But my eyes were fastened on the photograph. I could
not remove them, except for a brief moment, from that
omnipotent Face.
Yet-dare I say it? I love the Face of 'Abdu'l-Baha
more. When I ventured to tell Munavvar this, she answered, "But if you could have seen Baha'u'llah! That
photograph is not good. If you could have seen His
eyes!"

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

(Footnote. Brumana. RiyAq Effendi has just told me a
wonderful thing which explains this feeling of mine. He
told it to me in answer to my guilty question: "Why do I
love the Face of the Master more than the Face of
BahA'u'llAh?" In a l;tadith, * he said, there is a marvelous
prophecy: that in the Latter Days God would reveal
Himself as God; would come, announcing, "I am God."
Then, when this proved too strong for the hearts of the
people, He would change His Manifestation and appear
once again in the Form of "The Servant," that all men
might draw nearer to Him.lt

Once I said to our Lord: "In a dream one night I saw
Thy Face. And it was really Thy Face. I know now. And
in my dream I thought: This is a Beauty to follow, leaving everything behind. It is a Beauty to die for."
He leaned forward and looked at me with great solemnity. "That was a true vision," He said, "and you will
see it again."

• An oral tradition of the teachings of MuJ:?ammad.
tThe intent of this tradition is, of course, metaphorical. The Baha'i
Faith rejects the doctrine of Divine incarnation. The Guardian of the
Baha'i Faith states: "God ... can in no wise incarnate His infinite,
His unknowable, His incorruptible and all-embracing Reality in the
concrete and limited frame of a mortal being. Indeed, the God Who
could so incarnate His own reality would, in the light of the teachings
of Baha'u'llab, cease immediately to be God." (World Order of
Baha'u'llah" p. 112)

THE 'AKKA DIARY

July 10, 1909. Luncheon.
Dur Lord: "The Baha'i news from Persia is very good. I
cannot tell it to you-it is not permissible; but it could
not be better. The news of the country is bad, but that of
the Cause is exceedingly good. * This is glad-tidings to be
given to you.
"Today you had a visit to the Blessed Bab and the
Blessed Perfection."
Mr. Kinney: "I shall always see the Face of the Blessed
Perfection. "
Our Lord: "At the time of prayer one must hold in
one's mind some object. Then he must tum his face and
direct his mind to this picture. But whatever form is produced in the mind is imagination, that is, one's own
conception. There is no connection between it and the
Reality. Therefore people worship imagination. They
think of an imaginary God. That of which they think is
not God. God can never be comprehended. That which
man thinks is comprehended by man, but God is comprehensive. All that comes under comprehension is outside God. The Reality of Divinity is holy, lofty, sacred
beyond comprehension. All nations worship their images of a god and these imaginary gods are superstitious
phantoms. Hence they are worshipers of superstitions.
"Therefore the Objective Point of all is the Manifestation of God. And whosoever directs his attention in
prayer to that Focal Point has directed his attention,
verily, to God.
"At the time of His Holiness Jesus Christ the Jews for-

* At this time, large numbers of people were becoming Baha'is in Iran.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

sook Him, and would imagine a phantasmal god and
would adore that!" (The Master laughed, continuing to
laugh heartily. J ' 'On a certain occasion the famous
heroine of this Movement, Qurratu'l-'Ayn, chanced to
meet a devout Muhammadan who was praying and questioned him thus: 'To whom art thou praying, may I ask?'
'I am praying to the very Essence of Mercy and the Reality of Divinity.' And she, smiling, said: 'Oh, away with
your god! Away with him! Your god is an imagination!
Come, and I will show you the God of today! It is the
Bab! Your god is a phantom, while this is a certainty.
Can the Sea be contained in a little glass?' "
In reply to a question asked by Alice regarding the personality of the Manifestation: "The Blessed Perfection
does not mean His body. This body is now interred in
the Holy Tomb. When we say the Blessed Perfection we
mean the Reality, and the Reality of the Blessed Perfection is living and everlasting.
"Just as in the time of Christ: the disciples were
agitated when they saw the body of Jesus crucified. Then
Mary Magdalen came to them andrsaid: 'Why are you agitated?' 'Because,' they replied, 'Jesus has been crucified.' 'Oh,' she said, 'that was the body of Jesus, but the
Reality of Jesus is living and eternal. It is not subject to
corruption.' And now so it is with the Blessed Perfection.
"When I pray I tum My thoughts and My face to the
Blessed Perfection."

July 10, 1909. Afternoon.
die sent for Alice and me to come to His room to have
tea.
First He gave us a beautiful talk about devotion and

THE 'AKKA DIARY

love toward each other. "If you show this love toward
one another," He said, "it is just as though you showed
it toward Me." He spoke of the time of Christ, how no
one paid any attention to Him while He was on earth;
how He was even spit upon in the streets, yet now His
disciples, and also the women who followed Him, are
greatly glorified.
"In the time to come," He said, "queens will wish
they had been the maid of Juliet."
Then He sent Alice away to dress for a visit to the
RiQV3n,· where, a little later, we were all going-but detained Munavvar and me.
"Remember, Juliet," He said, /lone hair of Mason
Remey's head, or any other believer'S, is worth all the
unbelievers in the world."
/lDear Lord," I replied, "I am ready at this moment to
do what You spoke of the other night."
"No, it is not for that I say so; you have passed that.
But I want you to remember that it is a fact. If all the
kings and queens of the world were to come and stand
outside My window and offer Me everything in exchange
for you, I would say: 'I should rather keep Juliet.' You
must be like that. A believer at first is like a lamp, then
like a star, then like the moon. And in the Kingdom of
God like the sun. An unbeliever is first like a lamp; then
he becomes extinct! And that is the difference between
them! But you will make the man you love a believer.
"Only," He added, "wait till you do."
He went out of the room. Munavvar and I remained,
sitting on His bed, talking. Almost at once He returned
to us.

*The Riqvan Garden, a short distance from Akka, was one of
I

Baha'u'llah/s favorite resting places.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

"You must read Miss Barney's book* and Mirza
Abu'l-Faq.l'st a great deal, Juliet. I want you to progress
spiritually and to be a real daughter of the Kingdom. I
want you to be entirely severed from the world."
Later, after our heavenly evening in the Riq.van, He
came to the door of my room, while I was talking with
Munavvar Khanum. She told Him what I had been saying, that I longed to stay forever and ever, but knew that,
even if I could, it would be selfish; but I felt like a crying
baby when I thought of going away.
"If you should stay forever," He laughed, "what
would you do with the one you left behind?"
"I forget many things in the Light of Thy Face! I am
inconstant to the world here!' I

"Yes, if you should remain, you would forget many
things."
On the morning of July 10, a blessed experience which
I had forgotten to record. Our Lord called Carrie, Alice,
and me separately to His room and gave us the priceless
privilege of seeing Him dictate Tablets.
I sat on the divan, my eyes upon His white-robed figure-I could scarcely raise them to His Face-as He
paced up and down that small room with His strong
tread. Never had the room seemed so small; never had
He appeared so mighty! A lion in a cage? Ah no! That
room contain Him? Why? As I felt that great dominant
Force, that Energy of God, I knew that the earth itself
could not contain Him. Nor yet the universe. No! While
the body, charged with a Power I have seen in no human
being, restless with the Force that so animated it, strode
up and down, up and down in that tiny room, pausing

• Some Answered Questions.
tThe Bahai Proofs.

THE 'AKKl. DIARY

sometimes before the window, below which the sea beat
against the double seawall, I knew that the Spirit was
free as the Essence itself, brooding over regions far distant, looking deep into hearts at the uttermost ends of
the earth, consoling their secret sorrows, answering the
whispers of far-off minds.
Often in that walk back and forth He would give me a
long, grave glance. Once He smiled at me.
At last He called Alice and Carrie back and, taking a
seat Himself on the divan while we gathered around
Him on the £loor-I in my place on His left, at His
feet-He said: "Letters shower as rain on me. I write the
answers and they are not finished!
"Many come that are difficult to read. Here is one that
cannot be read at all. The man could not write. But he
wished to supplicate to His Master, so he simply made
marks."
Alice interrupted with: "May I pray to You?"
Our Lord: "To pray is to supplicate to God."
Dear Carrie had just had a cruel experience with her
father, which, however, she had not mentioned to the
Master. Taking a supplication in His hand, He began to
dictate, saying: "This is the answer to the letter of a person whose father drove him out because he was a Baha'i.
But God granted him a high position. His work has
become very good. His father does not even speak to
him, while the son is very kind to the father.
"This," the Master said to Carrie, "is for you too:

"0 thou who art firm in the Covenant!
"Though thy father was not kind to thee, praise be to
God thou hast a Heavenly Father. If the earthly father
forsook you, it was the cause of your obtaining the

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

mercy and kindness of the Spiritual Father. All that
father can do is to be kind to you, but this Father confers upon you eternal life. That father will become
angry for the slightest disobedience, but this Father
forgives the sins, overlooks the faults and deals with
Bounty and Favor. Thank thou God thou hast such a
Heavenly Father. And I hope thou mayest attain,
through the Divine Mercy, to the greatest Bounty.
"I remember theej do not be sorrowful. And I am in
communion with thee in every worldj grieve not.
"I hope thou mayest become, through the Favor and
Bounty of the Blessed Perfection, the means of guiding
others, and in the community of the world light a candle whose effulgence shall be everlasting."

We all held our breath, for Carrie's father had driven
her out because she was a Baha'i. Carrie's father would
"not even speak to her."

July 10, 1909. Dinner.
"[/t is very good to be able to meet Mr. Sprague here,
directly from Persia. He has been in Persia one year. He
knows about the believers very well there. And he enjoyed it very much, because the believers there are very
beautiful. They are in the utmost condition of sincerity.
, 'Last night I did not eat at all. I only took a little bread
and cheese. Therefore I could not sleep. So I passed the
hours in prayer and communion, walking back and
forth."

THE 'AKKA DIARY

July 11, 1909.
otfunavvar, Carrie, and I were slttmg in the Holy
Mother's room. My thoughts had strayed to the Master's
promise for Percy Grant. Suddenly the door opened, and
His luminous Face appeared in the sunlight against the
white wall. He turned upon me His eyes, oveflowing
with infinite sweetness, overflowing with the Holy Love
of God. He kept His eyes fixed on me until I could bear
no longer that Divine Love, and, to my shame, I glanced
away. But I pray now that always, when my thoughts
stray to earthly things, His Face will come to me-like
this.
Later He sent for me. I sat close at His feet. Folding
my hands in His, looking down with that smile of God,
He said: "How many days have you been here?"
I knew what was coming!
"How many days have you been here? Nine is the utmost. How many days have you stayed?"
" Twelve, my Lord."
"Three more than the utmost!" Then He told me we
must go tomorrow.
Struggling to keep back my tears, I said: ' 'I shall never
leave Thee!"
"No. I shall always be with you in spirit and in heart.
You will always be present with Me. I want you to be
happy."
"1 can never be unhappy again."
"Those who come to 'AkkA in the spirit never can be
unhappy again."
"All I want is to serve Thee. Nothing could make me
unhappy but to fail."

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

"You must never forget what you have heard here.
You must never forget My words to you."
"Do you think I could, my Lord?"
"No, I know very well that you could not." (The
divinity of His Face was almost more than my eyes
could bear.) "I want you to live more and more for the
Spirit. I want you to forget everything save God. Make
your meetings as beautiful as you can. They are beautiful j they are warm, for you have love, but they must
progress in spirit. Read the Tablets first. Read the recent
Tablets and the news of 'Akka. Then speak, yourself,
for the strangers who may be there. I want you to give
strong, logical proofs. Read Miss Barney's book. * It will
help you. Others can also speak."

July 11, 1909.
ell strange thing had happened that morning. Alice has
always insisted on calling our Lord "Jesus Christ," and
gives the Message in this way, which is very bad for the
Cause. t Some of the Persian believers had heard of this.
*'Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, compo and trans. by Laura
Clifford Barney, First Ed. (London: Kegan, Paul, Trench, Triibner
& Co., 1908).
tMany of the early American Baha'is believed that 'Abdu'l-Baha was
the Return of Christ, despite His many denials. In one Tablet 'Abdu'l-
Baha wrote: "You have written that there is a difference among the
believers concerning the 'Second Coming of Christ.' Gracious God!
Time and again this question hath arisen, and its answer hath emanated in a clear and irrefutable statement from the pen of 'Abdu'l-
Baha, that what is meant in the prophecies by the 'Lord of Hosts' and
the 'Promised Christ' is the Blessed Perfection [Baha'u'llah] and His
holiness ... [the Bab]. My name is 'Abdu'l-Baha. My qualification is
'Abdu'l-Baha. My reality is 'Abdu'l-Baha. My praise is 'Abdu'l-Baha.
Thraldom to the Blessed Perfection is my glorious and refulgent diadem, and servitude to all the human race my perpetual religion . . .
No name, no title, no mention, no commendation have I, nor will
ever have, except 'Abdu'l-Baha." (World Order of Baha'u'llih, p. 139)

THE 'AKKA DIARY

How it happened that they gathered in the Kinneys'
room I don't know. All I know is that suddenly Carrie
ran into our room, saying: "Come, girls, hurry,
something important is going on."
We followed her into her room, to see Mirza Mumr
and his brother Amin and 'Inayatu'llah, a young Persian
whose name I don't know, and Mr. Kinney all sitting
around looking very grave. As I took a seat, Mr. Kinney
whispered to me: "We want to thresh this thing out
-about the Master's Station. These Persian brothers
may convince Alice when we cannot."
"I don't believe," I whispered back, "that the Master
would want us to do that. He will straighten it out
Himself."
Scarcely had I spoken the words when our Lord sent
for Alice. As far as I know He said nothing to her on the
subject.
At luncheon He gave this surpassingly wonderful talk.
His Power, as He spoke, I shall never forget. It flashed
from Him. His translator could hardly keep up with
Him. In the midst of His talk, He rose and paced the
small room from door to barred window with that cagedlion motion, sometimes pausing at the window with its
clear outlook of sea-ah, and its outlook to Him of
Heaven and the hosts of Heaven!-then turning, resuming the strong, rapid stride, letting flow again the torrent
of His utterance.
He wore a black aba that day with His flowing white
I

robes and white turban. The picture is vivid to me still
and will ever be: the strong, black-and-white-c1ad
Figure, the luminous, ivory-colored Face against the
white wall.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

"In the days of the former Manifestations of God no
addresses were given for the kings and no clear warnings
were given. If you read the whole of the Gospel you will
be unable to find a single warning to a crowned head. No
prophetic statements were made. No prophecies of the
future were given except in a general way, as, for example, the prophecies you will find in Isaiah concerning the
destruction of Babylon and the abomination of desolation in Jerusalem. However, there is not one of the kind
addressed to an individual. But the Blessed Perfection
addressed all the kings. When 'Abdu'l-Aziz, the former
sultan of Turkey, was at the climax of his sovereignty,
He, Baha'u'llah, arraigned him severely and clearly
foretold the upheaval of his kingdom on account of the
oppression he had committed. So this was an address to
a distinguished and well-known man. It is not an address
to the general nation.
"Today the greatest nations of the world are Great Britain and America. It is easy for a man to prophesy that
the British Empire may some day undergo a reverse
change, that is to say, become disturbed, revolutionized,
and utterly destroyed. This is also applicable to France,
to Germany, to America-to any of the nations of the
world. For every nation has its day of degradation. Consider how greatly developed was the Roman Empire and
what became its final condition. Likewise Greece, how
she rose and finally also was degraded.
"The purpose is this: there is no nation exempt from
this natural condition. Namely, it shall have its rise and
again it shall have its fall. It shall have its climax and
again its abyss.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

liThe purport is this: A man can easily address a nation
thus: '0 ye people, verily the day shall come when you
shall find yourselves in degradation!' For example, in
Isaiah there is a prophetic reference to Tyre, also to Babylon, saying: '0 thou Tyre! 0 thou Babylon! Boast ye
not! The day will come when ye shall find yourselves
abased, destroyed, and scattered.' His Holiness, Isaiah,
prophesied this inspirationally. But any man can thus
prophecy. For instance, a person can easily address Paris
and say: '0 thou Paris! Be not proud of thy glory, for
verily the day shall come when thou shalt be brought
low.'
"These prophecies of Isaiah were fulfilled two thousand years after they were uttered, but the Blessed Perfection addressed the very person of 'Abdu'l-Aziz when
he was in the utmost power. He likewise addressed Napoleon ill in person. He said, 'I addressed thee and thou
didst not accept. The Lord Almighty will take away thy
sovereignty from thee.' And exactly as it was prophesied
it happened.
"When the Blessed Perfection was a prisoner of
'Abdu'l-Aziz, when He was in the dungeon of his majesty, He prophesied his downfall and arraigned him
severely.
"The revolution now rampant in Persia was foretold
by the Blessed Perfection forty years ago. Read the Book
of the Kings. It is also to be found in the Book of Laws.
And this prophecy was made when Tihran was in the
utmost quietude and the government of Na!?iri'd-Din
Shah was well established. It is clearly stated thus: '0
Tihran! There will be a great upheaval in thee. The government will be affected and the disturbance will affect
all Persia.' This was prophesied forty years ago. It was

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

printed thirty years ago and is to be found in the Book of
Kings, the Suratu'l Haykal and the Kitab-i Aqdas. *
"This prophecy, so clearly and evidently stated, printed
and published, is well-known among the people. Therefore, when the Constitution was granted in Persia, the
mullas who took the Royalist side proclaimed from the
pulpit that 'whosoever accepted the Constitution had
necessarily accepted the Baha'i Religion, because the
Head of this Religion, His Holiness Baha'u'llah, had
prophesied this in His Book, and the Baha'is are agitators and promoters of Constitutionalism. They have
brought about the Constitution in order to fulfill the prophecy made by their Chief. Therefore, beware, beware
lest ye accept it!'
"But whatever I write is inspired by the Blessed Perfection, is the confirmation of the Blessed Perfection.
Mr. Sprague was in Tihran and knows; is informed. I
have prophesied all these occurrences clearly, without
need of interpretation, not in one letter or two, but
in numerous letters. When the divines overcame the
shah, the shah commanded the Prime Minister to go to
Qum I?J and bring the mull as to Tihran. When the
divines, with the Prime Minister, arrived in Tihran,
the people showed them the highest respect and for three
nights illuminated the whole city of Tihran as a welcome to them. They held the reins of the parliament in
their hands. They began to disagree with the shah. A
member of the parliament threw a bomb at him. The

*The passage in the Aqdas reads: "Let nothing grieve thee, 0 Land
of Ta [Tihran) .... Ere long will the state of affairs within thee be
changed, and the reins of power fall into the hands of the people."
(Synopsis and Codification of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, pp. 21-22)

THE 'AKKA DIARY

shah was brought so low and made so powerless that he
was incapable of governing the assembly. However, he
summoned the agitators from among the divines. The
'ulama refused to deliver the perpetrators of the act and
said that they did not recognize the shah.
"At that time I wrote letters to nearly all the cities of
Persia, to Tihran, to Rasht, Tabriz, Qazvin, Khurasan,
and many other cities. I clearly prophesied this condition. You may see the letters. Mr. Sprague knows about
them. He has seen them.
"The Muhammadan clergy had held the forces at work
so completely that the Baha'is everywhere were extremely alarmed because of the apparent clerical
supremacy. Notably the Baha'i teachers of Tihran,
especially Mulla 'Ali-Akbar, sent me a letter which I
have now, in which is this statement: 'When the clergy
of Persia were dispossessed of any power or political influence they persecuted us unmercifully. Now that they
have attained this apparent supremacy what will they do
to us? How great will be our persecutions and ordeals!'
In response I wrote: 'Know ye of a certainty that this
seeming influence and power will vanish.' It was clearly
stated in the most perspicuous terms, and Mr. Sprague
can testify to the validity of this. 'The result of this influence is the greatest degradation and loss. This
supremacy will prove the greatest defeat.' In that very
letter I played on these words 'stable' and 'ultimate,'
which in Persian are the same, with the slight difference
of a dot. 'They have held to this stable (stability?) but
they have not seen the ultimate of things. They will
become so defeated and conquered that their sighs,
moans, and lamentations will reach the very heavens.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

This is a summary. You may find it in detail in My letters. Even so it was that suddenly the page turned. Their
foundation was razed.
"But I did not write this of Myself. Nay, the confirmation of Baha'u'llili wrote this! Of Myself I did not write
it.
"Therefore the beloved of God must refer to Me only
as 'Abdu'l-Baha. This is My glorious crown! This is My
eternal sovereignty! This is My everlasting life!
Whosoever questions Me concerning My Name, My
answer is: 'ABDU'L-BAHA!
"And thus it ends!"

I was struck dumb at this climax, the miracle of it, the
glory and power of it. Forevermore shall I love the
Name, 'Abdu'J-Baha. As He spoke it, it sounded so
triumphant. Verily, it is our battle cry!
When our Lord had gone from the room-like lightning-Mr. Sprague spoke. He said that when the Tablets
came from 'Abdu'l-Baha it was a great test to some of
the believers. They did not see how these Tablets could
be fulfilled literally, because the shah was so low that
everyone laughed when he was mentioned. No one had
any respect for him. And the mullas were so powerful
and the Constitution so well established it seemed
against all reason and absolutely impossible that the
situation should be reversed.

July 11, 1909.
<Our Lord sent Tuba Khanum for me and together we
entered the beloved room. Often as I paused outside to

THE 'AKKA DIARY

take off my shoes, He would call: "Come, come,
Juliet."
Tuba and I sat on the floor at His feet.
"You are going tomorrow?"
Struggling with my tears, conquering them, smiling at
Him: "Yes, my Lord."
"This is your last day?"
"Yes, my Lord."
As I threw back my head to look up at His wondrous
Face, my veil slipped off.
"I will fix it for you Myself," He said tenderly. "I will
fix it nicely My daughter." And with His electrifying
fingers He arranged it all around my face, crossed it at
the throat and spread it on my shoulders.
My mind flashed back to a dream-I had it in Paris
eight years ago. In this dream I stood in the air with
'Abdu'l-Baha, opposite Him in the air. His eyes were
plunging LOVE through my eyes into my heart, the
unimaginable Love of God, a new Revelation to my
heart. Then He drew from the breast of His robe a white
veil, laying it upon my head, arranging it around my
face, crossing it on my shoulders with fingers that
charged me with his life-just as He was doing now.
Now, sitting in His room in 'Akka, sitting on the floor
at His feet, raising my eyes to that incomparable Face, so
beautiful in age, I saw behind its lines the exact structure of the young Face-the never-to-be-forgotten Face of
my dream, when I had met Him in the air.
"My Lord," I cried. "Once in a dream you put a white
veil on my head."
"That I did long ago," He answered.
After a pause He said, so gently: "Tomorrow it will be
good-bye."

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 17, 1909

"Yes, my Lord."
"When can you come again?" Ah, what a sudden
sunbeam!
"My Lord, how can I tell? Thou knowest. And I should
like to say this: though dear Laura Barney was Thine instrument, it was through Thee that the doors were
opened for me to come home to Thee. So, when Thou
wishest me to come again, I know that again Thou wilt
open the doors for me."
Then happened something of which I must not speak,
only-He opened the doors. *
"Come in the spring," He said. My King! "What do
you want to ask? Speak."
"Only for the strength to serve Thee. I have realized
the meaning of this prayer: 'Except Thy concealing veil
cover us and Thy Preservation and Protection favor us,
this weak soul has not enough power to employ herself
in Thy service and this indigent one not enough wealth
to present a rich appearance."
"I am glad you see this now."
"I pray that I may give my life-that I may suffer-and
sacrifice everything in Thy Path."
"You are suffering now."
"But I pray to sacrifice all in Thy Path."
"You may."
"I would sacrifice everything for unity in New York."
"You will bring about unity in New York."
"00, how can I thank Thee, my Lord! I can do nothing
for Thee without Thee!"
·1936. There seems no reason to conceal it now. He gave me a cylinder of gold louis, so that I might be able to retum.-J.T.
The Louis d'or was a gold twenty franc piece, at the time worth
slightly more than five u.s. dollars.-Eo.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

Then I begged that I might see His Face in vision.
"You may."
Once during this interview, as twice before, He had
looked for a long, long time deep into my eyes, His face
inscrutable.
He had said that I was suffering. I knew it. Never had I
been so conscious that my body was a dark prison. My
soul yearned toward Him and beat against bars. There
He sat, overflowing with Divine Love, tender past all
comprehension-past expressing in human languagethe Center, the Focus of that Love which holds all
worlds in its mighty grasp. And I, an atom at His feet,
the worthless recipient of such Love, not only was utterly impotent to return it (the word "return" is sacrilege!),
but could not even realize That for which my poor heart
was breaking with gratitude. Oh to be grateful enough!
my soul cried.
To be blind in the Presence of the Sun; that is not
what I mean. To be a blind beggar, loving my so munificient King to Whom lowed life, love, all-to whom I
owed even this burning love for Him-that is nearer. No
where could I find a gift for Him, for Whom my heart
longed to expand its very lifeblood-nowhere could I
find a gift for Him that He had not first given me!
"Think of Me often," He said. "Think often of what I
have said to you. Appreciate these moments. Think! If
you were living in the time of Christ, if you were Mary
Magdalen at His feet."
Covered with shame, I made an effort to realize this.
All I seemed able to realize was a consuming love for
that wondrous Face. What it was my poor mind could
not grasp.
"Some day I shall realize?"

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

"Yes."
"My Lord, I no longer look forward to life, but to service for a few years and to meeting my Lord in His Eternal Kingdom."
"This is as it should be. We will be together forever in
the Spiritual World. But My Spirit will be with you here
always-My daughter."
Lifting the hem of His garment, I pressed a long kiss
upon it.

July 11, 1909, 9:30 P.M.
Clhat night our Lord gave a feast for the Persian and
the American believers. It was held in the rear wing of
this great old house, in a beautiful long hall with many
arched windows and many palms.
Seventy Pe.rsian believers had come, marching across
the stony mountains-a procession of seventy, chanting
as they marched. They had come on foot, had walked
for three months, because to their reverent spirits there
was no other way humble enough to approach the Presence of 'Abdu'l-Baha. Among them were Jewish Baha'is,
Muhammadan Baha'is, Zoroastrian Baha'is, all united in
the passionate belief that the Promised One of his own
Sacred Book had at last appeared on earth.
And when all were seated at the long table, our Lord
became our Servant. Passing the platters around the
table, course after course, He manifested His Servitude,
while the seventy pilgrims from Persia sat with bowed
heads, silent in the most profound humility. In that
Feast, it seemed to me, I was having a foretaste of the
future, when all mankind will be one in devotion to
the Greatest Name.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

When it was over and all had partaken of the food
served by the hand of the Servant of God, the aspect of
the Master changed. Now He paced up and down the full
length of the table, His tread the tread of a conquering
King, His white robe, His white hair, His white turban
in the soft candlelight enhancing His ethereality. Ah,
like the Christ He was then! In that soft candlelight, His
Face was eternally young. Serenity shone on the brow of
the Prince of Peace. He was like silver!
"Tonight, " He began, "is a beautiful night because,
al-1).amdul'illiIh (Praise be to God!), the believers of
America and Persia are joined here at one table. This is
one of the great fruits of the Word of God.
"In the future the East and the West shall become one.
They shall be united. I have said in My letters that the
East and the West will become as two lovers. That each
is beloved of the other. That the East and the West will
take one another in their arms will give one another
their hands, each as the beloved of the other, each embracing the other.
"The unity of mankind will be the beginning of the
radiation of this Light. Our gathering tonight around
such a table is one of the evidences of the human unity.
Generally speaking, such a gathering would have been
impossible, that is, that Persian and Americans should
sit around the same table. Praise be to God, such things
have taken place through the power of the Word of God.
"Verily, since the early days of childhood I have devoted Myself to the Word of the Beauty of BahA'u'llah,
and have forborne every difficulty and calamity, among
these imprisonment for all My life, to lay the foundation
of the oneness of mankind.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27 I 1909

, 'All the different sects of the world hate and antagonize one another. Were it possible, they would kill
one another. Each of these sects pretends that it is
established and is acting according to the law of God. Exactly the opposite is the fact. All the Divine Words lead
the people to unity, because they were spoken for life,
not for death! And the Divine Teaching is a Power that
attracts the hearts, through which all the different sects
and nations will be attracted.
"You find that the different sects are in hatred toward
one another. But you should be lovers of all sects and nations and all the different parties of people. You should
love them and consider them as of your own families.
Do not look upon them as separated from you. Baha'u'-
llab has said that all of you are as branches of one tree,
leaves of one branch. That is, all the people are of one
tree. Therefore, all things that cause opposition should
be removed. Consider everyone, of every nation or sect,
as one of your own family. Deal with them with love
and harmony. Never be the cause of any sorrow to anyone, neither the cause of any embarrassment. Bear all
sorrow, for yourselves and to please all hearts, even the
hearts of your enemies. Be true to all the different parties or nations and act toward them with faithfulness.
Take care of the properties of others more than you do of
your own, and never do any harm to those who show animosity. If you do thus, you are a true Baha'i. Be submissive and try to control self. Follow the ordinances of
God-do not follow your own desire-that ye may be
ready always to be helped by God.
"Be sure that the different nations will curse you,
blame you, bear animosity toward you and harm you.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

They will even act in such a way as to shed your blood.
Beware not to cause any sorrow to them, not even to injure the feelings of anyone with a word. Do nothing to
cause any sorrow within any heart. These are the qualities of the Baha'i people."
He left the room. Our Sun set. Oh, how intensely, intensely I love Him! I can scarcely see for my tears at the
memory of that silver, shining Figure! May my life be
His sacrifice!
After His Words I cannot write the words of others!
Dear Mirza l:Iaydar-'Ali, "the Angel," spoke. * Then one
of the Persian pilgrims recited a stirring chant which he
and his companions had sung as they journeyed from
Persia to ' Akka, the refrain of which ran thus:

Praise be to thee, powerful
Hand of 'Abdu'l-Baha!
May my life be a sacrifice to the mighty
Hand of 'Abdu'l-Baha!

Munavvar and I went to the housetop alone that night
and, so tired were we, we slept under the stars till our
Lord came and woke us.
To me He said: "Your heart is Mine. Your eyes are
Mine. Your brow is Mine. Your lips are Mine, for
speech. Today you are My new creation. Say: Thank
God."
, 'Thank God."
, 'Say: Thank You."
"Thank You-'Abdu'l-Baha."
*J:lAjf MirzA J:laydar-'Alf, an early believer and champion teacher of
the Cause in Iran, was known to Western pilgrims as the "Angel of
Carmel." See A. Q. Faizi, Stories from the Delight of Hearts.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

"Ah . . . 'Abdu 'J-Baha," He repeated.
He put a ruby ring on my finger.

July 12, 1909.
Clhe anguish of parting. Blind with tears, I kissed His
door. No one saw me. Blind with tears, I descended the
dear stairway, my ladder to God, the irregular steps of it
worn by His feet. Each step in the beloved court, as I
crossed it for the last time, was unspeakably precious to
me.
In the passage leading from that Heavenly Shelter to
the outer world, I met Mirza l:laydar-'Ali.
"I shall await your call from America," he said.
My voiced was choked. I could scarcely answer. To
dear l:lusayn RU4i I could only nod.
My Lord was in His garden, but He left it, came forward, and hurriedly passing our carriage as He turned
toward the house, said "Good-bye" -smiling in the
sunlight. The pure profile, the grandeur of His head, a
sweep of His shining robe-and He was gone!
I am glad I have written to the very end in this book. I
am glad that no words will follow His, that no figure
will pass through these pages after His Sacred Figure has
so passed out.
When Mary had anointed the feet of her Lord with the
precious ointment she broke the alabaster box. *

*Cf. Mark 14:3.

Beirut, Syria.
August 7, 1909.
Permission that has just come from my Beloved, from
my Lord and King to return to Haifa! This Tablet is in
His own hand. We sail tomorrow!
Miss Juliet Thompson. Upon her be Baha'u'llah.
HE IS GOD!
"a thou who art attracted by the fragrances of the
Love of God! I pray for thee and seek help and
assistance from the favors of God. . . . Come to Haifa.
Go directly to the Household, or to Mirza
Inayat'ullah's house ...
jsigned) Abdul Baha Abbas
jFootnote. February 24, 1922, 4:30 A.M. I remember,
with intense yearning for those days of life, the afternoon when that Tablet came. In the morning I had said
to Mr. Kinney: "I couldn't endure it if I should have to
return home without seeing our Lord once again." Then,
in the late afternoon, the sudden appearance of
'Inayatu'llah. The Kinneys had gone to a party at the
Manassehs'. I had lingered behind, longing to be alone
that I might finish copying in this book notes I had taken
in 'Akka. Just as I was writing those final words: "When
Mary had anointed her Lord with the precious ointment
she broke the alabaster box"-there was a knock at the
door and 'Inyatu'llah looked in! "Our Lord has sent for
you, Juliet," he said. "I have a carriage at the door.")

THE 'AKKA DIARY

Haifa.
August 13, 1909.
<0h day of days! This morning I gave up my will; I
silenced my heart's last murmur. Three days I had
waited on the rack to hear from my Lord at 'Akka hoping-not daring to pray for it-yet longing unutterably to
be summoned. But no word came. Then, after I had
prayed at dawn, I felt a wonderful peace. When all things
are left to His Will, I said to myself, the design takes
perfect shape. Beauty undreamed of blossoms upon our
days. So, at noon, while FaralJ,-Angiz was reading English
with me, suddenly Khanum Oiya ran into the room crying: "Juliet, our Lord!"
I flew to the door and saw, at the door of Madame
Jackson's house, where the Family lives in Haifa, the
Master's carriage. With the Great Afmin, the only companion of the Bab now living, my Lord was entering the
House.
I went to my room and put on fresh clothes. Then I
came out and sat on the steps, riveting my eyes on the
House that enclosed Him. At least in my love I may be
like Mary who sat at the feet of the Christ of her day;
and the little house of 'Inayatu'llah, so associated with
our Lord, might be the house in Bethany: flat-roofed,
low, white, with its arched doorway and its two cypress
trees. So I sat, looking, longing, loving, till He sent for
me.
He was sitting in His cool, airy room, in a large chair.
How He smiled as I entered and knelt! Taking my place
at His feet, I kissed the hem of His garment. When I

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

looked up, once more, into His magical Face, I received a
new revelation. Never had it looked so beautiful, beautiful to me! He gazed down at me with the smile of
Divinity.
"How are you?"
"So happy. Oh, so happy! How can I ever thank Thee
for Thy Love and Protection? May I pour out my life in
servitude to Thee!"
"I have come from 'Akka," He said, "especially to see
you." He talked smilingly for a while about my unexpected return. "No pilgrim," He said, "has come back
after such a few days. But you have."
But again He said: "How long were you in Brumana?"
"Years, my Lord!"
And He answered: "Yes, that is true!"
"I learned much in Brumana, my Lord."
, 'And when you return to America you will see greater
results of your visit. I knew you would not like it in
Brumana." He continued, "I knew you would have
some trouble there, but you had to go somewhere for the
vacation and I knew that Haifa would not be well."
"Did you hear my heart crying to You, my Lord?"
"Yes, I heard. I knew."
It is impossible to imagine the consolation of those
words, so often repeated: "I know; I knew."·
"When you go back to America, you must hide all that
has happened. You must say nothing about it. Never
speak of it to anyone."

• "There is no room in my heart for any but Thee," I said to Him
once. "1 want you to be like that," He answered, "to be filled with
the Love of God, to be entirely cut from the world and always to hold
to My garment."-J.T.

THE 'AKKA. DIARY

"Noj oh, no!"
He asked about Carrie Kinney, what she was doing in
Brumanaj and on my saying, "Many good works," 'Inayatu'llah explained, told our Lord of our helping Dr.
Manasseh with the poor and sick. We had nursed till
she died a poor girl who had been fatally, horribly burned
and had assisted the doctor at a number of operations performed without anesthetics.
"Bravo! Bravo!" said our Lord.
He then spoke of X, said He had sent for me for my
sake. Not that He did not forgive, for He always forgave.
Not that He did not feel sorry for her. He would never
have spoken of it but for my sake. He always forgave.
But He wanted to save me from an ordeal. Then He told
me of things she had done in Cairo, by which she had
broken her promise to Him, and mentioned the unpaid
bill of Nassar in Haifa:
"My Lord," I said, "there is one thing I want to supplicate for. For the sake of the Cause, may I pay that
bill?"
At first He refused to let me, but later consented.
Then He looked at me with divine sweetness and said in
a voice like a breeze from Heaven: "I love you."
"Oh my Lord," I cried, "make me good; make me
good!"
Still looking at me with that sweetness, with that
smile of magical charm, He answered: "I will make you
good."
Then He sent for Ru1.la Khanum. She came in and sat
on the floor beside me.
"Your sister," He said. "Your sister! Do you love
he!?"
When He called His own daughter my sister, tears
sprang to my eyes.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

"Do I love you, Rul}.a Khcinum?" I asked.
He spoke much more about X, said when I saw her I
must always be kind to her and give her money if I
could, but that I must not travel with her or associate
with her as a companion. I must only associate with
those who would help me to become spiritual, who
would help me to sever myself from everything save
God.
"I was trying to run before I could walk!" I smiled. "I
thought I could help her, when all the time I needed to
be helped myself."
He laughed in that wonderful way, humorous beyond
human humor, with a wealth of sweetness in it.
"Even Christ cannot help some people," He said.
"How can you expect to?"
But He said He felt very sorry for X. He forgave her
and He would pray for her.
"Did she say she was going to America?" He asked.
"She cannot go to America! If it were not for you and for
Mrs. Maxwell, who got her out of America, she would
have been arrested. And you might have gotten into
trouble there, too, with the govemment-ah?-if it had
not been for the protection of God. God protected you
because your purpose was good. I know many things!"
Just at that moment someone came to the door. He
told me to remain in the house and that He would send
for me later. So I stayed in the great white hall with its
slender columns, looking out toward the blue Bay of
Haifa, though no longer did I need to look toward 'Akka,
the casket that had lost its Pearl-its Pearl of great price.
And at last He sent for me.
I went into His room to find Him on the divan, having
tea with His sister, the Greatest Holy Leaf, His half
sister, Furugh Khcinum, and Rul}.a.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

The majestic profile, touched with the Divine sweetness, which, as I sat on the floor at His left, I saw against
the light of the window, is graven forever on my memory. The sweep of its line; the compassion in the forehead and lift of the brow; the wonderful pure, strong line
of the large aquiline nose; the delicacy of the upper lip
and mouth-that strong, strangely sweet mouth with
the full, but straight lips; the sensitive modeling of
cheek and temple; the perfect ear. *
Then began a play of humor.
"How much money did Miss X take from you?"
"Not very much, my Lord."
, 'How much? I know she took it, but I just wanted you
to confess! How much?"
, 'Too little to mention. And through her I have received a great blessing-the greatest of all my joys-this
day with You."
He laughed. "And now you are going to pay her debts!
If you are as wealthy as that, why don't you pay My
debts? That would be something to do!"
We all laughed at this.
"You cannot," He continued after a moment, "love
May Maxwell enough, or Mrs. Brittingham.
"Or," He added, "Mrs. Kinney. For I love them, and to
associate with them will cause you to advance spiritually."

August 15, 1909.
~t was a happy visit to Him-may my soul forever
be His sacrifice! In the evening again He sent for me.

·When He is speaking, His mouth has an upward tum at the comers,
which gives Him that divine, smiling expression.-J.T.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

He was sitting on Ru};til's balcony in the starlight.
RUl;til and I sat behind Him in the room on the window
seat. As He spoke to us He turned His profile. Once He
turned almost fully around and, with a kingly glance,
said: "I love you."
"My Lord!" I said softly. Then in a moment, gaining
courage, leaning through the window: "I love You. I love
You, my Lord!"
The royal look changed to divine sweetness. He
smiled.
With Ru};til translating, he began to talk to me:
"As Christ said, the Word is like seed. Some seed falls
upon barren ground and withers; some upon stony
ground. This springs up, but as the soil is not deep, it too
soon dies. Some upon ground full of weeds which choke
it. These weeds are like the ideas that fill the minds of
some men. They hear the Word, but their own ideas
choke it. But some seed falls upon good ground and
brings forth a hundredfold. * I hope that the seed of My
word will bring forth a hundredfold in you. Now it is just
beginning to sprout. This is just the beginning. Now I
am blowing the Breath of Life into you. If you adhere to
My Words, if you obey My Commands, you will become
entirely illumined. Some visit I Akkil who have no depth,
no capacity. They go back and deny, like ... "
"Thou alone knowest the hearts," I said, for a moment terribly afraid. "Could I ever be like her?"
"No, I did not mean to compare your heart with hers.
Your heart and hers could not be compared. In yours is a
great love. From the beginning she had no love. This is
the balance: the Love of God. By this balance you may
·Cf. Mt. 13:8 and Lk. 8:8.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

know the people: if they love God." After a silence,
"Look at Queen Victoria. She was the greatest woman in
the world-and what do you hear of her now? But the
maidservants of God are like stars in the horizon. This
you cannot see today, but in the future it will become
clear. Consider the disciples of Christ."
Looking up at the stars, far up into the heavens, He
added, ' 'The maidservants of God in the other world are
like stars. They shine and radiate.
"Queen Victoria was a great woman, but what do you
hear of her now, after these few years! But upon your
head God has placed an eternal crown. He has bestowed
upon you eternal sovereignty. He has given you eternal
life!"
, 'Dear Lord, if I were to sink into oblivion, if I were to
be forgotten like Victoria, still I should want to pour out
my life as a sacrifice to Thee for love of Thee."
, 'It is not the name I meant. It is not for that. I know
you do not want to serve for that. I meant the results.
Queen Victoria has no results. But see the results of
Christ's disciples!"
"The Kingdom of God," He continued, "is like a
market. Some go home poor at the end of the day, having lost what they had. Others come and gain great
wealth. Now you have come to the marketplace ... "
He was interrupted just then and, after the interruption, began another theme: ' 'From what city are you?
From what city are We? You are from the West; We are
from the East; yet you are Our intimate friend. You are
the sister of RUQ.3 Khanum. I am kinder to you than your
own father. You are dearer to me than a daughter. What
greater proof do we need of the power of the Word of

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

God, that the East and the West are united in such a
way?
"Now if you want to please Me," He said suddenly,
"you must make Mrs. B. happy. That is the next thing
you have to do! You must do everything you can to
please her. You must make her so pleased with you that
she will write Me a letter about you! Try as hard to
make her happy as you tried with Miss X," he laughed.
"Your friendships must not be for personal reasons, but
you must love the people because they are beloved by
Me. But it is easier to please God than to please people!
I must go now," He said. "Would you like to come and
have supper with Me?"
I followed Him to Madame Jackson's house. There He
called me into the reception room and motioned to me
to sit beside Him.
Then, one by one, with bowed heads, with hands
crossed on their breasts, the Persian believers entered.
I was the only woman in the room. He invited each one
of them to sit near Him, but their reverence would not
allow it. I felt mortally ashamed of myself for my own
temerity-and yet it had only been obedience-and I
had left one chair between! They sat, their hands still
crossed on their breasts and with lowered eyes, while
our Lord, the majestic Center of the Covenant, with His
matchless simplicity, talked to them-laughing, smiling,
evidently seeking to put them at their ease and make
them more natural with Him-yet never for a moment
losing His sublime majesty.
Ah, such a King the world has never seen! When He
walks it is with the step of the Conqueror of the world.
He seems treading the earth in triumph, the whole earth

THE 'AKKA DIARY

under His feet. Yes, "the earth is His footstool"-no
more! * The ring of His step I shall never forget. It will ring
through my life!

That afternoon I had watched Him ascend Mount
Carmel. As I stood in the arched doorway of the little
Palestine house between the two cypress trees, watching
His carriage start from His house filled with pilgrims,
He, a Monarch, in the center. He looked long and intently at me. Later, while I still stood gazing up the
hillside toward the Tomb of the Bab, I saw Him appear
at the door of the Tomb, luminous in His white robes
with the sunlight full upon Him: like the resurrected
Christ!
"How beautiful upon the Mountain are the feet
of Him Who bringeth glad-tidings, Who publisheth
Peace."t

But to return to that blessed night when I had supper
with our Lord: Once in the midst of His talk with the pilgrims, He turned to me and, smiling, said: "You know
Persian?"
Though the others had not raised their eyes, my love
(and my ignorance) had given me courage and I had been
feasting mine on Him.
"I see!" was my presumptuous answer. Oh, I know I
am crude and an infant in such things, or I too would
have kept my eyes lowered.
At the table that night He talked to Miss Gamblin, a
young Protestant ex-missionary who is acting as govern-

·Cf. Isa. 66: l.
tIsa. 52:7.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

ess now to the children of the Holy Household-a poor
girl resisting with all her little strength the great
sweetness and wisdom and love of the Lord. It was wonderful to hear Him talk with her. There was something
eager in His kindness, a beauty of compassion, which she
could not see as compassion.
"Miss Gamblin! Which do you like better: Haifa or
'AkkM"
"Haifa, I think. I like Haifa for some things and 'AkkA
for others."
"For what reasons do you like Haifa more?"
"Because here we are free to go out. Here we have
liberty. " *
"But in 'AkkA there is a beautiful Garden."
"I have never seen a garden in 'AkkA."
"And here there is no Garden. In 'AkkA the Water is
very good."
"And here," said Miss Gamblin jeeringly, "there is no
water!"
"In 'AkkA," our Lord went on, "there is a Meadow.
Here there is none. " He spoke of the unbelief of the Jews
when Christ came. With His consummate wisdom He
made her say that they were veiled by the prophecies
because they were waiting to see them literally fulfilled.
"Did not Christ say He would come like a thief in the
nighd" He asked.t
"Ah! But He also said 'every eye should see Him!' "t
There was quite a note of triumph in her voice!

·In the Arab and Muslim city of 'Akka, women were obliged to remain indoors.
tRev. 16:15, 1 Thess. 5:2. See also Matt. 24:43 and Luke 12:39.
tRev. 1:12.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

"Every eye, yes," smiled the Master. "Those who do
not see Him are spiritually blind. You love Christ?"
(gently).
I had never before seen that cold little face light up.
"Oh, yes."
"So do I," said the Master gravely and with great
tenderness. "No one in this world loves Christ so much
as I."
"How do you think Christ will come?" He went on.
I 'Have you studied the science of the skies? You know

what clouds are composed of? How do you think Christ
will come?"
"Oh, I don't think that Christ will come from a material heaven, but from that place-no one knows what
it is-where the imperishable part of us goes."
"Bravo! Bravo!" said our Lord. "I am very much
pleased with your answer."
After supper He went to call on the French Consul.

The next day our Lord was to leave us, to return to
'Akka. He had planned to take me with Him, but He
changed this. He thought it wiser, Ru1.Ia explained to me,
that I should remain in Haifa till the Kinneys came.
In the morning I rose with a bleeding heart-with a
hunger and thirst to see our Lord, to crawl in the dust
behind Him all day, kissing His every footprint if I
might. Once He passed the house and went up the mountain a little way. Ah, "beautiful upon the mountain, His
feet"! I crept to the comer of the hall and gazed down
the road onto which He had turned. That day He was
wearing a gold-brown camel's hair coat over His white
flowing robe. His coats are the Persian I aba, sweeping
almost to the ground. And no 'aba hangs like the Master's. He was on His way to see a sick boy.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

Later He sent for me. I found Him at RUq,3' s house. As
He was tired, He said, would I excuse Him if He lay
down? And He lay on the linen-covered divan, while
R6.Q.3 and I sat at His feet.
Taking my hand in His, holding it close, pressing it
with those vital fingers, He looked at me, smiling divinely. I burst into tears. I could not control them.
"What is it?" He tenderly asked.
"I love You so. I love You so. It kills me to separate
from You."
"I am never separated from you. I am with you
always, in every world."
"I know. But I want to see You. Oh why do You go
away today?
I should have been sent from the room, but instead He
answered me with the infinite patience of the Divine
Love. "Because I am busy. Because I am busy. I am invited to something this evening. Otherwise I would not
go. But I will come to see you again, InshiJ.'llilh."
Again I burst into a flood of tears. "His Love is too
great. I cannot bear it," I said to RUq,3 KhAnum. Quietly
He rose and left us, but He told RUq,3 to follow with me.
First, however, she took me into the room of the Holy
Mother, who had been ill. But there too I cried. I could
not help it, though it distressed me terribly to be so inconsiderate. •
"Don't cry so much. You are not used to it," said the
dear Holy Mother. "If you cry you will become like us,
pale."
"If by crying I could become like you, I would cry till I
died!"

*This time my heart is more sensitive. His voice pierces and wrings
it. Every note of that voice makes my heart quiver.-J.T.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

Tears came to the Holy Mother's eyes. "I am
weeping, " she said, II at the thought of the great
calamities for which I wept once."
Just then our Lord sent for me. He placed me at His
feet and with those exquisite fingers wiped away my
tears, looking down with the tenderness of God on me.
"Don't cry! Don't cry!" He said in English, in that
voice of piercing sweetness, of heart-wringing Love. "If
you cry, I cry!"
"Today I lunch with you," (smiling, trying to comfort
me). "Don't cry! Don't cry! I love you."
"Ah, that is it!" I replied. "Your love is too strong for
the human heart. My heart breaks under it."
Still trying to comfort me, He said: "Mariam Haney
spoke much of you. She said you were beautiful, but I
find you more so."
Little Maryam, His grandchild, came in. "I give you
Maryam!" He smiled.
Oh wealth of Love-as I felt it, again my tears flowed.
"If you cry, I will slap you!" And He did! Then He
held out His hand to me.
"Which will you have: slap, or fist?" (In English,
laughing). "Which is better?"
"Whichever you give me."
He took my hand, held it, pressed it. He had risen
from His chair and now began walking back and forth.
Every moment or so He stopped beside me and with a
strange gravity gazed into my upturned face. Never shall
I forget the Christ-Face shining above me then, its
celestial purity. The sunbeam of His smile had vanished.
He was like a vision, like a star! Oh, ever-varying Face,
manifesting all God's Beauties!

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

I lunched with Him, at His side. Mter lunch once
more He called me.
"See how I love you!" He said. "I have sent for you
three times today. Three times." He held up three
fingers. "Now this is a secret. Go to My sister, Khanum,
and ask her to supplicate that you may come to 'Akka.
There is a wisdom in this."
I lifted my eyes to His, speechless, in ecstasy. "I had
given it up!" I said at last. "When shall I ask Khanum?"
"Tomorrow."
Soon Khanum came in. As she sat on the floor near
me, He said: "You love Khanum?"
To my shame, I began to cry-again!
, 'See! She cries from love," the Master said. "Of love.
From love?" (in His dear English). "You very much love,
Juliet. Khanum too loves you."
Then the others came to have tea with Him. And after
this, He left for 'Akka.
When His carriage had gone, I climbed the mountain
alone. I climbed very high and sat on a rock facing
toward 'Akka, so that I could watch that blessed carriage
moving along the crescent beach till it disappeared in the
distance. And from my seat on the rock I spoke out loud
to my Lord, Who by that time was miles away.
"In all things I submit to Thy Will, my Lord, for Thy
Will is the Will of God. Thou art the Lord of Hosts.
Thou art the Word of God."

The Master denied the supplication of Khanum. When
I heard this I wrote Him a brief line to say that I was content with His Will. I said nothing more, yet when His
answer came, written in His own hand, He repeated the

THE 'AKKA DIARY

very words I had spoken to Him from Mount Carmel
-those words of recognition-when His carriage was
miles away.
o thou who art attracted to the Kingdom of God!
Thy letter was received. Its contents proved firmness and steadfastness. Thank God that thou hast
believed in the Lord of Hosts, were attracted to the
Word of God and became the manifestation of Godly
Favors. Realize these heavenly gifts and serve the Holy
Spirit.
(signed) Abdul Baha Abbas
August 18, 1909.
[/t is weary waiting, this waiting to see my Lord.

August 18, 1909. Later.
!Day before yesterday, in the blessed company of
Khanum and the Holy Mother, we climbed Mount
Carmel to the Holy Tomb and the Carmelite monastery.
We went into the chapel of the monastery. On the altar,
surrounded by candles, sat the Madonna, a crudely
carved wooden doll, life-size, with a scarlet spot painted
on each cheek and draped in jewels and satin. From a
rose-window high in the opposite wall-a window that
faced 'Akka-rays streamed to a pool of light on the
floor. Then, in marched the brown-robed monks and
knelt in the pool of light, their backs turned to 'Akka,
their bowed heads to the altar. The rays poured on their
backs as they prayed to the wooden doll. My thoughts
were running on this, condemning the monks, when
Khanum slipped her arm through mine.
"It is good," she whispered, "to be here together in a
place built for worship."

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

Later, in the Cave of Elijah, I saw her standing by the
altar there, that wonderful face, second only to the Master's, raised to the crucifix; her eyes lowered once or twice
to the image of the Virgin prostrate beneath it. Ah, well
could she understand such suffering. My tears flowed
as I watched her.

August 21, 1909, 6:30 A.M.
Clhe King, with His court, came yesterday to stay in
Haifa till we sail, for the Kinneys and Alice also came
yesterday.
A king and his court? Faint comparison! What king
ever moved with such majesty and glory? What court
ever followed with such love and submission?
I am sitting on the steep, rough steps of 'Inayatu'llah's
house, between the two cypresses, and on the steps of
the beautiful House opposite-that white and stately
House opposite-sits the King! With Him are Mirza Asadu'llah and 'Inayatu'llah.
Yesterday He came at sundown. He sent for us all. We
found Him in the reception hall, surrounded by those
wonderful Persian believers. Yunis Khan, Badi' Effendi,
and Mirza Munir* sat by me. He gave us a heavenly talk
which I shall have to include in my notes, for in this little book there is just room left for His words of love to
myself, those tender and exquisite personal talks of which
I would not lose one word.
One of these I had last night. I entered His room and
sat at His feet.
*Dr. Yunis Khan Afnikhtih, who served 'Abdu'l-Baha in Haifa from
1900 to 1909; Mirza Badi'u'llah, half brother of 'Abdu'l-Baha; and
Mirza Munir-i Zayn, son of the famous Baha'i scribe Zaynu'l-
Muqarrabin.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

"I hope you were not hurt, Juliet/' He said, Ru4a
KhAnum translating, "that I did not let you come to
'Akka. You must be happy because I am so unconstrained with you and feel that I can be frank."
"Every command of Yours, since it comes from You, is
dear to me."
"That is the sign of true love. I know your heart!"
"I pray that my capacity may be widened so that I
may appreciate more and love more.' I

A wonderful look came into His Face. He bent over
mine and wiped my eyes. This is what He always does
when I am yearning to love more, when my heart is
bleeding because it cannot love enough. Even when my
eyes are dry He does this. Is He-when my eyes are
dry-wiping future tears away?
"I have been suffering," I said, "because I can give
You nothing."
"You have given Me your heart."
"What is this heart to give! It is not pure enough. Dear
Lord," I asked, "would it be good for the Cause if I
should marry Mason Remey?" *
"It would be very good for the Cause,' the Master I

answered me, "if you could do it from your heart."
"I will marry him gladly," I said-my heart as heavy
as lead!
• While I was walking with RU1;la the day before on Mount Carmel, as
we sat on a fallen tree to rest, she had broached the subject of my
marrying Mason Remey. Our Lord had told her to ask me about it.
"You are treating Juliet like one of Your own daughters who were
married in this way," Ruha had said. "It is too strong a test for her."
"Just ask her and see what she says," our Lord had repeated. "But,"
added RUha to me, "if the Master should command me now: 'Go,
leave your husband and children and jump into the sea,' I would go
and jump!"-J.T.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

"You ought to want to love him, because he is so beloved by Me."
"Yes," I repeated, with a dead voice! "I will marry him
gladly."
"Try to love him little by little. Little by little," (in
English).
Then He dismissed me. As I was leaving, He went to
His table and, taking a Persian sweetmeat from a box,
put it into my hand.
"I give you sweets," He said.
He asked me to come back and dine with Him. "But
don't tell Mrs. B.! Do everything you can," He said, "to
make Mrs. B. happy."
"I will."
Outside in the road, in the light of the crescent moon
shining above Mount Carmel, I ate the sweets from His
hand. "All that comes from Thy hand is sweet," I said
aloud. "Lord, help me to love Mason Remey!"
The great figure of Percy Grant, with his strong beauty
and magnetism and his distinguished mind, I resolutely
put away from me. To give my body to one of His beloved: could I do more than this? I thought. Then I
laughed at the thought. After all, what is this body? As
He said once: "What does it matter what happens to
the body?"

August 22, 1909.
df;fy heart is breaking. Today I must leave Him. The
Kinneys have had some trouble with their money-their
cheque from New York has been delayed-and having
too little to travel with, they asked permission last night
to stay on in Haifa till the cheque came.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

At sea (after leaving Cairo for Naples, via Alexandria'.
August 27, 1909.
Just at that moment our Lord sent for me.
My heart is almost too full this morning to write. If I
write brokenly, it will be but a truer expression of my
heart-my life-as I journey away from my only Beloved
into a future of suffering, of utter sacrifice, into the
Valley of Death. Yet if I suffer, it is for Him. If I sacrifice
all, the sacrifice is for Him. If my goal is the Valley of
Death, I die but to live in Him. This morning I have felt
those delicate, vital fingers wiping the tears from my
eyes.
The thought of marriage with Mason Remey has been
a torture to me. When, the other day, my Lord spoke
once again of my marrying "His son,/I with a new note
of significance which woke in me a sharp awareness of
all that this implied, I writhed in agony. But in a moment I lifted my face to His and said, "Thy Will be
done./I
To give my body to be burned would be easier, when I
think of the years and the years . . . Yet I glory in the
martyrdom. I desire no less. "My body is yeaming to ascend the cross./I I pray that it may come qUickly. "A
wound from Thee, Lord, is remedy and poison from Thy
hand is honey./I If only I could suppress these tears, or
rather, rise above shedding them. On the death of her
youngest son, the Mother of our Lord smiled. * She knelt

*Mfrza Mihdi, the Purest Branch, the youngest son of Baha'u'llah
and His consort Navvab IAsiyyih Khanum), died after an accidental
fall from the roof of the prison iD' Akka. See God Passes By, pp.
188-89.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 'J.7 I 1909

at the feet of Baha/u/llah and asked: "Is my sacrifice accepted?" Oh, to sacrifice in such a spirit!
I know now why my Lord called Rt1l)a my sister. She
was married in the same way. But why am I so weak? I
am going forth to serve Him. Why should I think of
myself? How can I think of myself at am In the ages to
corne, if this pitiful record should remain, how my
sisters of the Future will wonder that a thought of self
should have entered my mind, that I could have wasted
one thought on my human body. And since I am doing
this thing to be freer to spread the Faith, for them too I
am going through with it. I feel a great surge of love in
my heart toward them.
Two Tablets I received last winter come back to me
now, two that reached me together, in the same envelope. In the one I read first was this: "I hope that the utmost love may be realized between you and that person
(Percy Grant) and that thou mayest be assisted to cause
him to enter the Kingdom of God.' And in the second:
I

"I have supplicated and entreated at the Threshold of
Oneness that thy utmost desire may become realized.
The desire of the sanctified souls is always sacrifice in
the Path of God . . ."
May God strengthen me to face Percy Grant when I
return to New York! May God strengthen me in my
future relation with him! And as I recall that second
Tablet I know that a fierce ordeal is before me. Surely
this "utmost desire" of mine, this burning desire of my
heart now-"sacrifice in the Path of God"-must be
proven. God help me! Perhaps only through such a
sacrifice could Percy Grant be brought to the Kingdom.
So let me die for my Lord and His beloved ones.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

To return to the sweetest story ever told, the story of
those incomparable days in the Presence of my Lord. I
shall not begin where I left off but will go back a little.
On the morning of August 21, I had waited long and
hungrily, with a burning heart, for my Lord to send for
me. Waited in the little doorway between the two cypress trees, my eyes fixed on the white House opposite,
on the stately steps, watching for Him to appear upon
them-on the long windows of His room. As the hours
went by, the fire in my heart grew unendurable. My
heart was scorched, seared: consumed. Suddenly, just at
that instant when I felt I could bear it no longer, He
came out and stood on the steps. He showed Himself
only for a moment, but Khusraw at the same time ran to
call me. I eagerly followed. When I reached the House
the Master was in His room with Ru1)A and Munavvar
Khanum.
"Did you hear my heart crying to You, my Lord?"
"Yes. That was why I sent for you. I should like you
to be with Me every moment," He said. "I want you
with Me all the time. If it were according to wisdom, I
would have you here with Me always. But it is not wise.
Otherwise, you should be always with Me. I want you to
feel this."
He spoke much of Alice and His desire that I make her
happy. He told me He wished me to be His real daughter, not a daughter in name but in very reality, so that if
"His daughter in America" were mentioned, all would
know that I was that daughter. Then: "In regard to Mr.
Remey," He said, "you need not do this thing. It is not

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

compulsory. No one has the right to force your feeling. I
have not the right. But if you can do it from your heart,
if you can love him, I wish it very much."
"I wanted to speak about this, my Lord. I have only
loved deeply once and I could never give such a love
again. But since I have seen Thy Face, I have learned the
reality of Love. I have learned that the human love is unnecessary, that it is only a step to the Divine Love, so
that I can put it aside. Now, on the other hand, there is
this man I have loved, his feeling for me and my hope to
make him a believer . . ."
"It would be very difficult to make this man a believer
and you know this," said the Master. "I am sorry," He
added gently, "but I must say these things to you.
"And if I should marry Mr. Remey," I asked, "it
would mean a great opportunity to serve the Cause? It
would be good for the Cause if I should marry him?"
"Most certainly," answered our Lord, "such a union
would be productive of great good in the Cause. We will
see," He continued, "how he feels about it, and if you
and he both wish it, it is My wish. I love Mr. Remey
very much."
"I have always loved him," I said. "He did so much to
bring me into the Cause."
"He has brought many into the Cause."
He kept me to lunch and all through the afternoon,
and His daughters and I had tea with Him. After tea, He
went up to the Tomb.
For a while I sat in the big white hall, facing the blue
Bay of Haifa, talking with the Holy Mother and RtiQa,
Munavvar, and Oiya Khanum. They mentioned Fu' ad, a
nephew of the Holy Mother's who is ill, and who lives

THE 'AKKA DIARY

near the top of the mountain with his beautiful sister,
Rigvaniyyih.
"How is he?" I asked. Ru];ul and I had lately visited
him.
"I haven't heard for the last few days," said Ru1!a.
"I believe I will go and see," I said.
"Will you go alone to the mountain?"
"Yes, unless you can come too."
She could not, so I went alone. To be alone with
Mount Carmel is always a thrilling experience to me. As
I approached Fu'ad's house, Rigvaniyyih ran out of the
door to meet me, her veil and her braids flying, her face
all aglow. "Our Lord is coming, Juliet!" she cried. I
looked up and saw Him, His Persian disciples behind
Him, coming through a grove of fig trees. How I had
prayed to be with Him on Mount Carmel! With Rigvaniyyih, I went into Fu'ad's room and it was there the
Master found me.
"You here, Juliet!" He exclaimed. Then He called me
to sit beside Him. Fu'ad knelt at a little distance. Almost
at once our Lord rose and crossed over to Fu'ad. He lifted
the bandage from his eye, felt his pulse with a tender
touch, looked at him long and lovingly. So I saw the
Christ healing the sick.
Later He sat for some time on the broad stone terrace
in front of the house: Rigvaniyyih, the Persians, and I
grouped around Him. He sat silent, gazing toward the
Bay. Then suddenly, up went His hand-high, His eyes
rolling strangely upward with such a breathtaking, seeing look, as though He were greeting Someone in the
sky!
At last He left us. Rigvaniyyih and I, our arms around
each other, watched Him descending the mountain. Two

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

or three times He turned and waved to us. In the
distance, in the sunset light burnishing His long white
robes, He appeared like a "pillar of fire."
I soon followed Him. But before going home, I wanted
to say good-bye to Nliru'llah Effendi's wife, who,
because she has consumption, lives on the mountain
alone, in a little house made of branches. But I lost my
way and had to stop an Arab to ask if he could direct me.
He was a wild-looking creature, in a short tunic and a
long head-cloth, and with a sort of satyr's leer. He seized
my hand and began to skip with me! I must say, he
frightened me. Still I felt a lovely exhilaration as we
skipped lightly along, the satyr and I, till he safely
deposited me at the little house made of branches. The
wife of Nliru'llah was radiant. Our Lord had just visited
her, and the fragrance of His Presence lingered in her
hut.
Going home in the dark, I met Mirza Ham. ' 'The
Master," he told me, "has sent me to find you. He says
you should not be alone on the mountain."
When I reached 'Inayatu'llah's house, the Master had
just left it.
"He was here asking for you," said 'Inayatu'llah. "He
paced up and down the garden, repeating: 'Juliet should
not be alone on the mountain.' "
I went £lying to Him to let Him know of my safe return, and of something else. One of the Persian believers
had told me that if a group of Americans should stay
here too long as guests of the Master, it might make
trouble for Him with the still-watchful Turks. So the
Kinneys' decision to wait in Haifa till their cheque came
had worried me very much and I had thought of a plan
which I wanted to speak of to our Lord.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

But when I entered the reception room I found Mr.
Kinney there with Him, Mr. Kinney kneeling and in
tears, our Lord bending over him lovingly.
"I told you to go tomorrow only because you pressed
me for a date, but stay. Stay. I want you to be happy"
Iwith the sweetest glance). Then He dismissed Mr.
Kinney.
When I was alone with the Master and Shoghi Effendi-that beautiful boy-who was also in the room, translating, I spoke of the Kinneys' financial troubles and of
some money I had-treasured up-for the most sacred
purpose.· If my Lord approved, I said, I would lend this
to the Kinneys.
"No," He replied, "they are waiting for a large sum of
money, a very large sum: five thousand francs. You have
been troubled about this." He rose and walked up and
down, but soon seated Himself. "The Kinneys," He
said, "may be here for a long time yet-for a month or
two. Their money may not come very soon. Could you
stay so long? Would you have to return to your affairs?"
"Oh no!" I said. "No, I shouldn't have to return. But I
will do as you think best."
A month or two in Haifa-near His Presence!
"I want you to be happy," He said, "to do what makes
you happy."
Just at that moment Munavvar came in and our Lord
took us into His room. Again and again He questioned
me. What did I want to do? Did I want to stay? Would it
make me happy to stay? He wanted me to be happy.
"To do Your will makes me happy. I cannot express a

-The cylinder of gold louis the Master had given me so that I might
return to Him.-J.T.

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

wish. I only wish what You wish, my Lord. I want to
leave everything now in Your hands."
"Then I will tell you what I want you to do, and I
want you to do this for Me very much. I want you to
take Mrs. B. home. Take the boat tomorrow night. Go to
Cairo and then straight home. Take to the believers
what you have received here." He gave me many instructions about Alice.
That night He kept me very late. First I had supper
with Him. Afterwards Rlll?a, Munavvar, and I sat in His
room.
"I wanted to keep you here all night, your last night. I
wanted you to be with us. But there is no unoccupied
room in the house."
"I have heard that once a believer stood all night outside Your door. I wish I might have that privilege," I
said.
"It will be the same," He answered gently. "You will
be watching with Me while you are at 'Inayatu'llah's
house."
I shall never forget that last night. The candle burned
dimly in the room. Ru~a, Munavvar, and I sat on the
floor at His feet. At times He was silent. At times He
talked tenderly with us.
Though I should have remembered His words that I
was "watching with Him," all night I tossed and turned,
tortured by the thought of the marriage before me-tortured because I must leave my Lord so soon, so soon,
must leave the protection and comfort of His Presence-the Heaven of His Presence-and go back into the
world to face that marriage.
At six-thirty in the morning He sent for me. He met
me with a grave face.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

"How are you?" He asked. "Did you sleep well? You
should have slept well. It is cooler at 'Inayatu'llah's than
here." Then He waved His hand toward the House.
"Find Munavvar Khanum."
When I found her, she said: "Our Lord called you just
to see you, just to see how you were."
He left the House then and went to 'Inayatu'llah's.
Pacing up and down my room, as 'Inayatu'llah told me
later, He began to speak of me. He asked how to spell
my first name and said it was a beautiful name. He
spoke very beautifully of me, 'Inayatu'llah said.
"Is she happy and content in this simple room?" He
asked.
I see now that in this room He was gathering up my
thoughts of the night: registering my misery.
Soon He returned and invited some of us to tea-the
Ladies of the Household and Edna and myself. First He
spoke to me, then to Edna.
Oh, if only I had written down those last few talks,
taken them down from His lips! The sufferings of the
days since have blurred them in my mind. I had been
thinking, during that last awful night at 'Inayatu'llah's,
of my wonderful life in New York, a life of such thrilling
interest mentally. I had thought how complete the sacrifice would be in having to return, the wife of Mason
Remey, to the city I have always hated: Washington. Yet
one ray of truth had dawned on me: Percy Grant, so
gifted, so powerfully magnetic, so dominant, might, because of my weakness and humanness and the strength
of my attachment to him, veil my heart from my Lord.
This, Mason Remey, the angel, could never do. So, that
last morning in Haifa, the Master answered these two
thoughts. Physical things, He said, interfered with

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

spiritual development. Then: "When you travel you
must shake from your shoes the dust of every city
through which you pass." *
I shall never forget the surpassing sweetness of His
smile that morning. He kept me in the House for hours.
Later I went with RUQ.a to her house. While we were
talking we heard His voice. "Our Lord!" cried RUQ.a. We
sprang up to meet Him at the door and He led us to
RUQ.a's living room.
Ah, infinitely tender He was that day, that last day!
Brokenly I thanked Him for all His Bounties. "And for
all Thou hast done to sever me. I want nothing now but
Thy Will."
"Yes. I know." He said, bending over me, looking profoundly into my eyes. Grave, ineffably loving, sorrowful,
that look. That He suffered for me, with me, was intolerably clear to me.
Oh, I must stop suffering! When our hearts bleed, the
Divine Heart bleeds. It is true. I had one more evidence
of this a little later.
While I was with Him at Rt1Q.a's house, the Master had
invited me to lunch, and as soon as He left us, I hurried
to 'Inayatu'llah's to change my dress. But people were in
my bedroom, which is also the living room-a believer
was calling on KhAnum I;>iya-and I couldn't suggest to
them to go! When at last they did, KhAnum I;>iya assured
me I had time to dress. But then, the devil got into me: I
wanted to make myself as beautiful as I could! And
everything went wrong; it was like a nightmare! I chose
an elaborate white lace dress, fastened in the back with
hooks-and-eyes and my fingers couldn't find the right

*Cf. Matt. 10:14, Mark 6:11, and Luke 9:5.

THE 'AKKA DIARY

hooks. I tried to put on my veil, a rose-colored one with a
border, in the most becoming way, and couldn't arrange
it becomingly enough! And before I was through adorning myself, Khusraw ran in with an appalling message:
the Master and the Holy Household were already at the
table!
By the time I reached the House and the dining room,
the Master had risen from His seat and was washing His
hands in a basin near the window. He asked me to please
excuse Him for leaving so soon, He had only taken a little soup.
I sat stricken with an awful shame: speechless with
shame, as I realized overwhelmingly the disrespect I had
shown to oUI Lord in keeping Him waiting-and all
because of my vanity!
He came back to the table and repeated: "Ask Juliet to
excuse Me for leaving her so soon. I only took soup today." And while He spoke He looked at me, such grief in
His eyes as I could hardly bear, such grief because He
had to punish me. Then He turned and went out of the
room, having had nothing to eat. To inflict that so
necessary punishment He had sacrificed His midday
meal.
The rest of the meal was, of course, pure agony to me.
I could not hold up my head in the presence of the Family. Besides, a great geyser of tears kept rising in me and
it was all I could do not to burst out crying. At last I
escaped and returned to 'Inayatu'llah's.
But no sooner had I taken off my miserable finery than
the Master again sent for me. I slipped on a simpler
dress and rushed back to the beloved House, where
Munavvar met me.
"Our Lord, " she said, "just wanted to know where you
were and wanted you here.' I

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27, 1909

We had our afternoon rest, Munavvar and I, in the
reception room. Suddenly the Master stood in the doorway, beckoning us to His room.
There, He led me to the mirror and standing close to
my side, took my face in His hand and pressed my cheek
against His, then told me to look in the mirror. So majestic He was, He appeared stem and His Face shone
with a white glory beside my flushed, earthly face. Again
He reminded me of a Star. So I saw myself in the clasp of
the Good Shepherd, and, in that ineffable picture in the
mirror, I saw my Lord's promise that He would be always protecting me, always watching over me.
Once, during the morning, while I was alone in the
reception room, the Master came from His room into the
hall and, standing in the shadow against the white wall,
like a Spirit in His white garments, He looked at me long
and steadfastly. Suddenly love welled up in me and I
smiled. A smile of intensest sweetness, of heavenly
brightness, broke over His Face; He tilted His head to
one side with tenderest charm, as though He were playing with a child. Once more He came out, gazed gravely
at me, gazed almost longer than I could bear-so frail is
the human spirit before the Force of Divine Love-and
then, like lightning, vanished.

Early in the afternoon He called me into His room.
"How are you, Juliet?"
"Happy," I answered, through tears!
He looked at me with questioning, smiling eyes.
Still, underlying my anguish, there was happiness,
that my sacrifice had been accepted.
"I love you," He said gently. "I love you ve.zy much."
Then He began to talk to me, His aspect abruptly
changing to one of great majesty. If only, only I had writ-

THE 'AKKA DIARY

ten down those last instructions! All I can do now is to
quote fragments of them.
"How many days were you in 'Akka?"
"Twelve, my Lord. II
"How many days have you been in Haifa?"
"Twelye."
"Twelve. Always twelve. You have received in those
twelve days that which was given by Abraham to the
twelve tribes of Israel. You have received that which
was given by Moses. You have received that which was
given by Christ to the twelve apostles; that which was
given by Mu4ammad to the twelve Imams .... You have
served me in America. Your house has been the center
for the believers. You have loved them and shown kindness to them. Now I want to give you some instructions.
"The time you devote to your art is your own; you are
free to use it as you wish. But when you enter the
meetings, I want you to concentrate upon spiritual
things. Read the prayers, the Tablets, sing hymns, give
the proofs. I want you to give strong, logical proofs .
. . . Never let anyone speak of another unkindly in your
presence. Should anyone do so, stop them. Tell them it
is against the commands of Baha'u'llah; that He has
commanded: 'Love one another.' Never speak an unkind
word, yourself, against anyone. If you see something
wrong, let your silence be your only comment .... Be
firm and steadfast. Do not waste your time with light
people."
There was more: much more. How could my memory
serve me so cruelly?
Soon afterward Alice and Carrie arrived at the House.
As Alice came in, our Lord continued: "Be firm and

JUNE 19 TO AUGUST 27 I 1909

steadfast, and if you are firm and steadfast, be sure that
no one who really belongs in your life will be lost to you. "
He then told Alice that He wished us to love each
other. His words were so heavenly that RUQ.a, as she
listened, wept.
Just before we drove to the ship RUQ.a called me,
alone, to our Lord. I knelt at His feet.
"Don't let me cry! Don't let me cry!" I implored, catching hold of His ' aba.
He took both my hands, and God's Love gazed through
His eyes into mine. "Remember My words to you, obey
My commands," He said, "and you will marvel at the
results."
I dare not attempt to quote Him; everything else He
said has escaped me. All I can bring to my mind now is
that Face of divine compassion looking down at me, the
strong hands that clasped mine, the grief that consumed
my heart.
"I have given you so much, Juliet," Ithis comes back to
me) "because I have desired your spiritual progress. You
can make spiritual progress. Now you need the power of
discourse. When you begin to speak in the meetings,
never think of your own weakness, but turn to Me."
"My only desire is to follow Thy Will. But there is
one thing I long for, Lord. May I become worthy to
always keep the vision of Thy Face?"
He bent over me with a look of profoundest love, and
of assent.
"My mother and brother, Lord: protect them-under
all circumstances."
Again that low bending over me, that assent. "I will
pray."

THE 'AKKA DIARY

"I am bound to Thee, Lord, with a cord that can never
be cut."
And with this I broke down, and hiding my face on His
knee, I wept. After a moment He lifted my face and, for
the last time, wiped away my tears with His fingers.
When He dismissed me, I raised to my lips the hem of
His robe and pressed a long, long kiss upon it.
He followed me to the door of His room. Taking my
hand, He held it against His side. "Give My love to
Lua," He said. "Tell her I am always with her in spirit."
To me He said: "I want you to return a new creation,
so that all will see that you are another Juliet, with
another attraction."

That night on the boat, my eyes fixed on Mount Carmel-the lights of the Tomb glowing yellow through the
moonlight, the fragrance of the Spirit of the Lord diffused from that Sacred Spot-I wept my heart out.
"Forevermore, my Lord, is my heart linked to Thee by
this suffering. Forevermore," I cried, "am I chained to
Thee!"
I remembered His words of a few days before: "I suffer. You must suffer with Me." And my suffering became my treasure of treasures.
Mary broke the alabaster jar and poured all her precious ointment over the feet of her Lord. And last Sunday I broke my heart over the feet of my Lord-poured
out all the love it contained at His feet. No more love
have I now to give. It is given-to Him.
He told me that He would strike me, and, as He said
it, He laughed. So may I "endure the cross, despising
the shame."

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN THONON,
VEVEY, AND GENEVA
July 23 to
November 23, 1911
DRAWING OF 'ABDU'L-BAHA
by Juliet Thompson
48 West Tenth Street, New York.
April 8, 1936.

"Love devastates every country where He plants His
banner."
In 'Akka I had looked upon the Mystery of Love and of
incarnate Sacrifice. I returned, this vision filling my
eyes, blinding me to all lesser values. This, and the fact
that I was so immature both spiritually and in worldly
wisdom, caused me to become, myself, the instrument
of the devastation. But I devastated not my country
alone, but others. When, this winter, I read my diary of
1910, I was crushed with shame, and remained so for
weeks, because of my blind, cruel blundering all through
that awful year. Then came a flash of what I believe to
be perception, and this has comforted me. My Lord,
'Abdu'l-Baha, Who "saw the end" where I saw "only
the beginning" land in Whose compassionate hailds are
the lives of all) had, in reality, offered me two choices:
first, my own Willi then, His Will-or what appeared to
be His Will. Though I played my small part so miserably, at least I chose the Master's Will. When in my extremity I still clung desperately to His Will, He released
me from my engagement to Mason Remey. As for "the
other man": as I review the whole drama of my connection with his life, ending in tragedy, it is clear that at
every crisis, something diviner than fate stood between
us. 'Abdu'l-Baha had another plan for me. And this, I
believe, was His plan from the beginning.

S.S. Lusitania. Atlantic Ocean!
Sunday, July 23, 1911.

c::::!Vothing could have been further from my thought than
that I should begin this volume somewhere off the coast
of Ireland! I had expected to begin it in our new home: a
small, very old house on Tenth Street, from the windows of which, if I lean out just a little way, I can see the
tower of the Church of the Ascension, and even-the
rectory!
But there came a Call ...
Ten days ago, on July 13, I received a letter from
Ahmad. * To my infinite surprise, for I had only just
heard from the Master, I found it contained a Tablet.
These are the words of the Tablet:

o Thou who art attracted by the Breath of the Holy
Spirit!
When thou wert leaving to return to America and
this made you sad and unhappy and you wept, I promised I would summon you again to My Presence. Now
I fulfill that promise. If there is no hindrance and you
can travel in perfect joy and fragrance, you have permission to be present. In this trip there is a consum-
• Ahmad Sohrab, who had lived in the United States, but was at this
time residing in Egypt.

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

mate wisdom and in it praiseworthy results are hidden.
Upon thee be Baha EL ABHA.
(signed) Abdul Baha Abbas

In Ahmad's letter was the amazing news that the Master was on His way to London to attend the Universal
Races' Congress which was to open the following week
and last for three days.
"If you can sail in a week," wrote Ahmad, "you will
find our Lord in London."
I leapt over every "hindrance" (and three of them
were high walls) and within the week, with Silvia Gannett, boarded the Lusitania.
Just before I left I broke the news to Percy Grant. He
said something blasphemous-violently-then did
something to break my heart.
Well, that is no "hindrance," I thought, I can leave
him to her.
He spent the last evening before I sailed with me.
"Don't you want to send a message to the Master?" I
asked.
A mocking look came into his face.
"He sent you one," I went on, "from 'Akka, when I
was there. But I have never been able to tell you about it,
because whenever I have mentioned the Master to you,
Percy, you have answered in a flippant way. But I can't
go back to Him now until I have delivered it.
"I spoke of your work to Him and He called you 'a
great soul.' Then He invited you to visit Him. I can
repeat His very words. 'When you return, say to Dr.
Grant: If you will go yourself to 'Akka, you will find that

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

which is beyond imagining. If you go, you will find all
you had imagined useless in comparison with the Reality. If you go you will receive that for which you would
not exchange all the kingdom of the world.' "
"That was a very whole-souled message," Percy
replied. "Tell Him that if He comes to New York I will
welcome Him gladly. Tell Him I think He would find
New York a big enough field even for His great work!"
"I don't think that message will do," I said.
"Tell Him, judging by His fruits," (with a meaningful
look at me) "His Teaching is the most beautiful spiritual
force in the world."
"I shall certainly not tell Him that!"
"Tell Him I am very happy to have a share in those
fruits-"
"No; nor that either."
"I can't suit you with a message! Well, tell Him I feel
that what He is trying to do in the world is very
beautiful and potent."
Then I gave up!

s.s. Lusitania.
fJ should like to write of a dream I had two days before
my Tablet came, for I think it is something that should
be kept.
I had been praying at dawn. Afterwards, putting the
Master's brown 'aba over my bed and hoping for a vision, I fell asleep.
I awoke in a vast, dim crypt, with many aisles branching away into utter darkness. I was standing, alone in
the crypt, beside an enormous gray sarcophagus. Then in

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

the far, far distance, I saw two figures in white, in long
robes and turbans, walking out of the shadows in my direction, and I recognized the Master and Mirza
I:Iaydar-'Ali, "the Angel of 'Akka." Something is going
to happenj I shouldn't be here, I thought. But I can't
escape now. There is nothing to do but hide. And I
crouched behind the sarcophagus. The next picture in
my dream is of the Master and Mirza I:Iaydar-'Ali bending over the sarcophagus. Then they lifted its lid and
dropped into it, drawing down the lid after them. Now I
could make my escape! I tried to steal away on tiptoe,
but before I had taken a dozen steps, my shoes creaked!
At this, the Master rose from the center of the sarcophagus, His face unsmiling-stem.
"You may stay," He said, "but keep perfectly still."
Once more I crouched, holding my breath.
First there was an awful silencej then, from within the
sarcophagus, I heard the strains of a solemn chantj then
groans, followed by blood-freezing screams. And I
thought, What can the Master be doing to Mirza
I:Iaydar-' Ali?
But somebody else was in that sarcophagus. The end
of it suddenly burst open and out of it dashed a figure
racing up and down so fast that all I could see were flying
garments and a shaven, bluish head with a black fez on
it. At last, exhausted, he sank to his knees on the
ground, shielding his face with one arm. Then he rose
and crept back into his coffin.
Then, down every aisle of the crypt came armies on
the march, a standard-bearer with a flag leading each
regiment, so that soon all the flags of all the nations
drooped above the sarcophagus as the armies gathered
around it. And then I saw a lovely woman standing

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

among the flags. She wore a long white tunic, her hair
was bright gold, and she radiated light.
While I watched this brilliant and formidable scene,
wondering how 'Abdu'l-Baha could be concerned with a
pageant, the figure with the bluish head and the fez again
broke open the end of the sarcophagus. But now I saw:
Satan himself! Now he was naked, fully exposed, with a
white body and great dark bat's wings springing out from
his shoulders-even with the orthodox tail and hoofs!
And now he stole from his hiding place and, like a serpent-sinuously-wound his way in and out between all
the standard-bearers, creeping under all the flags, wriggling his way among all the armies, all the national
groups!
The dream changed. I was in New York, in the Peoples' Forum. Percy Grant was sitting on the platform in
the Parish Hall and his mother, Sylvia Gannett,. and I
standing among the empty chairs just vacated, I knew,
by a large audience. I bent to kiss Mrs. Grant. She
looked up, her eyes full of tears.
"I have seen Him," she said, "the Master. He spoke
to me. Oh, there was never such a Face in the world!"
"You have seen Him!" I cried. "Where was He?"
"In here; a moment ago."
"But-a moment ago He was in the sarcophagus."
Then Percy rose and went out.

London.
Friday, August 4, 1911.
[J am still in London, waiting for the Master to come.
He did not attend the Universal Races' Congress. They
had asked Him to speak on philosophy and to make no

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

reference to religion, so He sent a representative,
Tamaddunu'l-Mulk. ITamaddunu'l-Mulk is about four
feet high and his name means The Civilization of the
Country.)
The three days' conference opened with an ode written
by Alice Buckton. Here is one verse:

They come! Who come? Listen!
What thunderous tread of viewless feet
From citied walls where waters meet,
From isles of coral foamj
From Western prairies red with com,
From sacred temples of the mom,
They come!

True British idealism! The last session ended in a
brawl. Annie Besant I"Pa, with Ma's bonnet on her
head," as Mrs. Stannard called her) took the platform
and hurled the monkey wrench.
"This talk is all very well. But what about India?"
Then-the uproar in crescendo till the very last
minute!
When I hear that the Master was not to be at the Congress, I cabled to Him for instructions. The answer
came: "Wait."

London.
August 9, 1911.
£I have just had another cable from our Lord. It says:
"Remain.' ,
Here in London a little group is humbly preparing for
His coming. Devoted hearts are waiting for Him. Every
night we all gather at dear Miss Jack's and pray.

JULY 2.3 TO NOVEMBER 2.3, 1911

The English believers have been so kind to me: dear
Miss Rosenberg, dear Mrs. Knightley (who calls me
"cousin," since we have an ancestor-Lord Edward Fitzgerald-in common), Mrs. Stannard-the most fascinating woman, whom I met in Beirut two years ago and immediately loved; Lady Blomfield; the Jennens; Miss
Faulkner; Miss Buckton; and others. And our own believers who are here: Maud Yandall, the Chicago friends
with their warm hearts, my beloved Isabel Fraser, Miss
Pomeroy, Rhoda Nichols, Albert Hall and Mountfort
Mills. And, of course, little Tamaddunu'l-Mulk.

Post Office Telegraphs: Thonon-les-Bains.
August 22, 1911.
THOMPSON, 5 SINCLAIR ROAD, LONDON.
COME HERE. HOTEL PARCo
(signed) Abdul Baha

France.
August 23, 1911.
<VVe are on the way to the Master, Tamaddunu'l-Mulk
and I, and though we are sitting up all night long in a
second-class coach with a family of four Swiss peasants-oh, we are so happy!
Oh, tomorrow! But I cannot imagine tomorrow. Tomorrow I shall be with Him in Europe, in the mountains
of Switzerland.
The "Sun of the West" moves toward the West, and,
in this majestic advance, this thrilling moment in time
and in eternity, when, in His actual Presence, He rises
and shines on the West, He has blessed and honored this
humble child of His by calling her to His side. All day, as

A GROUP OF BAHA'IS IN LONDON Ic. 19121
Standing 11. to r.l: Yu'hanna Davud, Beatrice Platt, unknown, Arthur Cuthbert,
Lutfu'llah Hakim, Mr. Jenner, M. S. Hakim. Seated 11. to r.l: Mrs. Ginman, Mrs.
e. Morris, Ethel Rosenberg, Lady Blomfield, Elizabeth Herrick. On floor 11. to r.l:
Miss Phillips, Unknown, Mary Basil Hall.
JULY 2.3 TO NOVEMBER 2.3, 1911

I traveled through France, I seemed to be hastening toward Him down a path of white radiance.
How strange! It was July 13, two years ago, when I
tore myself, weeping, from my Lord in 'AkkA. It was on
August 22, that I said my heartbroken good-bye to Him
in Haifa. This year, on July 13, came His Tablet, "summoning" me again to Him; and this year on August
22-yesterday-the summons to Switzerland came.
Tamaddunu'l-Mulk is asleep. I shall spend the night
in prayer. Wonderful night! More wonderful: the
Daybreak!

Hotel du Pare, Thonon, on Lake Geneva.
August 27, 1911.
ell great white hotel. At its entrance, two oleander trees
in bloom. Inside, high ceilings, white walls, glass doors,
rose-colored carpets, rose-colored damask furniture. Beyond the green terrace with its marble balustrade, Lake
Geneva. Behind the hotel, two mountains overhung
with clouds. In the halls and strolling through the
grounds: gay, artificial, dull-eyed people. Passing among
these silently with His indescribable majesty, His
strange Power and His holy sweetness, the Master-
'Abdu'I-BahA-unrecognized but not unfelt. As He
passes, the dull eyes follow Him, lit up for a moment
with wonder.
I found my beloved Laura and her dear husband, Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney, already here.

(It was Laura who gave me the Message, bringing to
me the greatest of gifts in earth and heaven and changing
the whole direction of my life. It happened in this way: I

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

had been almost fatally ill and was slowly recovering in
Washington when I said one day to my brother, "Coming so close to death makes you think. And I have been
thinking lately that it is time for another Messenger of
God." The very next day Laura burst in on me, taking
me by complete surprise, for I had not heard of her
return from Paris. "Yesterday, Juliet," she said, "I was
in Bar Harbor. Tomorrow I sail from New York for Palestine. But I couldn't sail without first seeing you to tell
you why I am making this pilgrimage. Juliet, the Christ-
Spirit is again on earth, and-as before-He is in
Palestine. "
During my illness, the night of the crisis-months
before Laura came to me-I actually saw 'Abdu'l-Baha.
In the midst of physical anguish and with darkness closing down on me, I had felt a great pulsation of love from
the head of my bed and thought that my mother must be
sitting there. I turned and, instead, there sat a Figure
built up of light, with a dazzling turban and hair like a
flow of light to His shoulders, and with His hands
cupped on His knees. Jesus is here, I thought peacefully
and glided away into sleep. And when I awoke the crisis
was passed. Later my mother said to me: "That night of
the crisis while I was praying I saw a great Light shining
beside your bed.",

On the morning of August 24, on my way to the door
of my Lord, I met the last person on earth I would have
looked for, Percy Grant's friend, Dickinson Miller. *
"You here! /I I gasped. "I always wanted to tell you
about this."

·Professor Dickinson Miller, educator and philosopher; then a professor at Columbia University.

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

"Why didn't you?" he asked.
I left him in a moment, I could not wait, and flew
up the long white hall (blessed hall where His voice
and footsteps ring!) till I came to an open door. Tamaddunu'l-Mulk had already entered. I paused at the
door. Then I saw . . . saw once more after these years
of unspeakable longing: my Father, my King, and my
Beloved.
He was just moving forward in the room, His white
robe, His black I aba sweeping in lines of strange grace,
dominated by that head of immortal majesty. In an instant I was at His feet.
I have no words to tell it. Can words paint Glory? The
smiling Face that looked down on me then, as though
from high heaven? One thing I know: God always smiles
-smiles mysteriously.
"Are yo~ happy, Juliet? Happy to be here? How many
years since you were in I Akka?"
"A lifetime!"
He laughed.
"You had a long wait in London? When did you arrive?
You were put to trouble to wait?"
"Oh no! Your Presence was with us in London. The
friends were very kind to me. And if I was waiting, it
was for You, my Lord."
"Of course the friends were kind. The believers must
all serve one another. I want you to be the first handmaiden of God. I am the believers' first Servant. You
know how I serve them."
I covered my face with my hands, for I realized our
littleness and saw Him as the Word of God.
"How is your mother?" (in English) "Your mother?
She is good-very good?"
I I She is always good."

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

"She is pleased with you?"-looking at me archly,
knowing quite well she was not!
"Not very, I'm afraid," I laughed.
"The day will come when she will be pleased with
you, when she will be very proud that you have received
such bounty and favor from Baha'u'llah."
"Will it come in her lifetime, Lord?"
"InshiJ.'llilh!" Then He nodded His head assuringly.
I had been exhausted when I came, after staying up all
night long; I had not been able even to wash. But suddenly from His Presence I felt Life flowing, rushing
toward me; I felt an electric current revivifying me, and
when I went to my room and looked in the mirrorafraid of what I might see in it I found that I had a bright
color and my lips were brilliantly red.

(Footnote. When we arrived at Geneva in the early
morning a train for Thonon was just about to start. Not
even to wash could I wait for the next train! There was
no time to telephone or send a wire to the Hotel du Parc,
so that, naturally, when we reached Thonon, no one was
at the station to meet us. Nor was there a conveyance of
any kind. Only a wheelbarrow! "All right, Mulk," I
said, "we'll take the wheelbarrow. We'll put our luggage
on it and walk behind." "Oh, we couldn't do that!" said
the elegant little Persian. "I can," I replied. And we
did-and arrived at the Hotel du Parc on foot behind the
wheelbarrow! I

Vevey, Switzerland.
August 28, 1911.
[J am in Vevey with Edith Sanderson. My heavenly Visit
is over. Yet I am not separated from Him.

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

"We will never be separated." He said to me. "I shall
be with you always. You will go back to America and I
may return to 'AkkA, but we will be together."

Geneva.
August 31, 1911.
[/ sailed from Vevey today down the Lake of Geneva.
There was a heavy mist and the mountains loomed like
phantoms through it. The lake, full of swans and white
sails, gleamed. The Swiss shore was veiled to a tender
green, its chalets and villages blurred like etchings on
blotting paper.
From Lausanne I strained my eyes toward Thonon.
Then, suddenly the boat turned and made straight for
the French shore. My heart leaped. We were going to
Thonon: Thonon, my Paradise!
Ah, there were the fishnets spread out in the sun;
there the grove of trees at the landing with that brilliant
foliage-such a polished green that it looks wet-and in
the dark shade under the trees, the lily-bed; there, there
His hotel, white against the mountains. I could even see
the window of His room!
Eagerly I searched the faces at the landing. Surely little
Mulk would be at the landing, to meet me and take me
back to my Lord. It must have been for this that the boat
had docked at Thonon. Hippolyte, Laura perhaps ...
No. There was not one soul I knew.
With unspeakable desolation, with a sense of utter
helplessness, I found myself carried away from Thonon.
Heaven was behind me then!
The perspective of the mountains changed. The rowboats rocking on metal waves, the funicular railway, the
gray old house with its shaggy brown roof which Laura

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

and I had found so interesting-all the familiar landmarks become in those four full days intensely intimate-receded and were blotted out by the mist. The
hotel only remained, a "White Spot," seeming to grow
with the distance miraculously whiter, flashing its
message to me as long as it could; for, though at last the
mist dimmed it, it was not till a physical object intervened, not till a ridge of the shore came between, that
it vanished from sight.
Then came a frantic desire to communicate with
Thonon. This cannot, must not be the last, .I thought. I
will telephone Hippolyte as soon as I reach Geneva.
In the Hotel de la Paix I went straight to the phone.
"Ah Juliet!" said Hippolyte's dear voice. "Do you
know that the Master will be in Geneva tomorrow? He
wished me to get into touch with you to tell you that He
was coming. And He wishes Edith and her friend, Miss
Hopkins, to join you at your hotel and spend tomorrow
night with you. He will arrive with the Persians in the
evening."

To go back to that blissful day in His Presence, to that
first lunch hour.
Mr. Miller had been invited to lunch and the Master
placed him, with me, at the head of the table, Himself
sitting at the comer, I on His right. Our table was half
closed in by big white columns. Mr. Miller asked some
questions, on work in and with the Christian Church,
on the validity of mystical experiences, and, at my suggestion (with Percy Grant in my mind) on the economic
problem.
The Master was specially vivid and vital that day, yet
these words seem so poor, so human. I can think of Him

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

only in terms foreign to earth: "The Dawning-Point of
Light," "The Dayspring" ...
From His radiant height of knowledge He gave us great
answers, but to put these into my own language would
spoil, would desecrate them. More than one phrase I
repeated to Professor Miller out of sheer delight in its
perfection. He would nod in response with a happy look.
In reply to the question about the church /most important to Mr. Miller as he is considering resigning his chair
at Columbia to enter the ministry) the Master said
religion was one truth which the sectarians had divided;
however, the Light can be found everywhere, and it was
good to unite with the people, especially in work for
humanity and when one's own motive was pure. He
dwelt on the purity of the motive. All that tended to
unite was good; whatever resulted in division was harmful. I am sorry to repeat only these broken fragments.
His answers were so clear, so brilliant, so simple that
you wondered at your own question. But the words
themselves were elusive. Mortal lips could not frame
such phrases, nor mortal ears register them.
As to mystical experiences: most assuredly the saints
and mystics had real experiences. The proof of the experience was its fruit. If the result was spiritual we
might know the experience was from God.
"Ask a question for me," I said to Professor Miller. "I
know what the Master will say, but I want the answer
for Dr. Grant. He doesn't see the need for the BahA'i
Teaching. He thinks it a sort of 'Quietism.' He says that
to bring about social progress we must first work along
practical lines."
Mr. Miller put the question beautifully. "There are
some who feel this way," he ended, "and one man in

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

particular feels it so strongly that he is making it his
lifework. "
"Such people/' replied the Master, "are doing the
work of true religion."
Then He went on to explain that a new order must
come, but first a solid foundation must be laid for it, and
no foundation was solid enough except religion, which
was the Love of God. Such a basis as the Love of God,
He said, would inevitably result in the rearing of a great
Structure of social justice and individual love and
justice.
"These are just the answers," said Professor Miller,
"that Dr. Grant would like."
The Master then told him of the Divine Plan for a
House of Justice and of the Mashriqu'I-AdhkAr.
After lunch we sat in the reception room: a large white
room, all mirrors and glass doors (and rose-colored furniture), looking out on the lake, the terrace and the
stone balustrade.
In the morning, in the Master's room, I had mentioned
my acquaintance with Professor Miller.
"I always wanted," I said, "to give him the Message."
"Now I have given him the Message," laughed the
Master.
"Now I see why I did not!"
After lunch Mr. Miller spoke of his friendship for me.
"Your love must increase from this day," said the
Master. Whereupon the professor, who is very shy,
blushed as red as the chair he was sitting on and looked
really frightened. "You must become like brother and
sister," our Lord hastily added, with one more lovely
phrase on the future of our spiritual relationship. As Professor Miller took his leave, he seemed to be deeply
moved.

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

"I shall never forget this day," he said.
The Master put His arms around him, then gave him a
good strong slap on the back and bade him good-bye
most lovingly.
When he had gone, the Master turned to me: "Now
there is something for you to do, Juliet! I put him under
your charge. There is a chance for you!"
All that day was heavenly. The Master was either in
my room with Laura and Hippolyte, or we were in His,
in the most charming informality. He gave us no spiritual teaching-in words-only talked gaily or tenderly
with us. I had no private interviews: in fact, He took
very little notice of me. But in spite of all this I saw
something vaster than I had ever seen before; I felt His
unearthly power, His divine sweetness even more than
when I was with Him in 'AkkA. Once as He stood on the
stairway talking with MirzA Asadu'llAh, the sweetness of
His Love brought the tears to my eyes. It is useless to try
to express it. But I said to myself as I looked on that
celestial radiance: If He never gave me so much as a
word, if he never glanced my way, just to see that sweetness shining before me, I would follow Him on my
knees, crawling behind Him in the dust forever!

That night IAugust 24) at dinner, He turned to me
smiling and said: "Did you ever expect, Juliet, to be in
Thonon with Me in such a gathering?"
"No indeed I did not! May we all be in just such a
gathering with You in New York!"
"I have made a pact with the American friends. If they
keep the pact I will come."
"The believers are much better friends than they
were."
"I shall have to know that! BahA'u'llAh," the Master

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

continued, "was bound with a chain no longer than the
distance from here to that post." With a sudden terrific
agitation He rose and pointed to a column close to the
table. "He could scarcely move. Then He was exiled to
Baghdad, to Adrianople, to Constantinople, to 'Akkafour times! He bore all these hardships that unity might
be established among you. But if, among themselves,
the believers cannot unite, how can they hope to unite
the world? Christ said to His disciples: 'Ye are the salt of
the earth, but if the salt has lost its savor, wherewith
shall it be salted?' "*
"It is not Juliet's fault," said Hippolyte.
"No, it is not Juliet's fault. If every one of the believers was like Juliet there would have been no
trouble," said the Master-mercifully.
"If I had done my whole duty I might have accomplished more toward unity."
"I hope you will become perfect. Insha'llah, through
the help of Baha'u'llah, you will be perfect. When you
return to America, Juliet, I want you to do your best to
bring about unity."
"I will do my utmost to carry out every suggestion
you make to me, my Lord. I will work, not alone for the
sake of the believers, but for the sake of others who
would follow You if they could see You."
"Had it not been for these divisions," said our Lord,
" the Cause would have made great progress by now in
America."

The next day, August 25, was intensely interesting.
Early in the morning He called me into His room, with
Tamaddunu'l-Mulk as interpreter.
* Matt. 5:13, Luke 14:34.

JULY 2.3 TO NOVEMBER 2.3, 1911

"Are you happy, Juliet?"
, 'So happy and so at rest. This is the happiness of the
Kingdom."
He asked me about the election of the new Board in
New York. I told Him what I could and that I had
brought a letter explaining.
"Is Mr. Hoar on the Board? Mr. MacNutt?"
"I don't know, my Lord. I sailed before the election."
Then I spoke of how Mr. MacNutt had been forced out
of everything. * If he were not on this new Board, which
had been organized by his friends, it was, I felt sure, by
his own choice. He thinks of himself as a stumbling
block to harmony and now keeps out of the way.
"I proposed this change Myself,"t said the Master,
, 'in order that he might serve on the Board." Then He
laughed, with that wonderful gleam of humor in His
face. "All these Boards and committees: of what importance are they? The really important thing is to spread
the Cause of God. I am not on any committee. Tamaddunu'l-Mulk and Mr. Dreyfus," (for Hippolyte had just
come in) "are not on any committee!"
"Speak to Me, Juliet."
My heart was too full. I could not. After a moment I
said: "May I sit on the floor?"
"But you will be tired."
"Oh, no!"
I sat on the floor at His feet.
"This is like 'Akka," I said, looking up at that matchless Face. Then, to surprise Him, in Persian: " Man

·Disputes had developed in New York between Mr. MacNutt and
other prominent Baha'is. It became the general opinion that Mac-
Nutt's teaching of the Faith was incorrect in some aspects.-Eo.
tEnlarging the Board from nine to nineteen members.-J.T.

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWlXZERLAND

Shuma ra khayli. khayli dust daram." (I love You very,
very much.)
Taking my hand and pressing it, smiling down at me,
He said something in Persian to Mulk.
"What is He saying?" I asked.
"He is praising you very much. He says that your
heart is pure. He Himself bears witness to this. He is
your witness. He proves your heart to be pure." (Mulk
had already told me of all the slanderous letters about
me received by the Master.) "If He says this it makes no
difference what the people say."
The Master spoke again to Tamaddunu'l-Mulk.
"He says He sent for you out of pure affection. It was
nothing but affection. There was no other motive in His
sending for you." Mulk had told the Master how badly I
felt about my broken engagement to Mason Remey. "He
had promised to send for you again and He thought that
while He was in Europe would be a good opportunity,
that you could come to Europe more easily than to
'Akka."
"Beg Him to so fill me up with His Love that I may
express my gratitude for this affection by true service in
America."
"He says that you are already full of love for Him and
when you return to America you will serve Him; that
your attraction in this Cause and your devotion to it are
in themselves service."
"I feel that I have failed in all I undertook to do when I
last left Him. I have had great lessons in my own
weakness. "
"The Master says your weakness will be turned into
strength.' ,
"You will be strong-strong," said the Master directly

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

to me in English, "and when you go back this time you
will have a greater power."
Letters were brought to Him and He talked of various
things. Tamaddunu'l-Mulk handed Him a booklet of
Warwick Castle, where, at the invitation of the
Countess of Warwick, the members of the Races' Congress had spent a day-we with them, of course. The
Master laughed, pushed the book away and gave Mulk a
slap.
"What do I care about it?" He asked. "If a good
believer lived in it, that would be different! Once, when
I lived in Baghdad," He went on, "I was invited to the
house of a poor thorn-picker. In Baghdad the heat is
greater even than in Syria; and it was a very hot day. But
I walked twelve miles to the thorn-picker's hut. Then
his wife made a little cake out of some meal for Me and
burnt it in cooking it, so that it was a black, hard lump.
Still that was the best reception I ever attended."
I had two more private talks with our Lord that morning. In the second, something I said brought forth this
answer: "The child does not realize the parents' love,
but when it becomes mature it knows." He said this
looking out of the window and His face was very sad.
"Can the creature," I asked, "ever know the Love of
the Creator?"
"Yes. If not in this world, then in the next, as a
sleeper wakens."
It was during my third visit to Him that I spoke of the
Holy Household, spoke of each beloved one with tears in
my eyes. His own kindled with the warmest love as He
answered: "They too love you, Juliet, and always talk of
you-especially Munavvar. It is always 'Juliet, Juliet.' "
"Oh, may I go and see them again?" I asked.

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

"Assuredly you will go and see them again." *

At noon that day we had royalty to lunch! Bahram
Mirza of Persia. Prince Bahram's father is Zillu's-Sultan,
who, as the eldest son of Na~irid-Din Shah, would have
succeeded to the throne but that his mother was not of
royal blood. It was through the orders of Na~iri'd-Din
Shah that the Bab was executed and thousands of Babis
massacred, while through Zillu's-Sultan's orders those
two great Baha'is, "The King of the Martyrs" and "The
Beloved of the Martyrs," and at least a hundred others,
met horrifying deaths. Now the whole royal family is
in exile, Zillu's-Sultan and his sons in Geneva, while
'Abdu'l-Baha walks free in Thonon-so near!
The day before I arrived, Zillu's-Sultan came over to
Thonon for a few hours, and straight to the Hotel du
Parco
Hippolyte Dreyfus, when he was in Persia, had met
this Prince, had visited him in his tent while he-the
prince-was on a hunting trip. And now he met him
again on the terrace of the hotel. The Master too was on
the terrace, pacing up and down at a little distance. Hippolyte was standing in the doorway when he saw Zillu's-
Sultan coming up the steps. The prince approached
and greeted him, then turned a startled look toward the
Master.
"Who is that Persian nobleman?" he asked.
"That," answered Hippolyte, "is 'Abdu'l-Baha."
And now Zillu's-Sultan spoke very humbly.
"Take me to Him," he begged.

*He said "see them again." Ten years ago, in 1926, I went-and saw
them, and the beloved Guardian. But the Master was not there.-J.T.

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

Hippolyte told me all about it: "If you could have seen
the brute, Juliet, mumbling out his miserable excuses!
But the Master took him in His arms and said: 'All those
things are in the past. Never think of them again.' Then
He invited :Z;illu's-Sultan's two sons to spend a day with
Him."
And so it was that Prince Bahram came to lunch.
A beautiful boy-Prince Bahram-like a Persian miniature. His skin is as smooth as ivory, his straight features finely chiseled, his eyebrows meet in a thin, black
line across His nose. But being so young he is wholly
unawakened spiritually, and he hasn't any manners
at all! After lunch, assuming the privileges of a royal
prince and Muhammadan, he stalked out of the room
ahead of Laura and me-when the Master, in spite
of our protests, had insisted on our preceding Him.
However, the Master said later: "Bahram Mirza bad
nist IPrince Bahram is not bad), so I can afford to be
/I

tolerant!
After lunch, returning to the white and rose-colored
room, the Master placed me on His left and the prince
on His right and we all had coffee. The coffee was served
first to the prince. To my great surprise he rose and offered
his cup to me. Too completely disarmed, I immediately
"bent over backward," figuratively speaking.
"Won't you keep it?" I asked.
"No," he replied solemnly, "it has two lumps of sugar
in it. I don't like two lumps of sugar."
Neither did I!

At three 0' clock, after bidding Prince Bahram goodbye, we did the most amazing thing: the Master, Laura,
Hippolyte, and I went for an automobile ride!

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

"Did you ever think, Juliet," said the Master, laughing, as we got into the car with Him, "that you and
Laura would be riding in an automobile with Me in
Europe?"
We drove to a country inn where a little later, after a
walk, we were to have our tea. As the Master stepped
down from the car, about fifteen peasant children with
bunches of violets to sell closed in on Him, formed a half
circle around Him, holding up the little purple bunches,
raising their eyes to His Face with grave astonishment.
They pressed so close that they hid Him below the
waist, and the benediction in the look He bent on them I
shall never forget. Of course He bought all the violets,
drawing from His pocket handfuls of francs. But when
He had given to each child bountifully, they held out
their hands for more!
"Don't let them impose!" cried Laura.
"Tell them," said the Master very gently, "that they
have taken."
He turned and walked into the forest, followed by
Laura, Hippolyte, and me. Hippolyte had told Him of
"the Devil's Bridge" deeper down in the forest, a place
celebrated for its beauty, and the Master wanted to see
it. His excitement over beauty is wonderful to watch and
perfectly heartrending when you think of His long, long
life in prison. He-oUI Lord-led us to the Devil's
Bridge! I can see Him now, just ahead of us, the white
robe, the black 'aba, the white turban, the beautiful
sway of His walk among the trees.
"What is it," I said to Laura, "that makes that stride
of the Master's so unique? Its absolute freedom?"
Laura found she couldn't walk as far as the Devil's
Bridge, so I waited in the woods with her, both of us

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

seated on a rock, while Hippolyte followed our Lord. *
When they returned, the Master sat down on another
rock and beckoned me to His side. So close to Him, the
fragrance of His Divinity enveloped me and I realized at
least something of the moment's sacredness. Just in this
way the disciples of nearly two thousand years ago must
have sat with their Lord to rest. The sunlight through
the trees made their leaves translucent, but even against
that green glassiness, the Master's clear profile shone,
like a lighted alabaster lamp.
We walked back to the inn through the woods, He
leading us. As soon as He reappeared on the lawn of the
inn the children again swarmed around Him, their hands
still outstretched. Laura sternly ordered them off, for
they were certainly imposing. "He would give away
everything He has," she whispered to me. But the
Master had discovered a tiny newcomer, a child much
younger than the others, with a very sensitive face, who
was looking wonderingly at Him.
"But," He said, "to this little one I have not given."
We went into the inn (after the Master had given to
the "little one") and had tea on the porch, sitting at a
rough pine table on a rough bench-two mountains,
with evergreens climbing them, towering above us. The
inn was in the cleft between. At another table sat a man
who could not keep his eyes off the Master and at last
ventured to speak to Him, opening the conversation by
saying that he had lived in Persia. Our Lord called him
over to sit with us-which he almost leaped to do-then
invited him to come to Thonon.

-During the First World War, Hippolyte, then in the army, guarded a
bridge!-J. T.

WITH I ABDU/L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

Again, when we left the inn, the children swarmed
around the Master and again Laura tried to save Him
from their greediness.
"But here," said our Lord, "is a boy to whom I have
not given."
"You gave to them all," said Laura.
"Call Hippolyte," ordered the Master. "I did not give
to this boy, did I, Hippolyte?"
"I believe you did not."
Then the Master gave.
In the years to come they will tell stories along the
Lake of Geneva of the visit of 'Abdu'l-Baha to Thonon.
Then those little children, perhaps old men and women
by that time, remembering a Face like a great dream
at the dawn of their lives, may ask one another: "Was
it He?"

Driving home, we came to the most spectacular waterfall, foaming down a black precipice. The Master preemptorily stopped the car and with a sort of excitement
got out of it; then walked to the very edge of the precipice. After standing there for some time, His eyes fixed
on that long, shining torrent, which seemed to be shaking off diamonds in a fury, He seated Himself on a rock
hanging over the deep abyss. I can still see that Figgure of quiet Power perilously poised above the precipice, that still, rapt Face delighting in some secret way
in the beauty of the waterfall. Tears came to Laura's eyes
and mine. *

* 1947. When I saw Laura this year I said: "Remember Thononl"
"The waterfall," she answered.-J.T.

JULY 13 TO NOVEMBER 13, 1911

During the whole drive He was always discovering
lovely things and with vivid animation pointing them
out to us: the bright green of the fields and hills, the neat
villages, a spire rising from a cluster of Swiss houses, or
from some lonely spot on a mountain. A tiny village,
high among the peaks, caught His eye.
"How can the people there stand the winter? It must,"
He said with the tenderest sympathy, "be too severely
cold for them."
It was just after we left the waterfall that the Master
turned, smiling, to me. "If I come to America, Juliet,
will you invite Me to see such waterfalls?"
"I will invite You to Niagara if You will come to
America! But surely, my Lord, Your coming doesn't depend on my invitation."
"My invitation to America will be the unity of the
believers. "
"Louise Stapfer asked me to give You her love and beg
You to come and unite us. Otherwise, she said, we will
never be united." •
"No, you must do that yourselves. See in what perfect
harmony we are now! You are not complaining of one
another. But if I should go to America they would all be
complaining of one another and ... " (He laughed and
made a lively gesture with His hands) "I would fly
away!"
Once, breaking a silence, He said: "There was no one
in the world who loved trees and water and the country
so much as Baha'u'llili."
So sad was His voice that it was like a sigh and I
seemed to feel what He was thinking. He was free at last
to travel about the world and see all the beauties of

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

nature, which He too loved, while the Blessed Beauty
had lived for long years walled up in that treeless city,
'Akka, and died still a prisoner.
A little later I spoke: "If only, like the disciples of
Christ, we could follow You everywhere, all through our
lives."
The Master beamed brightly on me. "We are together
now. Be happy in the present," He said.
I mentioned my dream about the crypt and asked if I
might tell it to Him, but it sounded so awfully queer as I
told it that Laura, Hippolyte, and I began to laugh; and
the Master's own face twitched a little, I thought.
However He said: "You must not laugh at this dream,"
and asked me to go on telling it.
But just as I came to the end, our car drew up at the
gate of a ruined castle and we all got out and walked over
to look at it. After this I was sure I would hear no more
of my dream, but as soon as we were settled in the car
again the Master reopened the subject.
• "You must write down that dream, Juliet," He said.
"I have written it, my Lord."
"Ah, Khayli khub/" (Very good!)
Then He said something to Hippolyte, laughing, and
with those vivid gestures of His, continued to talk for
some time. What He said I couldn't catch-I know such
a tiny bit of Persian-but Hippolyte told me afterward,
rather reluctantly! that the Master was speaking about
dreams. He had laughed at Hippolyte because he did not
believe in them and had explained that there were three
kinds of dreams: dreams that come from some bodily
disorder, symbolic dreams, and those in which future
events are clearly foretold. When the soul is in a state of

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

perfect purity it is able, He said, to receive a direct
revelation from God. Otherwise, it sees in symbols.
Then He told us the story of a man, a Christian, who
had visited Him in 'AkkA and expressed his disbelief in
dreams.
"But," said the Master, "your own Sacred Writings
mention such things."
Still the man remained skeptical. A few months later,
however, he reappeared in 'AkkA, sought the presence of
the Master, and immediately fell at His feet and attempted to kiss His hand, which the Master will never allow.
"In the Name of BahA'u'llah, let me kiss Your hand,"
pleaded the Christian. He then went on to confess that
now he did believe in dreams. He had learned, he said,
through a sorrowful experience that the Master had
spoken the truth to him.
One night when he was away from home he had had
an alarming dream of his little daughter. She had come
to him, sat on his knee and complained that her head
ached. Rapidly she grew worse. They sent for the doctor.
the father knew in his dream that she was hopelessly ill
and felt the most acute anguish. Then he saw her die.
The following night he returned to his home and his
daughter came and sat on his knee. "Father," she said,
"my head aches." Then followed her illness, her death.
"As the mind has the power when awake to think constructively or to dissipate its powers uselessly, so, when
the body is asleep, it can either construct or dream
meaningless dreams."
"When the body is asleep," I asked, remembering a
theory, "can the mind construct at will?"
"No, no," said the Master.

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

As we drove toward Thonon, the sunset flooded the
sky with glory. Behind the immortal head of the Master
rose amethyst mountains, their summits hidden in rolling fiery clouds. But that Godlike head surpassed both
clouds and mountains in grandeur.
Entering the town we passed a stone wall with an
enormous sign painted on it-an advertisement for chocolate-the letters so big that the sign was a block long.
With one of His swift changes, the Master, rippling
with amusement, pointed to the advertisement.
"What is tbaO" He asked.
When Hippolyte explained. He burst out laughing.
"Is chocolate so important in Thonon?"

While I sat at His feet that evening He sang a song to
me, looking down at me with eyes of glory.

"Beloved Juliet! My heart! My soul!
My Spirit! My heaven!
Your heart for Me, your breast for Me!
Always for Me, always for Me!
Your eyes for me, your mind for Me,
Always for Me!
Your soul for Me, your spirit for Me,
Always for Me, always for Me!
Your blood for Me, your blood for Me,
Your blood for Me!"

What does He mean by my blood for Him? Am I to die
for Him? I hope so!

The Master had made a lovely plan for the next day:
we were all to go to Vevey with Him to visit Mrs. Sander-

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

son and Edith, * but-we missed the boat! Although we
were terribly disappointed, this was as nothing compared to the nightmare that followed. xt arrived from
Lausanne about ten 0' clock, completely surprising us, as
we had no idea that she was in Europe.
She came into the Dreyfuses' room-where Hippolyte,
Laura, and I were sitting-in a state of suppressed fury
and almost immediately boiled over with the most
revolting slander against Mr. MacNutt. This, she said,
she intended to lay before the Master to prove that Mr.
MacNutt was unfit to serve the Cause. She had made the
trip to Thonon especially for this purpose!
But the Master did not appear, and I thought of His
words the day before: /lIf I should go to America they
would all be complaining of one another and I would fly
away." He had flown!
Hours passed and still no word from the Master, till
lunchtime. Then Mulk brought a message from Him
asking us to excuse Him, He was not well enough to
lunch with us but would see us later.
It was not until five 0' clock that He came to the
Dreyfuses' door. He looked very tired and worn. After
greeting X lovingly, He took a seat by the window and
told her He had a message for the believers in New York
which He wished her to convey to them. I wrote His
words down as He spoke them.
/lIn this Cause," He said, /lhundreds of families have
sacrificed themselves. There have been more than twenty thousand martyrs. The breast of His Highness the Bab
-Edith SandersoD, a Baha'i from Paris, and her mother.
tThe X of the ThoDOD diary is Dot the X of the 'Akka diary, but
somebody else who must remain incognito.-J.T.
This X is Annie Boylan.-ED.

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

was riddled by dozens of bullets; BahA'u'llAh suffered
years and years in prison; and We have had all these difficulties and borne all these trials that the canopy of Oneness might be uplifted in the world of humanity, that
Love and Unity might be established amongst mankind,
until all countries become as one country, all religions
be merged into one religion, all the continents be connected and between all hearts a perfect understanding
and love may appear.
"The people of BahA must be the cause of uniting all
the nations. They must dispel inharmony and dispute.
So now we must consider deeply how the BahA'is must
really be, what characteristics they must have and what
actions they must perform.
/IAnd if there is not this love and harmony among
BahA'is how can they cause it to appear among the inhabitants of the earth? How can an ill man nurse others?
How could a pauper give wealth to others? So the first
thing the BahA'is must do is to feel love and unity in
their hearts before they can spread it among others.
"Is it possible to conceive that all the troubles, all the
trials of BahA'u'llah and the martyrs have been without
result? Surely you will not have it so! If you would all
act entirely in accordance with the Teachings of
BahA'u'llah no discord would ever appear. Then all disagreements will vanish, and be certain that the pavilion
of Unity will be hoisted in the world of man.
"Each nation, each people that has understood and felt
the Love of God has progressed and developed, but where
discord has sprung up in the midst of a nation, that nation has been dispersed.
"I know you would not have all these trials and dif-

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

ficulties produce nothing. Therefore I am waiting and expecting to hear that love and harmony have blossomed
in the hearts of all the Baha'is in America.
"Now the Baha'is must be occupied in spreading the
Cause of God and furthering the instructions of Baha'-
u'llah, and not spend their time in disputing with one
another. If they do the first, all will be happy; they will
be assisted by the Breath of the Holy Spirit and become
the beloved of His Heart."
While the Master was speaking, X continued to bristle,
jarring the whole room as she seethed with her bottledup "proof," which now of course she dare not "lay before
the Master." She couldn't even mention Mr. MacNutt!
I saw her as an embodiment of the discord in New York,
and those terrific vibrations, blasting into the Master's
happy holiday Ithe first one in all His life), nearly killed
me. I listened really in torture.
Suddenly the Master turned to me.
"What is the matter, Juliet? Are you not happy?"
I answered in Persian that I was unhappy.
"You must be happy," He said, "that you are going
back to New York to serve Me."
When X had gone, the Master came into my room.
Tamaddunu'l-Mulk was with me and we placed a chair
for Him by the window, from which He could see the
dark sweep of the mountains. I said it had tom me to
pieces to hear the jangle of discord in His Presence.
"I know," He answered, "and that was the reason I
told you to be happy, for you were returning to serve Me.
I meant that you were returning to work for unity."
"Oh my Lord," I said, "wasn't it Abraham who
prayed to the Lord to save Sodom and Gomorrah for the

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

sake of five righteous men? * Now," I laughed, "I am going to be like Abraham and beg You to come to America
for the sake of just a few, for some will never understand."
The Master, too, laughed-such humor in His eyes.
"If it were not so long a trip: if it were a little trip, like
Paris, or London, or Vienna, I would come for your
sake," he said tenderly. "But when I come it must be for
a long visit. I am going to Chicago, to Washington, and
even to California, and I have not the time this year. But
I will come-Inshtilla.h/-when the moment arrives."
He spoke of Mr. MacNutt. "The reason I suggested
this new election," He said, "was that Mr. MacNutt
might serve on the Board again. But do not tell anybody
this; it would only stir up a quarrel. However, go directly to Mr. MacNutt and tell him I said this. He is not
on this Board, but next year something must be done so
that he may be elected. I have," He concluded, " a very
great affection for Mr. MacNutt."

Hippolyte told me that night that if the Master felt
well enough we would go to Vevey on Sunday and that
after he had waked the Master he would wake me at
seven o'clock. But it was the Master who woke us all! At
six came a rap at my door and I heard His dear voice.
"1 want to go!" He said in English. Then I heard Him
down the hall calling "Mademoiselle!" at the door of
Tamaddunu'l-Mulk: little " Civilization of the
Country," who has taken to corsets lately to improve
his figure.
Oh, that day; that day!
We drove to the boat all together-nine of us-in a big

·See Gen. 18:32.

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

station wagon, the Master placing me opposite Him.
At the landing is a dense grove of trees-I think I have
already mentioned it-with polished-looking leaves and
very dark shade under them; in the shade a bank of
white lilies and close to the lilies a bench. The Master
asked Laura and me to sit on the bench with Him. Soon,
however, He rose and went off alone and for a while we
lost sight of Him. When we saw Him again He was
walking on the beach, behind fishnets hung out to dry.
Laura touched my hand. "See where He is, Juliet,"
she said.
"Yes: on the shore of a lake-behind fishnets. Oh,
Laura!"
He walked slowly on, looking almost transparent in
the early-morning sunlight, till He came to the edge
of the grove. There He turned inland and walked among
the trees. Through their leaves, the sun flecked His
bronze 'aba with fiery spots dazzled on His turban and
His long silver hair and drew a crystalline, like a halo,
down His profile to His feet. A child, light as a fairy,
glistening in her white dress, danced up a path to His
left. Our Lord stopped for a moment to watch her. Then,
mysteriously, He vanished! We saw the boat coming
closer, closer, and looked around wildly for the Master.
Where and how had He disappeared so quickly?
On the landing we found Him waiting for us, and followed Him to the gangplank. All the people on the landing stared at Him as He moved quietly forward with that
strange power and that holy sweetness. Children raised
their eyes to His face. He put out a tender hand and
caressed their heads.
We gathered around Him on the boat, Laura, the Persians, and I, and for a while He sat silent and grave in
our midst. Then suddenly He turned and smiled at me.

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

"You never dreamed, Juliet," He said, "that you would
be with Me in a boat."
"1 have often dreamed that I was with You in a boat!"
"But you never thought it would be fulfilled in this
way!"
"No," I smiled. "1 never did. I couldn't have imagined
this!"
To be with Him in a boat on this lake so like the Sea
of Galilee! He sat with His bronze ' aba around Him, His
hands hidden in its full sleeves, so that the sleeves with
their straight, massive folds looked like great wings. The
mist-veiled Alps were His background and His Majesty
so dominated them that they appeared as no more than a
filmy drop-curtain. The mist thickened, almost blotting
out the mountains, blending them into the lake, and I
felt that we had left earth with Him and our boat was
sailing through ether. Just as I was thinking this, He
said: "Others are passing from an immortal to a mortal
kingdom, but the Baha'is are journeying, in the Ark of
the Covenant, from a mortal to an immortal world. The
Jews once turned to the Kingdom, but when they looked
backward to mortal things, they became dispersed. Then
Christ led men to the Kingdom; their signs have remained. God be praised that now you are on a Ship bearing you to immortal worlds. Day by day your signs will
become clearer."
Later the Persians brought Him tea and when He had
finished I begged to "drink from His cup." Mirza Rafi',
adding some water to the kettle, poured out a cup for
me.
The Master turned and smiled at me; then He laughed.
"The tea for Me, the water for Juliet!" He said.
I am sure the future will adore Him also for His
humor. The joy of His spirit overflows in the most

JULY 2.3 TO NOVEMBER 2.3, 1911

delicious humor and gives Him a look of unconquerable
youth.
"0 Son of Delight! I have just seen this phrase in the
II

Hidden Words. The Master is all delight.

Bay of Naples.
September 3, 1911.
Dn September 3, 1909 after leaving the Holy Presence
in Haifa, I sailed from Naples. Here I am again on September 3, 1911. These strangely repetitious dates!
Tonight, as I saw that great pile of beauty, Naples, rising, jeweled with lights, against the clear rose of the
afterglow-as I heard the voices of singers in the distance-how vivid were my memories of Akka, Haifa; of
I

the Master there! It is midnight now and I am too tired
to write, but tomorrow I will tell the story of our day in
Vevey.

September 4, 1911.
<We arrived at Vevey. Edith was waiting on the landing
and we drove with her to the hotel. There, we went
straight to the room reserved by her for the Master. To
my joy He called me to sit beside Him.
Mrs. Sanderson (Edith's mother) has never been attracted to the Cause. She has felt like my own dear
mother about it, not caring at all for most of the
believers! But she could not take her eyes from the
Master's face. "His beautiful face!" she whispered to
me. Two of Edith's friends came in, Miss Hopkins and
Miss Norton.
Miss Hopkins is a Catholic, Miss Norton an agnostic.
Miss Norton, when she saw the Master, seemed to be

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

strangely overcome. Her face trembled, her eyes widened,
as though she were looking at a spirit. I thought that
at any moment she would burst out crying.
She and Mrs. Sanderson brought up the question of
immortality (which Mrs. Sanderson feels it is cowardly
to believe in) and I wrote down the Master's answer as
Mulk translated it. Here it is, though I hate to give it
in Mulk's poor English. Edith understands Persian. "You
cannot imagine/' she said to me, "how ruinous the
translation is. The Master puts life into every word.
Translated, the words sound flat. Besides, the Persian
is so rich and He has a way of saying the same thing
over differently, in various poetic forms and with subtle
shades of meaning. In the translation it is all alike./J

"Christ and all the Prophets have taught in their Holy
Books the immortality of the soul.
"Jesus during His life had so many afflictions and no
happiness or comfort, and in the end He was crucified.
If there were no immortality to follow, then nothing
could be more useless than such a life.
''Take, for example, the life of Hannibal. In the world
we would find none happier than he, for his life was
one of pleasure and conquest and he triumphed wherever
he desired. But Jesus had many afflictions. Were there
no immortality, we might say that Jesus was not even
rational. But at the hour of His crucifixion, He knew He
was leaving the mortal for the immortal lifei He knew
He was leaving the physical to ascend to the spiritual
world. When they put on His head the crown of thoms,
He thought of the crown of the Kingdom. While He was
hanging on the cross, He thought of the eternal throne.
"But now we come to the proofs. Those who do not
believe in immortality have some proofs. For example,

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

one is this. They divide existence into two kinds: imaginary existence and that of the senses. They say that since
the immortal kingdom is not of the senses, there can
be no such kingdom. This is their proof! By this proof
they deny!
"But Jesus and Baha'u'llah answer the people who do
not believe thus: Every rational man can see that the
world has come out of nonexistence into existence. Life
progresses from the mineral kingdom to the vegetable
kingdom, from the vegetable to the animal, and from
thence to the human kingdom. Were there no spiritual
kingdom, life would be useless.
"For example: We plant a tree, we water and care for
it. From branches we see it advance to leaf and from leaf
to fruit. Should the fruit be opened and found to contain
nothing, all would be useless. So the people of common
sense, studying the universe, see that creation must have
a result.
"The people of the world say: 'Where is the immortal
world? When we look about us we do not see it. We
only see the world of elements.' Therefore the Prophet
says: 'Those in the station below cannot see the station
above.' We are in this room, we cannot see beyond the
ceiling. We are downstairs, we cannot see upstairs.
"For example: The mineral kingdom has no knowledge
of the vegetable kingdom. The vegetable kingdom knows
nothing of the animal kingdom. Nor is it possible that
it should know of the animal, because it-the vegetable
-is of a lower grade; the animal is in the higher condition. If the vegetable kingdom deny the existence of
the animal kingdom, does this disprove the animal kingdom's existence? No, the animal kingdom exists, but
the vegetable kingdom cannot imagine the reality of it.
The reason the vegetable kingdom cannot imagine the

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

animal kingdom is because it cannot comprehend it. But
this does not disprove its existence.
"Now we come to the human kingdom. In the human
kingdom is an intellectual power not possessed by the
animal kingdom. The animal cannot imagine this power. A Spaniard discovered America. The animal could not
understand this. The intellectual power is not disproved
because it is not understood.
"As to the spiritual kingdom: An unborn child cannot
understand this world. It cannot imagine a world beyond
the womb. If we could tell an unborn child that there is
another world, with mountains, villages, cities-so
many beautiful things-could he understand? Never!
Therefore Christ said one must be born a second time.
As a child, by coming to this world, understands the
conditions here, so we should go to the spiritual world to
understand its conditions. The Prophets were born in the
spiritual condition to understand the immortal world.
"For example: The unborn child would deny the existence of this world for the reason that he knows nothing
of it and the best condition to him is the world of the
womb, the best food his nourishment there. He could
not visualize this world. But when he is born and arrives
at understanding, he sees what a beautiful world this is.
"So with the spiritual kingdom. The people of this
world cannot comprehend the conditions of that immortal world, but, when they reach it, they see that this, in
comparison, is just like the world of the womb. The unborn child says: 'This is the best world. I am quite
satisfied with it. I must not leave it.' ,
I

The Master turned suddenly to me. "Do you understand all this, Juliet? I want you to know these things
very well when you return to America."

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

I had been saying to myself: Oh, Mrs. Sanderson, look
at the Master and see Immortality!
The next question-Mrs. Sanderson's-was about divorce, if Baha'u'llah approved of it.
"Baha'u'llah/'-the Master smiled-"says that in this
world there is nothing more absurd than divorce. If one
has accepted another and is a good Baha'i, he never likes
to believe in divorce. But if there be a case of difference
between husband and wife, where it is entirely impossible to recreate their love, where it is not possible for
them to live any longer with one another, then both
should go to the House of Justice and together, in perfect agreement, lay their case before it. And after this,
they should still wait a year, living apart but not permanently divorced, and their friends should give them good
advice meanwhile. If, after one year, there is no possibility of becoming reunited, and no one is able to influence
them, then this is the natural divorce.
"But between the real Baha'is there is no divorce. No
one has ever heard of divorce between real Baha'is. The
Baha'i husband and wife will not allow affairs to reach
such a condition."
Luncheon was announced, and Miss Hopkins and Miss
Norton rose to go. As Miss Hopkins bade the Master
good-bye, He said: "I will pray for you."
"And I will pray for you too," she answered.
This gave me a shock. At the table Mrs. Sanderson
spoke of it, saying that her own feelings had been "outraged" by it.
"No," replied the Master, "do not feel that way. It
came from the heart; therefore it was beautiful."
I shall never forget the way He said "beautifuL"
The Master had asked me to sit by Him at lunch. He
was on the right of Mrs. Sanderson, who sat at the head

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHI. IN SWITZERLAND

of the table. He talked with the gentlest love to her.
Soon she brought up the name of Lua and then asked me:
"Have you heard from Lua lately, Juliet?
"I love Lua," she added.
"My mother loves Lua too."
"Your mother," the Master turned to me, in His voice
that ineffable tenderness with which He always mentions Mamma.
"I wish my mother were here with Edith's mother."
"I shall see your mother. "
I tried to speak a little Persian to Him and He helped
me to construct the phrases. He had told me a day or two
before that I must be sure to study Persian. "You see,"
He had said, "I can talk with Laura."

Lunch over, the Master went to His room to rest, after
stopping in the hall for a moment to meet an old French
lady, Madame Naber. Everyone scattered then and, finding myself alone, I slipped through a side door into the
garden; and there on a stone bench sat Madame Naber
and Mrs. Sanderson, their white heads close together.
They didn't see me at first.
"11 a l' air si bon, si simple," Madame Naber was saying.
"Qui, et les yeux de feu!" said Mrs. Sanderson. *
Then they looked up and smiled at me and Mrs. Sanderson said: "Wouldn't you like to see the view from the
terrace, Juliet?"
I took the hint and walked over to the terrace, from
which you can get the most marvelous view of the lake
and the mountains on the further side.

• "He has such a good, such a simple bearing."
"Yes, and eyes of fire!"

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

Imagine my astonishment to find, sitting in the shade
of a tree, Mrs. Griscomb and Professor Mitchell of the
Church of the Ascension!
Mr. Griscomb and the Professor have been for some
time vestrymen of the Church and have always actively
opposed The Peoples' Forum, which is Percy Grant's
chief interest. "My capitalists," Percy calls them. They
are also Theosophists and have a very select group of
their own, never mingling with the big ordinary group!
But I was glad to see them just because they were from
the church, and flew over to speak to Mrs. Griscomb.
She is a plump, pretty little woman, with at least two
professors and a husband at her feet. Professor Mitchell
is sort of willowy and has a walrus moustache and, on
his thin aloof nose, pince-nez with a wide black string.
"Why!" exclaimed Mrs. Griscomb when she caught
sight of me. "What are you doing here?"
"I have come from Thonon with 'Abdu'l-Baha to lunch
with the Sandersons. Do you know Mrs. Sanderson, Mrs.
Giiscomb? Won't you let me introduce you?"
"I should prefer to talk with you."
A little surprised, afraid I had made some blunder,
though I couldn't imagine what, I hastily explained, "I
asked on the impulse of the moment because it would be
such a joy to present you to 'Abdu'l-Baha."
"Thanks. I'm not at all crazy to meet 'Abdu'l-Baha."
The silly, insulting little answer went straight through
my heart like a knife.
"I'm glad, however," she added, "if He gives you
pleasure.' ,
"Mrs. Griscomb," I said, "'Abdu'l-Baha is creating
unity all through the world among all races and religions, which is a far more important thing than giving
anyone personal happiness."

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

"I am one of those who do not decry personal happiness; and really I don't want to meet 'Abdu'l-Baha."
"You will see Him," I said as I moved away, "and
then you may regret refusing."
By that time the Master was up and receiving the
friends in His room. I rushed to the refuge of His Holy
Presence. I was tingling all over, actually suffering
physically from the blow of Mrs. Griscomb's flippant
blasphemy. As I entered the Master's room He sent me a
searching glance but said nothing. And of course I said
nothing, till I had a chance to talk to Edith.

A little later in the afternoon, Edith, her mother,
Laura, and I sat on the terrace with the Master. Mrs.
Griscomb and the Professor were no longer there, but,
Edith said, they were watching from their windows, Professor Hargrove standing beside them. Professor Hargrove, whom Percy calls "his mystic," is staying with
the Griscombs in Vevey. They have a garden apartment
in the hotel where they even eat their meals, associating
with no one. It is understood they are very busy studying
occultism and must not be interrupted in their search for
Truth!
The whole thing is extraordinary. It was through Professor Mitchell that Dickinson Miller was brought to
Percy Grant's church. Now both professors come to
Switzerland and are drawn to the neighborhood, even to
the Presence, of "the Dawning-Point of Divine
Knowledge." How different the reactions of the two! In
Professor Miller, at least a timid response, a peeping out
of the soul. In Professor Mitchell: a back turned superciliously!
Professor Mitchell, Professor Miller, and Percy Grant
belonged about four years ago to a sort of club, where,

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

with other professors of Columbia University they met
to discuss religion. Professor Mitchell, whose memory is
very accurate, wrote reports of those meetings and
published them in book form. The book is extremely interesting. All through it the note is sounded that a great
new Light is shining upon the world.
It ends something like this: "The Mathematician, left
alone after the departure of his guests, goes to the window. In his ears ring the words of the Clergyman: 'The
rebirth of the Christ in the whole of humanity is close at
hand.' The Mathematician looks up at the stars and the
vision of John on Patmos occurs to him. 'Even so,' he
whispers, 'come quickly, Lord Jesus.' "
liThe Mathematician" is Professor Mitchell and lithe
Clergyman, " Percy Grant. And if this is not tragic, then
I don't know what is!

Edith drove down to the landing with us to meet the
boat, which was to take us back to Thonon. But, as we
were early, the Master proposed our waiting in a nearby
garden. There, on a bench under a tree, Laura, Edith, and
I sat beside Him, while the Persians stood around us.
One of them mentioned Barakatu'llah, whereupon the
Master turned to me with such a funny look of accusation! His eyebrows went up and His eyes laughed. In my
confusion I dropped my gloves and He stooped to pick
them up, which completely humiliated me.
"Oh my Lord, don't!" I gasped.
At last the boat came. The Master stayed on deck for a
short time, during which I kept very quiet, not wishing
to speak; wishing only to fix in my mind that Godlike
head with the Alps for its background. Then he went off
to ~est.
After He had gone, a man who was sitting close to us

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

spoke to Mirza Rafi'. "May I ask who that gentleman
is?" he said. "I am very much attracted to His face."
" 'Abdu'l-Baha, a Persian exile," answered Mirza Rafi'
-too reticently, it seemed to me.
"I thought He might be the sultan's brother, who, I
hear is living in Geneva."
He evidently meant ~illu' s-Sultan! As he continued to
ask questions, Laura gave the Message very ably. Beside
the man sat a boy of about sixteen, with fair, curly hair
and the face of a Botticelli angel. He leaned forward and
listened eagerly.
Later the Master came out from His cabin, but the
man and the boy had left the boat at Eviens.
The Master called me to sit by Him, Mulk sitting on
the other side.
"Are you tired?" l asked.
"No, I am never tired. I am very comfortable." He
spoke in His sweet English.
Touching the beautiful bronze-colored 'aba, I said:
"The coat You wore when I was in Haifa, which You
afterward gave to Edna, was like this in color, and we
shared it, Edna and I. She would be so sweet as to lend it
to me; then I would return it to her; then she would lend
it to me again. It was such a comfort to me, that coat. At
night, or in the early morning, I would bury my face in
its hem and pray. Then I would seem to be kneeling
again at Your feet, my Lord."
He smiled very tenderly while I was telling Him this.
"Edna has become very dear to me. And she loves You
very much."
"Ah, Khayli khub."
"I want to speak of a friend of Edna's and mine-a
very dear friend-a girl who is very, very close to me,

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

whom I love with all my heart: M.M. * It is difficult for
her to serve the Cause on account of her husband."
"She must serve in the Cause. Her husband must not
prevent her. Neither the husband nor the wife should
hinder the other's work in the Kingdom. She must not
pay any attention to that but must serve firmly. Thus
she will make great progress. She must try to give her
husband the Message."
"She loves You very much. Her life has been one of
great trial and sorrow."
"Bravo! Bravo!" said the Master. "It makes no difference that she has sorrows. These have been the cause
of her development. Through sorrow the soul always advances. The greater the difficulty, the greater the progress of the soul. Now she must begin to serve firmly in
the Cause. So, she will make great progress."
Soon, all too soon, we reached the shore.
As the crowd on the boat stood still while the gangplank was lowered, two children in front of the Master
turned and lifted their eyes to His face, and their eyes
seemed to say: Is this God? They were very little
children; they came just about to His knees. With a
strong, lingering touch, as though He were leaving something with them, He pressed and fondled their heads.
Then the crowd surged forward; the children and the
Father were separated . . . for this life?
After our return, in the early evening, Laura and I were
sitting in the Master's room. He began to speak in Persian, laughing, and I caught the words "Mrs.
Sanderson." Then He turned to me and, still laughing,
repeated in English: "Mrs. Sanderson thinks this world

• Apparently, either May Maxwell or Marjorie Morton.-Eo.

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

is good enough. Very nice, this life!" And He laughed
again.

Later, while Mulk was writing in my room, the Master came in and called us into His. "Now, have you
anything secret to say to me?" He asked.
"I have a message for You from Dr. Grant."
"Ah!" He smiled. "Tell me."
"I told him it wasn't a good enough message and that I
would not give it to You."
"Give it just the same."
"He sent You his greetings and said he hoped You
would come to New York. That if You came, he would
welcome You gladly. That he felt the work You were doing in the world was very beautiful and potent."
"Convey My greetings to him. Say: 'I am entirely
thinking of you for the sake of Juliet who has mentioned
you to me. Say that at a later date I will come to New
York.' Is there anything else you wish to say, Juliet?"
"There is not a desire in my heart, my Lord."
"This is as it should be. The daughters of the Kingdom
should not have a desire."
"I should, like, however, to tell You a little of what
has happened."
"Speak," said the Master.
"When I became engaged to Mason Remey," (The
Master looked archly at me; I smiled, but penitently.)
"Dr. Grant was very unhappy and disturbed, so one day I
sent for him. I told him I was marrying Mason because I
wished to be freer to serve the Cause."
"That was a very wise answer. You did well," said the
Master.
, 'But I gave him another reason. I said that the Cause

JULY 2.3 TO NOVEMBER 2.3, 1911

had spread in the East through sacrifice and I felt if this
same spirit could be demonstrated in the West, this
spirit of renunciation which was all-powerful, that the
Cause might begin to spread there."
"I know!" said the Master, His eyes full of love.
Hiding my face on His coat sleeve, I said, half
laughing-laughing, of course, at myself: "I was not
strong enough-was I?-to drink the cup of martyrdom. I
was a failure as a martyr."
How the Master laughed!
"I know better now than to ask for that cup myself. I
shall wait now for God to give it to me. I shall wait till
he finds me ready to drink it."
"InshiJ.'llah. Perhaps in another way God will give you
that cup to drink, and the capacity for it."
"I hope so." After a pause I continued. "The following
Sunday he preached on 'Renunciation.' This was his
text. He said he had just had a new vision of the power of
renunciation. He said that 'when a soul did the great
thing first it inspired others to follow in the path of
sacrifice.' And from that time on his life did change. He
flung caution to the winds and with the utmost courage,
in the face of the strongest opposition from within his
church, championed the cause of the poor, of labor
against capital; not in a way to encourage class hatred,
but to promote mutual understanding. In the pulpit he
says such things as these: 'A great new Light is breaking
upon earth. The earth is being enriched and prepared for
the birth of a new humanity. And in the face of this light
of Democracy, of universal sympathy, of the ever-fuller
disclosure through science of the Will of God through
the Laws of God, what are you to do with your miserable
little creeds? While humanity marches rapidly forward

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

to the Great Brotherhood, we find the Church lagging
behind sociologically, allying itself through fear with
the aristocratic classes. While science is marching on, the
Church lags behind intellectually. And what are the certain consequences of this? Death for the Church. Something new, something living is coming. We feel it in
the air.'
"One Sunday, my Lord, he even went so far as to mention Thy Name. 'The Bishop,' he said, 'has asked me
to preach today on Church unity, but I wish to consider
this subject from the point of view of the disintegration
of the Church. The Church, which, had it fulfilled the
hope of Jesus, would have set the example of brotherhood to the world, has split into fragments, while outside it we see great Movements for the Brotherhood of
Man, such as the Baha'i Movement, centered around the
Master in 'Akka. With this, though we may not agree
with all it teaches, we must feel sympathy, since it is
not trying to unite the souls on the basis of disputable
facts, but on the basis of universal sympathy. For supposing the Church did unite, what then would we do
with our brothers the Jews, our brothers the Muhammadans, our brothers the Hindus, and our brothers the
atheists? Are these to be considered as outside our body?
No! The day has come for the falling of all barriers: social,
national, religious.'"
"Good i very good," said the Master, who had been listening with keen attention. Then He closed his eyes, as
He always does when He sends a message.
"Convey my greetings to him. Say: Miss Juliet has
told me all about your preaching. What you have said
lately is very good. It is exactly so.
"In the time of Jesus the Pharisees lit a lamp in opposition to the Light of Jesus. Only darkness resulted. But

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

the Lamp of the Teachings of Jesus afterward became a
great flame. Then it became as a sun and brightened the
whole world.
, 'Such teachings as the people of today have in their
hands cannot stand against the Teachings of Baha'u'llah.
Soon the East and the West will be ablaze with these
lights.
"In the lifetime of Jesus eleven disciples became illumined. See what happened afterward! The whole world
became illumined. But in the lifetime of Baha'u'llah half
a million souls became illumined. From this you can see
what will be the result in the future.
"The Teachings of Baha'u'llah no one can deny. If one
comes to know the reality of the Teachings of
Baha'u'llah it is impossible to deny.
"Up to the present time you have been building an edifice on a weak ground. Now I hope your foundation will
be a strong rock, that it may become an eternal foundation.
"In the time of Jesus thousands of priests laid a foundation, but their foundation came to naught. But the
foundation laid by Peter, under the Bounty of Jesus, is
everlasting-though Peter was but a fisherman. Then do
you lay the same foundation Peter laid, that it may last
forever!"
Joy flooded my soul as He spoke. When He had ended I
knelt at His feet, I kissed the hem of His robe. Divinely
He smiled at me.
"I know," I said "Whose Voice is calling him."
"[nsha'lltlh, you will make him a believer."
"Then I have not loved and suffered in vain?"
"[nsha'lltlh, through you," the Master repeated, "he
will become a believer."
Just before dinner Elizabeth Stewart and Lilian Kappes

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA. IN SWITZERLAND

(on their way to Persia to teach in Dr. Moody's school)
arrived at the hotel. The Master, of course, took them
down to dinner, placing them opposite Him at the table
and calling me to sit at His side. Several nations were
represented at that table: Persia, America, France and
Russia-for a Russian believer had also just arrived. And
the Master said: lITo the refreshing water of the Teachings of Baha'u'llAh come many and various birds from
many lands and at these cooling streams slake their
thirst. When the lamp is ignited the butterflies flutter
around the light."
"May we," said Lilian Kappes, "be ready to singe our
wings at this Flame."
"Bravo!" said the Master. "I am very much pleased
with your answer."·
In the evening the Master came to my door. Elizabeth
and Lilian were in the room. I was off somewhere for a
minute or two. He had in His hand three flowers. One
spray with three blossoms He left for me. "This is for
Juliet," He had said. Later He came back and brought
me a chocolate which He put in my mouth with His
own fingers, as a father might feed His little child. He
often brought chocolates to me. Here is the spray from
His hand. (I pressed it in my diary.)
On Monday, I went away.

(Footnote. 1924. It all happened so suddenly, so
bewilderingly. Looking back now, I see why. I was not
mad enough with love in Thonon. I could be separated
from Him. .

·1924. Lilian died serving in Persia.-J.T.
1947: Some years later Elizabeth also died from an illness contracted
there.-J.T.

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

Knowing that our whole party were His guests at the
hotel and being in such a material condition that I worried about His pocketbook, I felt I must make some
move to go. In 'Akka the Master Himself had always
told us when to go, but being His guest in a very expensive hotel seemed to me a different situation. Edith had
asked me to come to Vevey on Monday and stay overnight with her and I thought this might be a sign that my
Heavenly Visit in Thonon was over. I was puzzled and
didn't know what to do and decided to consult Laura. I
met her by chance in the upstairs hall just outside the
Master's door and at once plunged into the subject.
"Laura," I said, "the Master is under such heavy expense. Don't you think I ought to suggest leaving?" And
Laura had barely finished replying, "Perhaps you should,
Juliet," when the Master opened His door and came out.
"Ghih migu.yadl" IWhat did she say?) He asked.
Laura explained. And then-His answer fell like a
blow, it was so curt and indifferent.
"Khayli khub." IVery well.) That was all.
But He said something later which, by mistake, was
never translated to me. Edith was to spend Tuesday in
Thonon and He said I must come back with her. Edith
herself urged me to do so, but not knowing that the
Master had invited me, I felt that I could not thrust
myself on Him. I thought of several people who had
come, unasked, to see Him at mealtime. I thought of the
greedy little children selling violets and His gentle
rebuke to them when they held out their hands for more
francs: "Tell them that they have taken," and said to
myself: I have taken too. So, though it desolated me to
see Edith go without me, back to that Presence which
was my Life, I wouldn't let myself be persuaded.
I sailed with Edith as far as Lausanne and there, in

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHI. IN SWITZERLAND

Lausanne, made another fatal mistake. I bought my ticket for New York on a boat belonging to an independent
line, which meant I couldn't change to any other line. I
thought I had to do this as my money was running so
low and this was the cheapest line and the first boat
leaving Genoa.
Edith had asked me to stay with her one more night,
so I went back to Vevey to wait for her. When she
returned she said to me: "I have something to tell you,
Juliet, that will nearly kill you, but you would rather
know than not. The Master expected you today."
To return to Monday-when I went away.)

He sent for me early in the morning with Mulk to
translate for me.
"Now will you give Me the messages, Juliet?"
I had many and I gave them all. When I mentioned
Marion deKay He said: "Give her My affectionate greeting. She must be educated for a teacher. She must be
taken great care of and treated very well. Taken great
care of," He repeated.
I spoke of dear Silvia Gannett: "She asked me to tell
You, my Lord, of a dream she had lately in which a voice
said to her: 'I want you to serve Me in London.' She felt
sure that it was Your voice. But she never mentioned
this dream to me till one day she came to see me and
found me crying, with Your Tablet in my hand and
Ahmad's letter saying that You would be in London at
the Races' Congress. Then, when I explained why I was
crying-that Mamma wouldn't let me travel alone-she
told me the dream and that now she saw the meaning of
it: she must go to London with me. But she could only
stay there a very short time, much as she longed to wait
till You came. She had to return home to get married."

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

The Master, at this, smiled so funnily, for Silvia is
seventy-two! Then He said: "It," Iher dream, of course,
and her obedience) "is a sign that she will make progress
and that her work in the Cause will be very good. Tell
her it is just as though she had seen Me. Her journey is
accepted as a visit. It will be just as though she had seen
Me, just the same."
In my hand I held a letter from Nancy Sholl with a
message in it for Him.
"Here is something interesting," I said. "Years ago I
read a book by Miss Sholl. It was called The Law of Life,
which she proved in her story to be sacrifice. The book
was so spiritual that I longed to give Miss Sholl the
Message, but when I tried to find her I heard that she
lived in Ithaca. Then one day she walked into my studio
with some people who wanted to sublet it-she had
moved from Ithaca to New York-and we have been dear
friends ever since. In this letter she sends You 'the loving greetings of a sincere seeker.' "
Smiling, the Master seized the letter. "Give her My
most affectionate and loving greeting. Tell her I took her
letter away from you."
He spoke some tender words to me. "I shall see you
again, " He concluded. "When the time comes I will
write for you."
I realized suddenly that I was going to leave Him. A
great wave of sorrow swept over me. I strained my eyes
to His Face: and oh the blinding Glory there! His Face
was a sun and Divine Love blazed from His eyes. It
seemed to me I saw God.
"Always?" He breathed.
" Always, my Lord."
That look was the last. Mulk was called out and this
left me alone with the Master for a moment. I sat at His

WITH •ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

feet in silence, my eyes downcast, feeling throughout
my whole being His holy calm and the peace of His
Presence.
Then Laura knocked at the door and came in, followed
by Hippolyte, and together they talked of my plans, and,
while they were talking, the Master rose from His chair
by the window and with His swift step left the room.

Still earlier that morning Zillu's-Sultan's elder son*
had come to visit the Master. After a long private talk
with Him, the prince rushed into Mulk's room threw
himself down on the couch and wept bitterly.
"If only I could be born again," he sobbed, "into any
other family than mine! When I think that my own
father has massacred so many Baha'is; that it was through
my grandfather's orders that thousands of Babis were
slaughtered and the Bab Himself executed, I cannot endure the blood that flows in my veins. If only I could be
born again!"t
It was on Wednesday, after those two sweet days with
Edith, that I sailed down the lake to Geneva. 0 Lake
of Geneva! To me it is not earthly at all. Hemmed off
from the world by mountains, ethereal in mist, hallowed
by His Sacred Presence, it is like a vision descended from
Heaven. I can scarcely think of it as permanent, but
rather as a shining bit of the immortal world revealed
for the time as His environment.
I have already told of that sail to Geneva: the docking
·Sul~an l:lusayn Mirza, grandson of Na~iri'd-Din ~ah.-ED.
tl947. Years later I heard that he had been born again-a Baha'iand was serving the Cause with great zeal in Persia. His poor young
brother, Prince Bahram, died in the First World War, on a torpedoed
ship.-J.T.

JULY 13 TO NOVEMBER 13, 1911

of the boat at Thonon, which seemed to me a sign that
the Master was drawing me back to Him, since we had
to cross the lake and go out of our course to dock there;
how crushed I was when no one appeared at the landing
to meet me; how desperate as the boat moved away from
Thonon and I felt I had lost my last chance to be with
my Lord again; my frantic desire to at least communicate with him driving me to call Hippolyte the minute I
reached my hotel, and Hippolyte's breath-taking news:
that the Master was coming the following night to
Geneva and wished me to get in touch with Edith and
ask her to join me there with Miss Hopkins.
Edith and Miss Hopkins arrived the next day a few
hours earlier than the Master. Miss Hopkins is a very interesting girl: nunlike, really medieval. One thing she
does beautifully is to illumine parchment cards, like the
old missals. We had a happy hour together; then the two
girls went off to rest and I to my balcony to pray.
Mount Blanc was rosy in the sunset. A diadem of
lights encircled the lake. The mountains on the opposite
shore-grizzled, almost barren, striped with whitish
rock-made me think of Palestine.
While we were dining-Edith, Miss Hopkins, and 1-
at a table facing the window, we saw the Master's boat
approaching. Edith and I rushed out, but were too late to
meet Him on the pier. We met Him on the street, however, and that seemed so strange: to meet and be greeted
by Him, on a European street. We walked with, or rather
behind Him, to the Hotel de la Paix. His rooms, we
found, were on the same floor as ours, the top floor.
The Master would not take the elevator, but walked
up those four long flights of stairs; really, He floated up
the stairs. That gliding ascent, majestic, of the most

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

astonishing ease, was almost like a spirit soaring. It
made me think of what Rul;ui Khanum said to me once in
Haifa, that even His body was different from ours, "of a
different fiber," she said.
The Master went straight to His room and Edith and I
stood outside in the hall with the Persians. It is a
beautiful hall, square and white with slender columns
and an enormous well down the center where the staircase curves to the ground floor. Almost at once the proprietor came up and there was a little trouble about the
rooms, Hippolyte not being there to arrange and Mulk
and the others not understanding French very well. Edith
and I were just moving forward to translate for them
when the Master opened His door and stepped out into
the hall. His mere appearance settled the matter.
"Who is that?" the proprietor asked with a startled
look, then agreed to everything we asked.
I can see the Master now pacing up and down that
hall, His hands behind His back in a way He has, His
step firm and royal. I can see the turbaned head, the
calm, noble profile luminous against the white wall.
After this, the Master went with us into Edith's room
and waited there till His dinner was ready, talking to us
tenderly. Suddenly He turned to me. "Could you go to
London, Juliet? Miss Rosenberg has written inviting you
to stay with her."
My heart leapt! Go to London with Him! Then, after
all, this was not the end, this added bounty in Geneva,
this merciful bounty granted to me in place of the lost
day in Thonon. But, how could I prolong my trip? I had
almost no money left.
"My Lord," I said, "I should love above all things to
go, but my steamer ticket is bought and I can't exchange

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN PARIS
WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

it, as it is on an independent line. And in order to catch
the boat I must leave Geneva tomorrow on the early
train. But I could stay till nine 0' clock and try to make
some kind of change."
(Footnote. 1924. And here I made my third and most
fatal mistake-always thinking about pocketbooks, even
that of the all-powerful Lord instead of, with perfect
trust, leaving everything in His hands.)
"No," He answered, "it is not necessary. It was just
that Miss Rosenberg wrote. Miss Rosenberg loves you
very much. Everybody loves you and Edith," He added,
smiling. Then He asked Edith to call Miss Hopkins in
and this left me alone with Him for a moment. Looking
at me with questioning eyes, He whispered, "Always?"
, 'Always!"
Dinner over, He sent first for Edith, then for me, to
come to His room. While Edith was with Him I prayed,
standing on my balcony. By now it was dusk. The lights
around the lake sparkled like strung stars. A purpose
formed in my mind. Later I understood the real Source of
this impulse.
As I took my place at His feet I said: "Dr. Hakim has
told me You weren't served well tonight; that You have
eaten almost nothing. You are hungry I know. Let us go
out-Tamaddunu'l-Mulk and I-and bring You some
fruit with our own hands."
He is always thinking for others and to see His appreciation of our slightest thought for Him, the warm
happy love that beams from His eyes at such times, is
unbearably touching. But He would not let us get
anything.

JULY 2.3 TO NOVEMBER 2.3, 1911

"No, no," He said. "No thank you. I was beautifully
served. There was chicken, and many other things to
come. I was too tired to eat-that was alL"
"What have you to ask, Juliet?"
"That I may always see Thy Face. To see it will protect me from temptation."
"You must always see it. There must be no temptation." Then He, Himself introduced my next subject! "I
do not," He said, "want to make you angry"-at which
I looked up at Him laughing-"I do not want to hurt
you, Juliet. But I must tell you something."
I knew what was coming. I pressed His hand.
"Don't think I am going to ask you to marry Mr.
Remey. Even if you wished to do so now, I would not
wish it. But about Dr. Grant ... " Then in a marvelous way He analyzed Percy Grant's character and
the nature, even the history of our attachment, taking
my breath away by His perfect knowledge of the whole
thing.
"But, my Lord, isn't it true that he has other qualities-for example, his courage and his force-that would
make him a wonderful servant of the Cause?"
"Ah, that is another affair," said the Master. "I am
thinking now of your future."
"Some men," He went on, "are like this. They do not
wish to marry and they love the love of women, and
should you let this continue, it will go on forever in the
same way until in the end he leaves you. Besides, meantime you may fall into difficulty. It is often by just such
a thing that a black line is drawn across a girl's character. Now when you return to New York, Juliet, you must
end this. Either you must marry him or separate yourself
from him, cut yourself entirely from him. Understand, I

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

do not wish to separate you. I wish you to marry him.
But I want the present state of things to end.
"I am speaking to you in this way because I love you
so much. I love you very much; therefore I say these
things to you.
"If you should marry him it may be good for the Cause
-you may give him the Message-or, it may not be
good. I do not care about this. I am thinking of your
happiness. "
"Ask the Master," I said to Tamaddunu'l-Mulk, "to
tell me His Will and whatever it is I will do it, for I love
His Will. I love following it. I intended to speak of this
tonight. I intended to say: I am ready now to put Dr.
Grant out of my life."
"No, no," answered the Master. "You must understand that I do not want to separate you. I want you to
marry him. It is My wish that you marry him. When you
go back can you not say to him: 'We must end this in
one of two ways. If you love me, marry me. There is no
obstacle. If not, I must cut myself from you.' "
"Oh my Lord," I said, hiding my face on His knee,
"how could I say that to him? I should be ashamed to."
I had never refused the Master anything before, but I
quailed at the thought of proposing to Percy Grant!
IFootnote. 1947. I hate to copy these idiotic words: "I
had never refused the Master anything before." And on
top of all my protestations that I loved His Will! Who on
earth was I to "refuse the Master?" The awful impudence of it! The unconscious complacency of that
comment was much worse than what I did.)
"Then cannot your mother say it for you?"
"She won't even speak to him."

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

"Have you no friend who can take this message?"
"No. And besides: oh my Lord, how could I force
him?"
"But you are not a child. And you must think of your
future. Many men have wished to marry you."
"But, my Lord, I have no desire to marry."
"But I want you to marry, if not Dr. Grant, then some
other. Otherwise, when you are older you will fall into
great misery. You can paint now; you are young, but you
must think of your future, my daughter." His fatherly
tenderness touched me to the heart.
"But it would be very difficult to marry a man I didn't
love."
"That is the way with everyone," He said.
"My Lord," I asked, "mightn't I stay away from him
-stop going to his church, refuse his invitations, refuse
to see him when he comes?"
"Perhaps," and He made a laughing comment on human nature. "But," returning to His first suggestions,
(with anxiety, it seemed to me, for He glanced from side
to side as though He, Himself, were looking for a messenger) "is there no one to take him this word: marriage
or separation?"
"No, but if You wish, my Lord, I will do it myself."
"I leave that in your hands, only do something to
make him realize .... See," He said, "how much I love
you! I have come to Geneva to tell you this and have
stayed up so late" (it was nearly midnight) "to talk to you
about it."

(Footnote. I wish I could write everything He said that
night. At times He was so comic about poor Percy's
character that I couldn't help laughing with Him. When

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

you are in His Presence nothing really matters except
the eternal things.)

He looked very tired, and my heart smote me. How we
accept His sacrifices, as if this immortal, universal King
belonged just to us!
"Is there anything else you wish to ask, Juliet?"
"Only to say once more that I long to forever fix in my
mind Thy Face. This will keep me firm and steadfast,
desiring nothing but Thee."
"When your heart is perfectly pure and your love for
Me increasing, then you shall see My Face."
"Come and knock at My door in the morning," He
said.
"But I must leave so early. I must take the six-fifty
train."
"Come whenever you are dressed. I shall be up."

Edith woke me at dawn. The horizon was crimson, the
lake in its rim of dark mountains, a crystal mirror.
I went to the Master alone. In His exquisite thoughtfulness He had left the door ajar. I knelt at His feet. A
great flood of sorrow rose in me.
"Don't cry!" said His tender voice and I felt His
delicate, vital fingers wiping the tears from my eyes. I
felt my heart suddenly at peace, as though He had laid
His Power upon it and checked that uprising storm of
wild grief.
"Always?" He asked.
"Always!" After a moment I added in Persian: "I shall
be with You always."
In English He replied, and none but the Comforter

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

Himself could speak in such a tone: "With
Me-always. "

Off the coast of Spain.
d-/ere in my cabin alone on this queer little ship I am
fortifying myself for what lies before me in New York. I
stay all day in my cabin, to avoid the people, and pray
and write. To none of these people could I give the
Message, nor anything else, in fact.
Always I seek the Master's Face. Sometimes He dawns
on me in immortal glory and sometimes He smiles at
me. Only through service, only through prayer, only
through obedience shall I climb to His Presence and live
in it "always."
I went to Thonon, not to find Him there, but to find
Him afterwards. I have not yet found Him, except for
brief moments. In the anguish before me, in the deprivation, in the "Heaven of Poverty": there shall I find Him.
I have been curiously stripped on this journey.
Through the chivalry of an idealist who offered to help
me at the customs, I lost my trunk. In Naples I lost my
fountain penj somewhere, my prayer book-even my
prayer book! I have just the clothes on my back, nothing
else. This diary, with my book of Tablets Ithe Master's
Tablets to me) and the 'AkkA diary, I have been carrying
in a little bag, and thank God these are safe.
There is the dinner bell. I must go and sit with these
funny people, who ply their toothpicks so vigorously
Iwhich makes me horribly sick) and accuse me of "seeing angels."
"I no want you see angels," said a fiery musician to

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

me yesterday. "I want you" (pounding his chest) lito see
me."
So I fly to my cabin and bolt my door.

September 8, 1911.
o1t(y struggle began today. Peace went. Standing at the
bow of the boat just now, the salt wind in my face, the
sea rough with whitecaps, I realized many things.
I have been more anxious to lead Percy Grant to the
Kingdom than to be led there myself. I have counted
more on eternal union with him than on eternal union
with God. I have never been able to disentangle my love
for the Cause from my love for him, or from my hopes
and desires for him and myself-my future with him.
Now I must cut these two loves apart. But how?

Nearing New York.
September 15, 1911. Morning.
A captive, fettered by mine own desire,
Yet with a soul that panted to be free,
Yet with a heart on fire
For Him who freeth all captivity.
Suppliant, I knelt before
His Prison door.

The latch is lifted and wide flung the door!
Behold the amazing Glory of His Face!
Veils, veils of Light, no more,
These mortal eyes discern in His strange grace.
I cry: "0 Mystery,
Grant that I see!"

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

With tender fingers quickening in their touch,
Gently He wiped away mine unshed tears.
"0 thou/' He breathed, "who lovest much,
Await the sure unfolding of the years,
The vision purified
Through hope denied."

The years unfolded, while a heavenly rain
Of tears washed ever clearer my dim sight.
Suppliant I knelt again,
Unfettered now, before the Eternal Light.
//Accept the heart I bring
To Thee, 0 King!"

I lift mine eyes to His Divinity,
Eyes streaming now with tears of love alone.
God! What is this I see?
For veils of night and veils of Light are gone,
Melted-torn-burned away
In flaming Day.

Haloed with rays, encircled as with fire,
The clouds of earth rolled back, in ambient space,
Eyes as two stars of living fire,
Clearly I see the Christ-the Eternal Face-
The Father in the Son,
The One-the ONE!

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

Nearer New York.
September 15, 1911.
II Always for Me, always for Me!"
Ah, Whose the Voice that stirs the night
In a chant sweeping in from Eternity
Like the sighing wind 0' er a boundless sea,
liMy heaven, My soul, My light!
Thy heart for Me, thy breast for Me,
Always for Me, always for Me!
Thine eyes for Me, thy brow for Me,
Always for Me!
Thy soul for Me, thy spirit for Me,
Always for Me, always for Me!
Thy blood for Me-thy blood for Me,
Thy blood for Me! II

Always for Thee, always for Thee,"
II

My heart to the Heavenly Wooer sings.
"Sever my heart, my mind, mine eye
From the mortal vanishing things!
Lift me above the earth-desire,
Higher and higher, higher and higher
To the placeless pyre of undying fire,
The love of the King of Kings!
And on Thine earth where Thy footstep rings
Pour out my blood in Thy hallowed Way,
That mortals, the red sign following,
May attain to the Fount of Day.
Always for Thee, always for Thee!
On through the worlds of Eternity
To the endless end no eye can see,
The bird of fire to the Burning Tree!
On, on to the beat of tireless wings-
Always for Thee!"

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

This last little one I wrote after I left AkkA, in 1909:
I

o King of Kings, 0 King of Kings!
My heart it is Thy quivering lyre.
Thy vital fingers sweep its strings,
Sweep its strings, sweep its strings.
Its strings are set afire, my Lord,
Its strings are set afire!
Oh kindled by divine desire,
For Thee it sings, for Thee it sings,
Forevermore for Thee it sings,
This heart that is Thy lyre, my Lord,
This heart that is thy lyre!

September 15, 1911.
[J am approaching New York-and my ordeal. But,
thank God, I have been gathering strength. This week
has been one of such frightful storm that I haven't been
able to write a word. But, through the storm, the more
brightly shone His Face.

48 West Tenth Street.
October 2, 1911.
[J love this dear little house. It is very simple and oldfashioned in an old-fashioned street. It looks like the
homes of my childhood, only more simple and therefore
more lovely. And yet, how it complicates the problem
with which I have returned to live in it, since it is
almost opposite the house of Percy Grant. Strange, to be
moved so close to him by something outside my own

WITH 'ABDU'L-BAHA IN SWITZERLAND

will at this of all moments, when I must separate myself
from him. I say "outside my own will," for I didn't
choose this house; it came as the result of prayer. We
tried for weeks and weeks and couldn't find a house in a
neighborhood to suit Mamma. Then one morning I got
on my knees and prayed and, just a little later in the
morning, Marjorie and I, on our way to Greenwich
Village, saw the sign "For Rent" on 48 West Tenth
Street and Mamma approved of this neighborhood!

November 23, 1911.
o Handmaiden of God!
The news of your trouble and difficulty on the way
caused Us great sorrows. In truth the trouble was very
hard to bear. I hope you may receive a great reward for
it. The cause of this trouble and difficulty was that for
the love of seeing that unkind person you made great
haste to go.
Remember My advices. Find a friend whose heart is
yours, but not one who has a thousand hearts (affections). Think of God's Will, because God is the most
kind.
Upon you be the Glory of God.
(signed) Abdul Baha Abbas

IP.S.) I send you a small sum of money.

I shall never forget the awful moment when I read this
Tablet. "For the love of seeing that unkind person you
made great haste to go."!!) Every morning after that I
awoke with these words ringing in my ears: "You made
great haste to go."

JULY 23 TO NOVEMBER 23, 1911

My first thought was: "How can it be true?" So unconscious are we of our own real condition. Then I
looked deep into my heart. Yes, it was true. I was always
saying to myself in Thonon: "When I return to New
York I will tell Percy this, I will tell him that. " I looked
forward to that return with excitement for it meant
beginning a new life in a new home opposite his. I
started back happily, to be overtaken at Geneva by the
Master and His stem command: "Marry Dr. Grant, or
leave him. Cut yourself entirely from him. II

Oh that pause at Geneva! I can see the Master now,
the unexpected Visitor, leading Edith and me up those
four flights of stairs to the Upper Chamber. I can see
Him floating before us, the Being from worlds above
Who has lit upon earth for a brief time.
"You made great haste to go." How blind I have been
and how I have lost through my blindness. But for my
stubborn attachment I might have spent weeks in
Europe with Him, in Paris and London. For the small II

sum of money" was the most pointed of signs that I
could easily have given up my passage on the indepen-
II

dent line." It was $120: exactly the cost of the ticket.
I had not written to the Master of my "difficulties" on
the way. Only to Mulk had I mentioned these triflesthe seven days of storm, the temporary loss of my
trunk-for I got it again after nine weeks. Yet in the
midst of His great pressure of work He had hastened to
write me, to express His tender sympathy for my little
inconveniences, to open my eyes to their real cause, my
so persistent attachment-and, at this insecure moment,
as I begin my "new life" opposite the house of Percy
Grant-to repeat His warning at Geneva. How vigilant is
God's watchfulness over His least creature!

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA
March 25 to
December 7, 1912
To the attracted maid-servant of God, Juliet Thompson.
HE IS GOD!

o thou candle of the Love of God!
Thy numerous letters were received. According to
the promise, by the Will of God, I shall embark on the
boat March 25th and in the latter part reach Naples,
where I shall stay a few days and from thence start for
New York.
Verily, this is great glad tidings.
Upon thee be Baha EL ABHA.
(signed) Abdul Baha Abbas
Translated in the Orient.

Twelve o'clock, March 25, 1912.
[/t is just midnight. TODAY the Master sails for America.
I feel His Presence strongly.

Received March 25:

The Church of the Ascension.
5 Avenue and 10th Street.

March 23rd.
My dear Juliet:
I understand that Abdul Baha is to arrive in New
York April 10th-that is, in Easter week,-so that the
14th of April would be his first Sunday in New York.
If his friends in this city would feel any value or
assistance in having him speak at the eleven 0' clock
service in the Church of the Ascension, in place of my
sermon, I shall be more than happy to invite him to
the Ascension pulpit in my place. I should like to
show so important and splendid a person, and those
who love him, whatever hospitality and goodwill can
be expressed in this town, by such a plan.
If, however, his coming in the middle of the week
means that he ought to get more quickly into public
contact with the city, which may well be the case if
his stay is brief, then I would offer the Church of the
Ascension to the committee in charge of his affairs to

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

have any kind of service they please, in the daytime or
evening, between his arrival, let us say April 10th
-and the following Sunday.
That is to say I make one of two propositions: to offer him my pulpit Sunday, April 14th, at eleven a.m.,
or to offer the Church, unhampered by any form of service, between the tenth and the fourteenth.
Faithfully,
jsigned) Percy S. Grant

What will obedience bring forth, if half-obedience
brings forth this? I have refused all winter to see Percy
Grant.
I wrote thanking him and asking him to get in touch
with the committee of arrangements, Mr. Mills and Mr.
MacNutt.

The Church of the Ascension.
S Avenue and 10th Street.

March 28th, 1912.
My dear Juliet:
I thank you for your nice letter about Abdul Baha.
Whatever may seem most agreeable to those having
the matter in charge will be altogether satisfactory to
me.
Whatever I can do I hope you will allow me to do, to
honor such a distinguished visitor from the East-one
so loved by my friends.
Believe me to be faithfully yours,
jsigned) Percy S. Grant

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

April 8, 1912.
.Little did I dream when I began this diary what I would
write in its closing pages! This morning I telephoned
Percy.
"This is Juliet."
"Ah, Juliet."
"I want to tell you two things. First, 'Abdu'l-Baha is
on the Cedric and will arrive Wednesday morning.
And-is your time very full Thursday? For I think He
will send for you almost at once."
"Wait. Let me get my card, Juliet. No, I have no
engagements for Thursday, except in the evening, and
could come any time during the day to see Him. I am
very happy. I shall be very glad to see the Master,
Juliet."
, ,As soon as He arrives, someone will let you know."
I then brought up the second thing.
"I'd like to explain something," I said. "Has Dr.
Guthrie got into touch with you?"
"No."
, 'Then I hardly need to explain. But it was this:
Charles James had heard some rumor that the Master
was to speak in your church. He mentioned this to Dr.
Guthrie, who immediately wanted to offer his church,
too. This morning a letter came from Dr. Guthrie inviting the Master to speak on the night of the fourteenth.
I tell you all this really to say that it was not through me
Dr. Guthrie heard of your plans."
"1 am a very easy person, Juliet, in misunderstandings."

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

"I know that."
"And I am glad Dr. Guthrie has made the same offer
that I have."
"No one has made the same offer you have."
It was then he repeated something he had said to Mr.
MacNuttj I can't remember just what.
"That was beautiful of you," I answered.
"No, it was not. And Juliet: I don't want you to feel
that this is a favor. I want you to feel-to understand-that you have a proprietary interest in the
church: a proprietary interest; that it is yours to give.
The church is yours. The Parish House is yours. The
Rectory is yours. * We will ask the Master to the Rectory
and form little groups to meet Him. I don't want to bore
you, Juliet," (oh imagine him boring me!) "but I want
you to feel that it is yours, this house. Here it is, just at
the end of the street. Ask anyone to the Rectory, anyone
you wish. You may eliminate the Rector, if you would
rather not have me here . . ." This and much more. He
contradicted that last statement once. "I want you," he
said, with his appealing boyishness, "to come around
me again, Juliet." His voice broke. He stammered a little and ended. "I am a tongue-tied person when it comes
to strong feeling."
"I should like," I said, "to take you by the hand and
lead you to the Master myself."
"I want you to, Juliet. I don't want to do it any other
way. I want you to be there. I don't want to do it
without you."
-Juliet was, at this time, a member of the Church of the Ascension. It
was not until much later that the Guardian of the Faith instructed the
Baha'is of the United States to sever formal affiliations with churches.
See Messages to America, pp. 4-5.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

"Then we will meet on Thursday. We will see each
other on Thursday in His Presence. I think it will be
beautiful to meet there."
"It will be the north and the south in His Presence,
Juliet."
"The Master has loved you a long time, Percy, for
your work. /I

"Some people say they are loved for their enemies,
Juliet. If I am loved, it is for my friends."

April 10, 1912. 11:15 P.M.

C7omorrow He comes! Who comes? "Who is this that
cometh from Bozrah?"
This is a night of holy expectation. The air is charged
with sanctity. I can almost hear the Gloria in Excelsis.
How close He is tonight! Is it His prayers I feel? Why
has earth become suddenly divine?

Midnight
C&e Master comes TODAY!

April 11, 1912.
<0h day of days!
I was wakened this morning while it was yet dark by
something shining into my eyes. It was a ray from the
moon, its waning crescent framed low in my windowpane.
Symbol of the Covenant, was my first thought. How
perfectly beautiful to be wakened today by it! But at
once I remembered another time when I had seen the

'ABDU'L-BAHA. IN AMERICA

waning moon hanging, then, above palm trees. I was
on the roof of the House in 'Akka with the Master and
Munavvar Khanum. The Master was pointing to the
moon. "The East. The moon. No!" He said. "I am the
Sun of the West."
At dawn, kneeling at my window, I prayed in the swelling light for all this land, now sleeping, that it would
wake to receive its Lord; conscious, as I prayed, of an
overshadowing Sacred Presence: a great, glorious, burning Presence-the Sun of Love rising. This fiery dawn
was but a pale symbol of such a rising.
Between seven and eight I went to the pier with Marjorie Morten and Rhoda Nichols. The morning was crystal clear, sparkling. I had a sense of its being Easter: of
lilies, almost seen, blooming at my feet.
All the believers of New York had gathered at the
pier to meet the Master's ship. Marjorie and I had suggested to them that the Master might not want this public demonstration, but their eagerness was too great to
be influenced by just two, and so we had gone along
with them-only too glad to do so, to tell the truth.
During the morning the harbor misted over. At last,
in the mist we saw: a phantom ship! And at that very
moment some newsboys ran through the crowd, waving Extras. "The Pope is dead! The Pope is dead!" they
shouted. The Pope was not dead. The Extras had been
printed only on a rumor; but what a symbol, and how
exactly timed!
Closer and closer, ever more substantial, came that
historic ship, that epoch-making ship, till at last it swam
out solid into the light, one of the Persians sitting on the
bow in his long robes, 'aba, and turban. This was Siyyid

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

Asadu'llah, a marvelous, witty old man, who had come
with the Master to prepare His meals.
He told us later that when the ship was approaching
the harbor and the Master saw, as His first view of
America, the Wall Street skyscrapers, He had laughed
and said: "Those are the minarets of the West." * What
divine irony!
The ship docked, but the Master did not appear. Suddenly I had a great glimpse. In the dim hall beyond the
deck, striding to and fro near the door, was One with
a step that shook you! Just that one stride, charged
with power, the sweep of a robe, a majestic head, turban
crowned-that was all I saw, but my heart stopped.
Marjorie's instinct and mine had been true. Mr. Kinney
was called for to come on board the ship. He returned
with a disappointing message. The Master sent us His
love but wanted us to disperse now. He would meet us
all at the Kinneys' house at four.
Everyone obeyed at once except Marjorie, Rhoda, and
myself! Marjorie, who loves the Teachings but has never
wholly accepted them, said: "I can't leave till I've seen
Him. I can't. I WON'T!" SO, though we followed the
crowd to the street, we slipped away there and looked
around for some place to hide. Quite a distance below
the big entrance to the pier we saw a fairly deep embrasure into which a window was set, with the stone wall
jutting out from it. Here we flattened ourselves against
the window, Rhoda (who is conspiciously tall) clasping a long white box of lilies which she had brought
for the Master. Just in front of the entrance stood Mr.

*Cf. Star of the West, Vol. 3, No.3 (1912) p. 4.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

Mills' car, his chauffeur in it. Suddenly it rolled forward
and, to our utter dismay, parked directly in front of us.
Now we were caught: certain to be discovered. But there
was no help for it, for Marjorie still refused to budge till
she had seen the Master.
Then, He came-through the entrance with Mr. Mac-
Nutt and Mr. Mills, and turned and walked swiftly
toward the car. In a panic we waited.
A few nights ago Marjorie and I had a double dream. In
her dream, I was out in space with her. In mine, we were
in a room together and the Master had just entered it. He
walked straight up to Marjorie, put His two hands on her
shoulders and pressed and pressed till she sank to her
knees. And while she was sinking, she lifted her face to
His and everything in her seemed to be dying except her
soul, which looked out through her raised eyes in a sort
of agony of recognition.
Today, after one glance at the Master, this was just the
way she looked.
"Now,"she said, "I know."
As the Master was stepping into the car, He turned
and-smiled at us.

We met Him in the afternoon at the Kinneys'. When I
arrived with Marjorie, He was sitting in the center of the
dining room near a table strewn with flowers. He wore a
light pongee aba. At His knees stood the Kinney
I

children, Sanford and Howard, and His arms were
around them. He was very white and shining. No words
could describe His ineffable peace. The people stood
about in rows and circles: several hundred in the big
rooms, which all open into each other. In the dining
room many sat on the floor, Marjorie and I included. We

'ABDU'L-BAHA HOLDING A CHILD
at Green Acre, Maine, 1912.
'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

made a dark background for His Glory. Only our tears
reflected Him, and almost everyone there was weeping
just at the sight of Him. For at last we saw divinity incarnate. Divinely He turned His head from one child to
the other, one group to another. I wish I could picture
that turn of the head-an oh, so tender tum, with that
indescribable heavenly grace caught by Leonardo da Vinci in his Christ of the Last Supper (in the study for the
head)-but in 'Abdu'l-Baha irradiated by smiles and a
lifting of those eyes filled with glory, which even
Leonardo, for all his mystery, could not have painted.
The very essence of compassion, the most poignant
tenderness is in that tum of the head.
The next morning early the Master telephoned me
(that is, Ahmad* telephoned for Him) and nearly every
morning after. Can you imagine the sweetness of
that-to be wakened every morning by a word from
Him? Sometimes He just inquired how I was, but often
He called me to Him.
When I first went to see Him He asked me only one
question. "How is your mother?"
"Not very well, my Lord."
"What is the matter?"
"She is grieving." And I told Him why. My brother is
soon to be married to a quite beautiful, brilliant girl
who, however, doesn't want to make friends with his
family!
"Bring your mother to Me," He said. "I will comfort
her."
He sent for her that very night. I was terribly afraid she
wouldn't go-she has been so opposed to my work in the

·Ahmad Sohrab, now part of 'Abdu'l-Baha's entourage.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

Cause-and Ahmad called up in the midst of a thunderstorm! But when I took the message to her-that the
Master wished her to come to Him now-she jumped up
from her chair and began to scurry around.
"Just wait till I get my rubbers, " she said.
We found Him exhausted, lying on His bed. He had
seen hundreds of people that day, literally, at a big reception and in His own rooms. Mamma, who is very shy
and undemonstrative, rushed to the bedside and fell on
her knees.
"Welcome, welcome!" said the Master. "You are very
welcome, Mrs. Thompson.
"You must be very thankful for your daughter. Praise
be to God, she is a daughter of the Kingdom. If she were
an earthly daughter, of what use would she be to you? At
best she could do you a little material good. But she is a
heavenly daughter, a daughter of the Kingdom. Therefore she is the means of drawing your soul nearer to God.
Her value to you is not apparent now. When one
possesses a thing its value is not realized. But you will
realize later. Mary Magdalen was but a villager; she was
even scorned by the people, but now her name moves
the whole earth, and in the Kingdom of God she is very
near. Your daughter is kind to you. If your son is
faithless, she is faithful. She will become dearer and
dearer to you. She will take the place of your son. But in
the end your son will be very good. This is only temporary.
"I became very grieved today when, upon inquiring for
you, I heard of your sorrow. And now I want to comfort
you. Trust in God. God is kind. God is faithful. God
never forgets you. If others are unkind what difference
does it make when God is kind? When God is on your

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

side it does not matter what men do to you. But your
son will be good in the end.
"God is kind to you. And I am going to be kind to you.
And I am faithful!"
Mamma, still on her knees, bent and kissed His hand.
"Tell the Master," she said to Ahmad, "I have always
loved Him. Lua knows that." (If Lua knew, I certainly
didn't.)
"I have no need of a witness," the Master answered,
so tenderly. "My heart knows."
The next day Mamma said to me: "All my bitterness
has gone. The Master must be helping me." *
It was on Saturday, April 13, that Mamma and I
visited the Master. On Friday He had called me early,
asking me to meet Him at the MacNutts'.
I shall never cease to see Him as He looked speaking
from their stairway, standing below a stained glass window in a ray of sunlight, the powerful head, the figure in
its flowing robes, outlined in light.
The Master has a strange quality of beautifying His environment, of throwing a glamor over it and blotting out
the ugly. The MacNutts' house is ugly; the one redeem-
·1947. In the years that followed she would often say to me: "I love
the Master more than you do, Julie, and I obey Him better than you
do, for He performed a miracle for me, which He never did for you!
He took all the bitterness out of my heart."
There was another occasion, which I find I haven't mentioned in
my diary, when my darling little mother knelt before the Master.
This was a public occasion, after He had spoken in a church. The service over, the whole congregation, including a multitude of believers,
surged toward the chancel to shake hands with Him. Mamma was the
only one in that long procession who sank to her knees and kissed his
hand.-J.T.

MARCH 2S TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

ing feature of that stairway, its window. All I saw as the
Master stood there was Himself, the window, the ray of
light. His words lifted my soul on wings!
In the evening, Friday, He spoke in Miss Phillips's studio. The enormous room was packed. At His dear invitation I sat on His right (I suppose because I had given
Miss Phillips the Message); Marjorie at His left near
Him. In the simple setting of that studio, its overhead
light filling the deep forms of His face with shadow, He
looked ruggedly, powerfully beautiful. His words I will
not give. They have been kept. *
The very day He arrived, Thursday, the Master sent
for Percy Grant, but He appointed Friday to see him, in
the afternoon. I was not invited to the interview, so
in spite of the happy arrangement Percy and I had made,
I knew I should have to stay away. Nor was I told very
much about it, only that the Master had planned with
Dr. Grant to accept his church for Sunday (the fourteenth) for His first address in New York, choosing the
Church of the Ascension out of thirteen others-and
some of the clergy had even wired to Gibraltar offering
their pulpits for that date! And one other very little thing
(Mr. MacNutt himself gave me this scrap of news): as he
was standing with Dr. Grant at the elevator after leaving
the Master's suite, Dr. Grant said to him: "You can't
help but love the old gentleman."
To me Percy put it more elegantly: "The Master compels one's love and esteem. What He radiates is peace
and love."

*See Promulgation of Universal Peace, Second Edition, pp. 7-9.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN NEW YORK
in the garden of Howard MacNutt, 1912. Lua Getsinger standing on left; Edward Getsinger,
back row, right.
MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

Saturday, April 13, the Master spoke at Marjorie
Morten's. * Again, because of the crowd, He spoke from
the stairway, dominating all the beauty of Marjorie's
long drawing room, with its rich color and carvings and
masterly paintings, by His superlative beauty.
His theme that day was the spiritual seasons, and in
the midst of His talk a delicious thing happened which,
slight though it was, I want to keep. In its very slightness it may draw the people of the future closer to the
Master, just as it drew us.
These tender little touches of His humor and simplicity, bridging for the moment the infinite space between
us and His pure Perfection, making His Divinity accessible: how precious, how heavenly sweet they are, of what
unique value! The disciples of Christ, looking beyond
that awful chasm of the crucifixion into the mystery of
their days with Him, were, I suppose, awed into silence
about the little things-the adorable little things. So the
Man of sorrow has been just the Man of sorrow to us. We
have never formed any conception of the Man of love
and joy, great buoyant joy; a Christ whose Love
overflowed into little tendemesses and Whose Joy
overflowed into fun and wit-a happy, smiling, laughing
Christ. And yet I am sure He was that.
But now to tell of this small thing. With His celestial
eloquence the Master had described the spiritual springtime.
II Va tilbistan, /, He began and paused for Ahmad to
translate.
Dead silence. Poor Ahmad had lost the English word.

·See Promulgation of Universal Peace, Second Edition, pp. 9-11.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

But while he stood helpless, the Master supplied it
Himself.
"Summer!" He laughed. Whereupon a little ripple of
delight ran through the audience. His charm had captured them all.
After the meeting He went up to rest in Mr. Morten's
room. He had seen a hundred and forty people that morning and was so worn out at the end of His talk that He
looked almost ill. His fatigue was apparent to everyone
-and yet the people had no pity. When I returned from
an errand to the kitchen, literally hundreds were streaming toward His room; a dozen were in the room; in the
hall were many peering faces, and climbing up the stairs
-a procession!
"Oh can't we shut the door?" I asked Dr. Farid. But
the Master heard me.
"Let them come now," He said gently.
A mother with a baby stood near the door. The Master
took the baby from her and tenderly pressed it to His
heart. "Beautiful baby! Little chicken!" He said in His
dear English; then explained that "little chicken" was
the Turkish pet name for child.
A young single-taxer* began to question Him. "What
message shall I take to my friends?" he ended.
"Tell them," laughed the Master (that wonderful
spicy humor in His face) lito come into the Kingdom of
God. There they will find plenty of land and there are no
taxes on it."
Sunday. Oh, Sunday!
At the Master's own invitation I met Him at the Rectory, a half hour before the service.
• A follower of the economic philosophy of Henry George who advocated a single tax on profits from the sale of land.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

As Miss Barry was holding her Sunday school class
downstairs, we were invited upstairs, to the back room
on the second floor. There, with the Master and the Persians and Edward Getsinger, I waited in supreme happiness. Very soon Percy came in. Approaching the Master,
he bent his head reverently.
"In New Testament language," he said, "this would
be called an upper chamber." *
The Master smiled sweetly and took his hand.
After he left, the Master turned to me. "This is a dish
you have cooked for Me, Juliet," He laughed.
"I hope it is cooked all the way through!"
"Inshil'lltih," smiled the Master.
"I have more dishes to serve to You when You are
rested," I ventured.
"I hope they are light," He replied, "and will rest easily on My digestion. Most of these dishes are so heavy!"
I inquired for dear Rul:;ul KhAnum, who has been very
ill.
"I have put her in the hands of the Blessed
Perfection," said our Lord, "and now I don't worry at
all."
He spoke of my mother very lovingly.
"Tell her to trust in God," He repeated. "Tell her that
God is faithful. Read the Hidden Words to her."
The time came to go to the church. The Persians, Edward Getsinger, and I went first: marching in, as Percy
had planned it, with the processional, bringing up the
rear of the processional! For nearly a year I hadn't once
entered the Church of the Ascension; and now, what a
very surprising return!
The Master waited in the vestry-room.

·An allusion to the Last Supper. See Mark 14:15 and Luke 22:12.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

When I try to express the perfection of that service-I
mean, the arrangement of it-I can find no words. It was
the conception of an artist, of a true poet. The altar and
the whole chancel were banked with calla lilies. On the
back of the Bishop's chair hung a victor's wreath, an exact reproduction of the Greek victor's wreath, classically
simple: a small oval of laurel with its leaves free at the
top. Its meaning went to my heart.
Dr. Grant read first a prophecy from the Old Testament pointing directly to this Day, to Baha'u'llah; then
the thirteenth Chapter of Corinthians. These were not
the lessons for the day but specially chosen.
At the end of the Second Lesson, just as the choir began to sing in a great triumphant outburst "Jesus Lives!"
'Abdu'l-Baha, with that step of His, which has been
described as the walk of either a shepherd or a king,
entered the chancel, "suddenly come to His Temple!"
Percy Grant had quietly left his seat and gone into the
vestry-room and had returned with the Master, holding
His hand. For a moment they stood at the altar beneath
that fine mural, The Resurrection by John La Farge; then
with beautiful deference Percy led the Master to the
Bishop's chair. IThis broke the nineteenth canon of the
Episcopal Church, which forbids the unbaptized to sit
behind the altar rail!)
The prayers over, Dr. Grant made a short introductory
address, speaking not from the pulpit but the chancel
steps. Never shall I forget what I saw then. Percy, strong
and erect, with his magnificently set head I"like the
head of some Viking" as Howard MacNutt says), giving,
with a fire even greater than usual-with a strange,
sparkling magnetism-the Baha'i Message to his congre-

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

gation; and behind him: a flashing Face, unlike the face
of any mortal, haloed by the victor's wreath, visibly inspiring him. For with every flash from those eyes, which
were fixed on Dr. Grant, would appear a fresh charge of
energy in him. There was something wonderfully rhythmic in this transmission of fire to the words and the
delivery of the man speaking. Was it the sign of some
susceptibility in this hitherto unyielding man to the
power of 'ABDU'L-BAHA? Or was it just that Power:
transcendent, irresistible, quickening whom it chose?
"May the Lord lift the light of His Countenance upon
you." Ah, what happens when the Lord does!
How can I tell of that moment when the Master took
the place of Percy Grant on the chancel steps? When,
standing in His flowing robes there, He turned His unearthly Face to the people and said: * "Dr. Grant has just
read from the thirteenth Chapter of Corinthians that the
day would come when you would see face to face."
It was too great to put into words; it was almost too
great to bear. The pain of intense rapture pierced my
heart. Could the people fail to recognize? Oh, had they
recognized what would He not have revealed to them?
But He could go no further. He swerved to another subject.
"I have come hither," He said, to find that material
/I

civilization has progressed greatly, but the spiritual
civilization has been left behind. The material civilization is likened unto the glass of a lamp chimney. The
spiritual civilization is like the light in that chimney.
The material civilization should go hand-in-hand with

• Cf. Promulgation of Universal Peace, Second Edition, pp. 11-13.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

the spiritual civilization. Material civilization may be
likened unto a beautiful body, while spiritual civilization is the spirit that enters the body and gives to it life.
With the propelling power of spiritual civilization the
result will be greater.
"His Holiness Jesus Christ came to this world that the
people might have through Him the civilization of
Heaven, a spirit of oneness with God. He came to
breathe the spirit into the body of the world. There must
be oneness in the world of man. When this takes place
we will have the Most Great Peace.
"Today the body politic needs the oneness of the
world and universal peace. But to spread the feeling of
peace and firmly implant it in the minds of men a certain propelling Power is required.
"It is self-evident that spiritual civilization cannot be
accomplished through material means, for the interests
of the various nations differ. It is self-evident that it cannot be accomplished through patriotism, for countries
differ in their ideas of patriotism. It is impossible save
through spiritual power. Compared with this all other
means are too weak to bring about universal peace.
"Man has two wings: his material power and development, and his spiritual understanding and achievements.
With one wing alone he cannot fly. Therefore, no matter
how far material civilization advances, without the
other, great things cannot be accomplished .... Humanity, generally speaking, is immersed in a sea of
materiality . . ."
Dr. Grant asked the Master to give the benediction.
Apparently He gave no blessing but asked for one for us.
Against His high background of lilies He stood, His
face uplifted in prayer, His eyes closed, the palms of His

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

hands uplifted. I seemed to feel streams of Life descending, filling those cupped hands. On either side of Him
knelt the clergymen, facing the altar. Percy Grant's head
was bowed low. It was a breathless moment. Then the
Master raised His resonant voice and chanted.
The recessional hymn was / /Christ our Lord has risen
again."
How can words tell what I realized, or thought I realized, at that incomparable service?
This church had been my cross for years, from which I
had never been able to escape-though twice I had made
the attempt, twice wrenching myself away, only to be
guided back by what seemed to me in each instance the
clear Will of God, expressed through a striking miracle.
Guided back to mortal pain. Was I seeing, this morning,
divine results of this pain?
And not only had I suffered more vitally here than in
any other place, prayed more passionately; not only had
it been the scene of my deepest inner conflict, but the
cause of all this had been dramatically enacted here.
Here in this pulpit, with all his great force, his disturbing magnetism and the fire of his eloquence, Percy Grant
had opposed my unshakable belief, thundering denunciations of "the subtle," "the Machiavellian Oriental"
(God forgive me for quoting this)-of the slumbering and
superstitious Orient-the Orient that brought to the
West "nothing but disease and death"-determined to
conquer this Faith of mine which made me resistant to
him. He had even gone so far as to openly name "the
Baha'i sect" in his pulpit and to warn his flock against
it.
And now, framing that matchless head of the Master,
who sat there so still in His Glory, hung the victor's

'ABDU'L-BAHA. IN AMERICA

wreath! Oh for words vivid and sublime enough to make
you see Him sitting there, in the very spot where He had
been so violently denied!
The Master took me back into the Rectory, into the
big, dark front room. Percy rushed in for a moment, still
in his surplice, his cheeks flushed, his eyes very bright
and blue.
"Juliet," he called, looking in from the dining room,
IIask if the Master wants anything: tea, coffee, wateranything; then tell Thomas" (the butler).
But the Master wanted nothing except to wait to see
Dr. Grant (who was being detained in the church) and
He filled me with indescribable joy by inviting me to
wait with Him, sitting beside Him.
I sat there, happier it seemed to me than I had ever
been in my life. I was in the Presence of my Lord, and
the one I loved best in all this human world had at last
recognized Him. For what else had that exquisite service
meant, with the Resurrection stressed all through it?
Such a bold acknowledgment, such a daring action in the
very church itself could not have been insincere. It never
occurred to me to doubt it.
But time passed and Percy did not come back. A great
crowd arrived before he did. Someone, using the private
way from the church, had left the door open and the people began to surge in. And then (while my heart sank
with disappointment) the Master made a swift exit.
TOQ late Mrs. Grant, Percy's dear mother, entered the
room. It was a dramatic entrance. She ran in, distractedly, glancing from side to side, obviously looking for
the Master. Not seeing Him there, she exclaimed: "If
only I could have had His blessing! That Figure makes
me think of the plains of Judea."
At that very instant Mr. Mills, who had gone out with

MARCH 2S TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

the Master, reappeared. II 'Abdu'I-BahA," he said, "is
asking for Mrs. Grant."
I stood at the street door and watched. The Master was
sitting in Mr. Mills' car, just in front of the house. I saw
Mrs. Grant approach it, kneel in the street and bow her
head. I saw Him place His hands on her head.
A year ago I had a dream. I was in the People's Forum,
stooping and kissing Mrs. Grant. She looked up through
tears. "I have seen the Master," she said in my dream.
"He spoke to me. Oh there was never such a Face in the
world!"
Now, on the steps of the Rectory, as she returned from
the car, she looked up through tears.
"I got my blessing, Juliet," she said, II and I didn't
have to ask for it."
I went back to the church to thank Percy Grant and
found him alone. His last parishioner had just gone. For
a moment we stood with clasped hands.
"You made everything so beautiful. I can't find the
right words to thank you."
liMy darling," he said, limy darling-"
Something in his look-something false-woke me.
Sick at heart, I turned away. *
That night how I hungered to see the Master. My heart
burned to see Him. I went to the telephone. Ah, these
days when just by a telephone call we can reach Him!
One of the Persians answered my call.
"ls the Master well tonight? Is He resting?" I asked.
"He is in His room, reading Tablets."

The next morning, through Ahmad, the Master
telephoned me. He wanted to know how I was.

*Cf. Some Early Baha'is of the West, p. 78

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

"Tell Him my heart is burning for Him just as it used
to in Haifa."
"The Master says: come at once to Him."
And scarcely was I seated in His room when He began
to speak of Percy Grant. He spoke with great love, with
great appreciation of the service Percy had rendered, but
told me to be very careful in my relations with him.
"You must keep your acquaintance, Juliet, absolutely
formal."
Then He gave me this message: "Convey to Dr. Grant
My greetings. Say: I will not forget the services thou hast
rendered yesterday. They are engraved on the book of"
My heart. I will mention thy name everywhere. And
know thou this: This matter of yesterday will become
most wonderful in the history of the world. The world of
existence will not forget yesterday. Thousands of years
hence the mention of yesterday will be heard and it will
become history that you were the founder of this work.
"I ask of God for you all those things I have asked for
Myself and they are: that thou mayest become a sincere
servant of God and serve in the Kingdom of God and
become sanctified and holy; that thou mayest find a pure
and enlightened heart, an illumined face; become the
cause that the lights of spiritual morals may illumine
the hearts in this country and that they may be illumined in the world of the Kingdom; become the promoter of Truth and deliver the souls from ignorance and
prejudice. I supplicate to the Kingdom of God for you,
and I will never forget the love that was manifested
yesterday.
"I hope," said the Master, turning to me, "that he
will become a believer, but I do not know. The rectorship of that church is in the way. If he could give it up of
his own volition, then he might become a believer."

MARCH 1S TO DECEMBER 7, 1911

He spoke of my dear mother: "Convey to thy mother
the greetings of Abha. Say to her: Always remember My
advices. It is my hope that thou mayest forget everything
save God. Nothing in this world is sufficient for man.
God alone is sufficient for him. God is the Protector of
man. All the world will not protect the souL"
I sent Percy Grant the message and later he telephoned
me.
"That was a wonderful, wonderful message," he said,
his voice strangely upset.

Early Sunday evening, the fourteenth, the Master
spoke at the Carnegie Lyceum for the Union Meeting of
Advanced Thought Centers. * I can give you no idea of
His Glory that night. He was like a pillar of white fire.
I sat in a box with Bolton Hall, one of our fashionable
intellectuals, a lean, elegant person with an Emersonian
face. Turning to him for a moment, I asked: "What do
you see?/1
"Nothing, dear child, nothing. /I

April 16, 1912.
~is morning the Master agreed to speak at the Bowery
Mission.
"I want to give them some money, /I He said to me. "I
am in love with the poor. How many poor men go to the
Mission?"
"About three hundred, my Lord."
"Take this bill to the bank, Juliet, and change it into
quarters," and He drew from His pocket a thousand-

·See Promulgation of Universal Peace, Second Edition, pp. 14-16.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

franc note. * "Have them put the quarters in a bag. Keep
the money and meet Me at the Mission with it."
He handed another thousand-franc note, with the
same instructions, to Edward Getsinger.
As I left His room, lilies of valley in my hand, a young
chambermaid stopped me. "Did He give you those?" she
asked. "He gave me some flowers yesterday. Roses. I
think He is a great Saint."

Later, May Maxwell and I were together in the
Master's room. He was lying back on His pillow, May's
baby crawling over Him, feeding first the baby, then
May and me with chocolates. t On the pillow beside
Him was the victor's wreath, which He always kept near
Him. Suddenly He brought up Percy's name.
/II love Dr. Grant," he began. "He has rendered Me a
great service. I love him very much, but I want you to be
careful."
"My Lord, I believe my heart is severed," I said. "I
don't know but I believe so."
He looked at me with arch incredulity: /lNo? Really?"
He said.
May laughed.
"What do you know about it?" the Master asked.
/I May knows everything about it."
"Well, has she helped you? How far has her help gone?
Has it been sufficient for you?"
"She has helped me, but only God is sufficient when
love has gone as deep as that."
"[ know. Now, can you transfer this love to God?"
• At the time, equal to about two-hundred-fifty dollars.
tThis baby was Mary Maxwell, later Amatu'l-Baba Ruhiyyih
Kbanum.

'ABDU'L-BAHA
walking down Riverside Drive in New York, 1912.
'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

"To God I can. To You."
I 'No. To God."

"Yes ... I can ... to God."
"That will be enough! I shall try to make no more
marriages," laughed the Master. "When you have really
given up," He added, , 'he will come after you." *
"I love Dr. Grant," He continued, "very, very much,
but I want to protect you."
"May I ask a question?" said May. "If Juliet put the
thought of Dr. Grant forever out of her mind, would this
be good?"
But the Master answered evasively: "If he would become a believer and marry Juliet it would please Me very
much."
"Don't we tire You?" I asked a little later. "Oughtn't
we to leave You now?"
"No, stay. You rest Me. You make Me laugh!" He
answered.

April 18, 1912.
[J asked Mrs. Wright if she would invite Percy to hear
the Master speak at the Bowery Mission. His reply has
just come through her. He said: "Give Juliet my love
and my excuses. Tell her I prefer to be remembered by
Him in the Church of the Ascension. Tell her this and
she will understand."

Before writing of the Master's visit to the Bowery I
must explain how it came about. In February this year

*1947. This was fulfilled years after, but by that time my heart was
severed; and to my everlasting shame, I was cruel to him.-J.T.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

Dr. Hallimond asked me for the third time to give the
Baha'i Message at the Mission. I had refused twice before because my dear mother wouldn't allow me to go
there. But this third invitation I felt I must accept. So,
for the first time in my life, I deceived Mamma! Silvia
Gannett helped me out. (By the way her marriage has
been postponed.) She invited me to dine, then went to
the Mission with me. The only thing Mamma knew was
that I was dining with Silvia.
The weather that night was terrible: snowing, sleeting, bitterly cold. The Mission was packed with homeless men, some of whom had been driven in by the
cold and the storm and were there for no other reason.
Among these, I learned afterward, was John Good-may
he ever be blessed! Wonderfully named was John Good!
He had been released from Sing Sing that very day: an
enormous man with a head like a lion and a great shock
of white hair. From his boyhood he had spent his life in
one prison or another and now, in his old age, had behaved so rebelliously in Sing Sing that they would punish him in the most painful way, hanging him up by
his thumbs! Full of hate he had come out of prison, and
full of hate and without one grain of belief in anything,
he sat among the derelicts in the Mission, forced in by
the storm.
And that night (knowing nothing of John Good) I was
moved to tell the men how 'Abdu'l-Baha came out of
prison, full of love for the whole world, even His cruelest enemies.
After I had finished speaking, Dr. Hallimond said:
"We have heard from Juliet Thompson that 'Abdu'l-Baha
will be here in April. How many of you would like to
invite Him to speak at the Mission? Will those who wish
it please stand?"

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

The whole three hundred rose to their feet.
"Now," added Dr. Hallimond, taking me by surprise,
"how many would like to study the thirteenth Chapter
of Corinthians with Miss Thompson and myself?"
Thirty rose this time, including John Good and a poor
alcoholic named Hannegan, a long, lanky, red-haired
Irishman.
"Then we will meet every Wednesday at eight P.M.
and learn something about this Love of which 'Abdu'l-
Baha is our Great Example."
And every Wednesday evening after that John Good
and Hannegan came, with the twenty-eight others.
Of course, in order to help Dr. Hallimond on these
nights, I had had to confess to Mamma this first visit to
the Bowery, and she was so touched by the story that
she gladly consented to my keeping up the work,
especially as Dr. Hallimond always came for me and
brought me home.

And now to return to the immediate present. Day
before yesterday, April 19, the Master spoke at the
Bowery Mission.
I met Him in the chapel, dragging along with me the
huge white bag of quarters. Edward also appeared with a
bag of the same size and we sat behind the Master on the
platform. Mr. MacNutt, Mr. Mills, Mr. Grundy, and Mr.
Hutchinson, and of course all the Persians, were seated
there too. The long hall was packed to the doors with
those poor derelicts who sleep on park benches or
doorsteps.
Dr. Hallimond called upon me to introduce my Lord,
which seemed so presumptious I could scarcely do it.
Then the Master rose to speak. Here are His heavenly

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

words: * "Tonight I am very happy for I have come here
to meet My friends. I consider you my relatives, My
companions, and I am your comrade.
"You must be thankful to God that you are poor, for
His Holiness Jesus Christ has said: 'Blessed are the
poor.' He never said: blessed are the rich! He said too
that the Kingdom is for the poor and that it is easier for a
camel to enter the needle's eye than for a rich man to
enter God's Kingdom. Therefore you must be thankful
to God that although in this world you are indigent, yet
the treasures of God are within your reach, and although
in the material realm you are poor, yet in the Kingdom
of God you are precious.
"His Holiness Jesus Himself was poor. He did not
belong to the rich. He passed His time in the desert
traveling among the poor and lived upon the herbs of the
field. He had no place to lay His head-no home. He was
exposed in the open to heat, cold, and frost. Yet He
chose this rather than riches. If riches were considered a
glory, the Prophet Moses would have chosen themj Jesus
would have been rich.
"When Jesus appeared it was the poor who first accepted Him, not the rich. Therefore, you are His
disciples, you are His comrades, for outwardly He was
poor, not rich.
"Even this earth's happiness does not depend upon
wealth. You will find many of the wealthy exposed to
dangers and troubled by difficulties, and in their last
moments upon the bed of death, there remains the regret
that they must be separated from that to which their

*Cf. Promulgation of Universal Peace, Second Edition, pp. 32-34.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

hearts are so attached. They come into this world naked
and they must go from it naked. All they possess they
must leave behind and pass away solitary, alone. Often
at the time of death their souls are filled with remorse
and, worst of all, their hope in the mercy of God is less
than ours.
"Praise be to God, our hope is in the mercy of God j
and there is no doubt that the divine Compassion is
bestowed upon the poor. His Holiness Jesus Christ said
SOj His Holiness Baha'u'llah said so.
"While Baha'u'llah was in Baghdad, still in possession
of great wealth, He left all He had and went alone from
the city, living two years among the poor. They were His
comrades. He ate with them, slept with them, and
gloried in being one of them. He chose for one of His
names the title of 'The Poor One' and often in His
Writings refers to Himself as 'Darvish,' which in Persian
means poor. And of this title he was very proud. He admonished all that we must be the servants of the poor,
helpers of the poor, remember the sorrows of the poor,
associate with them, for thereby we may inherit the
Kingdom of Heaven.
"God has not said that there are mansions prepared for
us if we pass our time associating with the rich, but He
has said there are many mansions prepared for the servants of the poor, for the poor are very dear to God. The
mercies and bounties of God are with them. The rich are
mostly negligent, inattentive, steeped in worldliness,
depending upon their means, whereas the poor are dependent upon God and their reliance is upon Him, not
upon themselves. Therefore the poor are nearer the
Threshold of God and His Throne.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7 I 1912

"Jesus was a poor man. One night when He was out in
the fields the rain began to fall. He had no place to go for
shelter, so He lifted His eyes toward Heaven, saying: '0
Father! For the birds of the air Thou hast created nests,
for the sheep a fold, for the animals dens, for the fishes
places of refuge, but for Me Thou hast provided no shelter; there is no place where I may lay My head. My bed is
the cold ground, My lamps at night are the stars and My
food is the grass of the field. Yet who upon earth is richer
than I? For the greatest blessing Thou hast not given to
the rich and mighty, but unto Me Thou hast given the
poor. To Me Thou hast granted this blessing. They are
Mine. Therefore I am the richest man on earth.'
"So, My comrades, you are following in the footsteps
of Jesus Christ. Your lives are similar to His life, your attitude is like unto His, you resemble Him more than the
rich resemble Him. Therefore we will thank God that
we have been blest with the real riches. And, in conclusion, I ask you to accept 'Abdu'l-Baha as your Servant."
After the service, the Master and we who were with
Him walked down the aisle to the door, while the men
in the audience kept their seats. At the end of the aisle
the Master paused, called to Edward and me and asked
us to stand on each side of Him, with our bags. He was
wearing His pongee 'aba and was very shining in white
and ivory, His Face like a lighted lamp.
Then down the aisle streamed a sodden and grimy procession: three hundred men in single file. The "breadline. II The failures. Broken forms. Blurred faces. How
can I picture such a scene? That forlorn host out of the
depths, out of the "mud and scum of things"-where
nevertheless "something always, always sings." And the

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

Eternal Christ, reflected in the Mirror of ''The Servant,"
receiving them all, like prodigal sons? stray sheep? No!
Like His own beloved children, who "resembled Him
more than the rich resembled Him."
Into each palm, as the Master clasped it, He pressed
His little gift of silver: just a symbol and the price of a
bed. Not a man was shelterless that night. And many,
many, I could see, found a shelter in His Heart. I could
see it in the faces raised to His and in His Face bent to
theirs.
Those interchanged looks-what a bounty to have
witnessed them-to have such a picture stamped on my
mind forever!
As the men filed toward Him, the Master held out His
hand to the first, grasped the man's hand and left something in it. Perhaps five or six quarters, for John Good
told me afterward that the completely destitute ones
received the most. The man glanced up surprised. His
eyes met the Master's look, which seemed to be plung-
Ing deep into his heart with fathomless understanding.
He, this poor derelict, must have known very little of
even human love or understanding; and now, too suddenly, he stood face to face with Divine Love. He looked
startled, incredulous-as though he couldn't believe
what he saw; then his eyes strained toward the Master,
something new burning in them, and the Master's eyes
answered with a great flash, revealing a more mysterious, a pro founder love. A drowning man rescued, ortaken up into heaven? I saw this repeated scores of times.
Some of the men shuffled past, accepting their gift
ungraciously, but most of them responded just as the
first did.
Who can tell the effect of those immortal glances on

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

the lives and even, perhaps, at the death of each of these
men? Who knows what the Master gave that night?

(Footnote. Months later John Good told me about
Hannegan. Hannegan was a generous man. If he had a
dime and somebody needed a nickel, he would split his
dime. But, there was no doubt about it, he was also a
Bowery tough and pretty nearly always drunk. He had
been counting the days to the nineteenth of April but,
unluckily lost count, and when the nineteenth came and
with it the Master's visit to the Bowery, he was in one of
his stupors. Waking up from it, he really sorrowed. Still,
there was another chance. The Master was to speak in
Flatbush the following Sunday and somehow Hannegan
heard of this. Flatbush is a long way off and that Sunday
he hadn't even a nickel. So he walked. At midnight John
Good went to his room and found him in the usual state.
"Why did you do it this time, Hannegan-and you
straight from seeing the Master?" asked John. "That's
just it," said Hannegan earnestly. "I'm straight from
seeing Him. Why, John, He's Perfection. The Light of
the world, He is, John. It's too much for a man, too
discouraging. "
John never told me this till after the death of Hannegan,
or I would have taken him to the Master. But, after all,
he-this Bowery tough-had seen the Reality.J

That night the Master had a supper for all who had
been with Him at the Mission. It was held in His suite at
the Ansonia and He took me and two of the Persians,
Valiyu'llab Khan and Ahmad, in His own taxi to the
hotel.
As we drove up Broadway, glittering with its electric

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

signs, He spoke of them smiling, apparently much
amused. Then He told us that Baha'u'llah had loved
light. "He could never get enough light. He taught us,"
the Master said, "to economize in everything else but to
use light freely."
"It is marvelous," I said, "to be driving through all
this light by the side of the Light of lights."
"This is nothing," the Master answered. "This is only
the beginning. We will be together in all the worlds of
God. You cannot realize here what that means. You cannot imagine it. You can form no conception here in this
elemental world of what it is to be with Me in the Eternal Worlds."
"Oh," I cried, "with such a future before me how
could my heart cling to any earthly object?"
The Master turned suddenly to me. "Will you do this
thing?" He asked. "Will you take your heart from this
other and give it wholly to God?"
"Oh, I will try!"
He laughed heartily at this. "First you say you will
and then that you will try!"
"That is because I have learned my own weakness.
What can I do with my heart?"
And now the Master spoke gravely. "I am very much
pleased with that answer, Juliet."

That night I saw, as never before, the Glory of
'Abdu' 1-Baha.
Nine of us were gathered at His table. He sat at the
head, Mr. Mills on His left, I on His right. Just above
Him hung a big round lamp, so that He sat in a pool of
strong light while the rest of us were in shadow. In His

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

ivory-colored 'aba over the long white robe, His white
hair spread out upon His shoulders, He was like some
massive statue of a deity carved in alabaster.
For a while He was silent and we surrounded Him, silent. But after He had served the food He began to speak.
He told us of the play The Terrible Meek which he had
seen that afternoon. It is based on the Crucifixion.
, 'But such a representation should be complete," He
said, and taken from its inception to its consummation.
It should be an impersonation of the life of Jesus from
the beginning to the end.
"For example: His baptism. The disciples of John the
Baptist turning to Him, Jesus. The dawn of Christianity.
Then the Christ in the Temple, well portrayed. The
meeting of Jesus and Peter on the shore of Tiberias,
where Jesus called Peter to follow Him that he might
become a fisher of men. The gathering together of the
Jews. Their accusations against Jesus. For they said: 'We
are expecting certain conditions at the time of the appearance of the Messiah and unless these conditions are
fulfilled it is impossible to believe. It is written that He
will come from an unknown place. Thou are from
Nazareth. We know Thee and Thy people. According to
the explicit text of the Scriptures, the Messiah is to
wield a sceptre, a sword. Thou hast not even a staff. The
Messiah is to be established on the throne of David. But
Thou-a throne! Thou hast not so much as a mat. The
Messiah is to fulfill the Law of Moses, which will be
spread throughout the world. Thou hast broken the
Mosaic Law. The Jews, in the time of the Messiah, are to
be the conquerors of the world and all men will become
their subjects. In the Cycle of the Messiah justice is to

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

reign. It will be exercised even in the animal kingdom,
so that wolf and lamb will quaff water at the same fountain, eagle and quail will dwell in the same nest, lion
and deer pasture in the same meadow. But see the oppression and wrong rampant in Thy time! The Jews are the
captives of the Romans. Rome has uprooted our foundations, pillaging and killing us. What manner of justice
is this?'
"But His Holiness Jesus answered: 'These texts are
symbolic. They have an inner meaning. I possess sovereignty, but it is of the eternal type. It is not an earthly
empire. Mine is divine, heavenly, everlasting. And I conquer not by the sword. My conquests are by Love. I have
a sword, but it is not of iron. My sword is My tongue,
which divides Truth from falsehood.'
"Yet they persisted in rejecting Him. 'These are mere
interpretations,' they said. 'We will not give up the letter
for these.'
"Then they rose against Him, accusing and persecuting Him, inventing libels according to their superstitions.
"'He is a liar. He is the false Christ. Believe Him not.
Beware lest ye listen. He will mislead you, will lure you
from the religion of your fathers, and will create a turmoil amongst you.'
"Then the scribes and Pharisees consult together: 'Let
us hold a conclave and conceive a plan. This man is a
deceiver. We must do something. What?'" (The Master gaily mimicked their confusion.) , "Let us expel
Him from the country. Let us imprison Him. Ah! Let us
refer the matter to the government. Thus the religion of
Moses shall be free of Him.'
"After this, the betrayal of Jesus, not by an enemy,
not by an outsider, but by one of His own disciples. Dr.

MARCH 15 TO DECEMBER 7, 1911

Farid! (I was startled by the sudden, peremptory call of
that name. J "By one of His own disciples. Had you been
there, Dr. Farid. Had you been there, you would have
seen that Mary of Magdala even looked like Juliet." *
"Then," continued the Master, "the government will
summon Jesus, will bring Him before Pontius Pilate, and
these scenes should be fully portrayed ... "
Here I ceased to take notes. I was stabbed to the heart.
As He flashed each scene to us with His vivid words and
gestures I felt that He was reliving it. When He came to
that walk to Golgotha: Jesus, the Savior, stumbling
beneath the weight of His Cross while the mob capered
about, bowing backward, mocking "the King of the
Jews," I knew He was telling us of remembered anguish.
"And when all this is finished," He said, "then the
Terrible Meek will be expressed."
The last scene centered around the disciples, united
now and ablaze with the pentecostal fire. The Master
described them surrounded by multitudes, teaching with
those "tongues of fire" that His Holiness Jesus had verily been a King-the King of spirits, His sword the Word
of God and His reign in the hearts of men.
When the Master had ended we sat so silent that the
falling of a rose leaf might have been heard. He broke the
silence.
"The voice of Mary lamenting at the Cross today
made me think of your voice, Juliet-and Lua's." And
then He smiled at me. "Eat, Juliet," He said. For the
food on my plate was untouched.

In the upper hall, on our way to the Master's suite, we
had met the little chambermaid who had told me the day

·Dr. Farfd, within the year, turned traitor.-J.T.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

before that she thought Him a great Saint. In my bag
were about eighty quarters left over from the Mission.
The Master asked the girl to hold up her apron, took the
bag from me, and emptied the whole of its contents into
the apron. Then He walked quickly toward His suite, we
following, all but Mr. Grundy whom the maid stopped.
"Oh see what He has given me!" she said. And when
Mr. Grundy told her about the Mission and the Master's
kindness to the men there, "I will do the same with this
money. I will give away every cent of it."
Later, when the table was cleared and we were sitting
with the Master in another room, talking of the scene at
the Mission, someone asked Him if "charity were advisable."
He laughed and, still laughing, said: "Assuredly, give
to the poor. If you give them only words, when they put
their hands into their pockets after you have gone, they
will find themselves none the richer for you!"
And just at that moment we heard a light tap at the
door. It opened and there stood the little maid. She came
straight towards the Master, seeming not to see anyone
else, and her eyes were full of tears.
"I wanted to say good-bye, Sir," she said (for the
Master was leaving for Washington early the next morning), "and to thank You for all Your goodness to me-I
never expected such goodness-and to ask You . . . to
pray for me." Her voice broke. She sobbed, hid her face
in her apron and rushed from the room.
What an illustration to the Master's words, "assuredly
give to the poor," and how wonderfully timed!

MARCH 15 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

April 22, 1912.
<Db, 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. He would become exhausted and receive the latest arrivals in bed. Sitting in
the outer room (though frequently called to Him), I
would watch them go into His bedroom and come out
changed, as though they had had a bath of Life, or like
candles that had been lighted in that inner chamber.
Leonard Abbott came out with flushed cheeks and
bright eyes. "That beautiful head against the pillows! /I
he said.
Charles Rand Kennedy, the playwright (author of The
Terrible Meek) said: "I was in the Presence of God. /I
I, myself, took Nancy Sholl in. When we left, she
whispered to me: "I could not have stood the vibrations
in there one moment longer. Power encircles that bed!/1

Alas, New York has now lost the great overhanging
aura of the Master. He is in Washington. But I am going
there too, tomorrow, to stay with my dear Mrs. Elkins.

New York.
May 7, 1912.
<'Washington was beautiful, the banners of the spring
floating out everywhere. Trees along the street in full
leaf. Flowering bushes and tulip beds in the parks and in
the grass plots in front of houses. The Japanese cherry

MARCH 2S TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

trees behind the White House, a long row of coral-pink
clouds.
The day I arrived, April 23, I met the Master at luncheon at the Persian Embassy, where Khan is now acting as minister. * The table was strewn with rose petals,
as the Master's table always is in 'Akka, and Persian
dishes were served.
A colored man, Louis Gregory, was present and the
Master gave a wonderful talk on race prejudice which,
however, I will not quote here since it has been kept. t
And besides, I am longing to catch up with these days,
when I am feeling with all my capacity for feeling, when
the gates of my heart are flung wide open and fire sweeping through, burning up my heart, when I am seeing
through tears the Manifest Glory of the Beloved. I really
don't want to write about Washington. This heart was
not awakened then.
But He said a lovely thing at Khan's table which I
must keep. Mrs. Parsons was at the luncheon. Before
she became a Baha'i she had been a Christian Scientist,
and now she brought up the question of mental suggestion as a cure for physical disease. The Master replied
that some illnesses, such as consumption and insanity,
developed from spiritual causes-grief, for example-and
that these could be healed by the spirit. But Mrs. Parsons persisted. Could not extreme physical cases, like
broken bones, also be healed by the spirit?
A large bowl of salad had been placed before the Mas-

* Ali-Kuli Khan, the Charge d'Affaires for the Persian Legation.
tSee The Baha'i World, Vol. 12, p. 668.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

ter, Who sat at the head of the table, Florence Khanum *
on His right.
"If all the spirits in the air," He laughed, "were to
congregate together, they could not create a salad! Nevertheless, the spirit of man is powerful. For the spirit of
man can soar in the firmament of knowledge, can discover realities, can confer life, can receive the Divine
Glad-Tidings. Is not this greater," and He laughed again,
"than making a salad?"
One more lovely thing. The servants were late bringing in the dessert and Florence apologized; whereupon
little Rahim, standing beside her, spoke up.
"Even the King of Persia has to wait, doesn't He,
mother?"
"Rahim dear," explained Florence, "'Abdu'l-Baha is
King of the whole world."
"Oh," said Rahim, very much abashed, "I forgot."

After the luncheon, Florence and Khan held a large
reception, to which a number of very distinguished people came, among them Oiya Pasha, the Turkish
Minister, and his whole family, Duke Lita and his wife,
Admiral Peary, and Alexander Graham Bell.
Between the end of lunch and this reception the Master went upstairs to rest and to give a few private interviews. When He reappeared among us, the two living
rooms were already crowded. He walked quickly to the
open folding doors and standing there at the center, with
a strikingly free and simple bearing, immediately began
to speak. His words too were simple and of a captivating
sweetness, a startling clarity.

*The wife of Ali-Kuli Khan.

'ABDU'L-BAHA WITH THE CHILDREN OF ALI-KULI KHAN
(I. to r.): Marzieh, Hamideh and Rahim.
'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

Oiya Pasha stood next to me, his eyes riveted on the
Master. When the Master had finished speaking, the old
diplomat (who is a fierce Muhammadan) turned to me.
"This is irrefutable. This is pure logic," he said.
A few months before, at the request of his daughter-inlaw, an American girl and a dear friend of mine, I had
given Oiya Pasha the Message. I had had to give it in
French, as he doesn't understand English, and, my
French being rusty by now, I'm afraid I didn't do it very
well: he looked so skeptical, almost contemptuous the
whole time I was speaking. But when I said that through
the Baha'i Teaching I had become a Muhammadan, and
convinced him of this by the reverent way I spoke of
Mul;1ammad, I really touched Oiya Pasha. He rose from
the table, where we were at lunch, left the room, and
returned with a precious and very old volume of the
Qur' an on illuminated parchment and with a handtooled cover. "No Christian eye but yours," he said,
"has ever looked upon this."

To return to the Persian Embassy. A delicious thing
happened when the Master greeted Peary, who has just
succeeded in publicly disgracing Captain Cook and proving himself, and not Captain Cook, the discoverer of the
North Pole. At that moment, in the Embassy, he looked
like a blown-up balloon.
I was standing beside the Master when Khan brought
the Admiral over and introduced him.
The Master spoke charmingly to him and congratulated him on his discovery. Then, with the utmost
sweetness, added these surprising words: For a very long
time the world had been much concerned about the
North Pole, where it was and what was to be found

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

there. Now he, Admiral Peary, had discovered it and that
nothing was to found therei and so, in forever relieving
the public mind, he had rendered a great service.
I shall never forget Peary's nonplussed face. The
balloon collapsed!

Immediately after the Khan's reception, Mrs. Parsons
too had a large one for the Master, to which I;>iya Pasha
came with Him. I saw them, to my great delight, enter
the hall together hand in hand.
Mrs. Parsons house has real distinction. It is Georgian
in style and in it is a very long white ballroom with, at
one end, an unusually high mantel-the mantel, as well
as the ceiling and paneled walls, delicately carved with
garlands. At the windows hang thin silk curtains the color of jonquil leaves.
Here, after this first reception, the Master spoke daily
in the afternoon and the whole fashionable world flocked
to hear Him. Scientists too, and even politicians came!
In front of the mantel, a platform had been placed for
the Master and every day it was banked with fresh roses,
American Beauties.
Into this room of conventional elegance, packed with
conventional people, imagine the Master striding with
His free step: walking first to one of the many windows
and, while He looked out into the light, talking with His
matchless ease to the people. Turning from the window,
striding back and forth with a step so vibrant it shook
you. Piercing our souls with those strange eyes, uplifting
them, glory streaming upon them. Talking, talking,
moving to and fro incessantly. Pushing back His turban,
revealing that Christ-like forehead i pushing it forward
again almost down to His eyebrows, which gave Him a

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

peculiar majesty. Charging, filling the room with magnetic currents, with a mysterious energy. Once He burst
in, a child on His shoulder. For a moment He held her,
caressing her. Then He sat her down among the roses.

On Thursday, April 25, the Master dined at the
Turkish Embassy and I was privileged to be there.
Never have I seen such a beautiful table. Hundreds of
roses lay the whole length of it, piled, melting into each
other, sweeping up from the head and the foot of the
table to a great mound in the center, where the Master
sat, faced by Oiya Pasha. Florence Khanum and Carey,
Madame Oiya Bey IOiya Pasha's daughter-in-law), the
American wives of Oriental diplomats, were placed on
either side of the Master and I sat next to Carey.
There are times when the Master looks colossal, when
His Holiness shines like the sun. That night He wore the
usual white, with a honey-colored 'aba. Oiya Pasha, opposite Him, watched Him with eyes full of tears, his
keen old hawk's face strangely softened.
The Master gave a great address on the civilizations
built on the basic Teachings of the Prophetsj then He
spoke of this dinner as "a wonderful occasion." "The
East and the West," He said, "are met in perfect love
tonight." There was something so poignant in His
words, so flame-creating, that for a moment I was overcome.
Later He spoke of the deep significance of the international marriages represented there: Ofya Bey's and
Carey's, Ali Kuli Khan's and Florence's. Carey made me
very happy by saying: "Juliet told me long ago of Your
Teachings, when I was only fifteen years old." What
fruit that seed had borne, sown in a child!

'ABDU'L-BAHA WITH THE PERSIAN CONSUL-GENERAL
for New York and his household, Morristown, New Jersey.
'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

Oiya Pasha made a thrilling speech. Rising and turning
a lover's face to the Master, he called Him "the Light of
the world, the Unique One of the age, Who had come to
spread His glory and perfection amongst us."
"I am not worthy of this," said the Master, very simply. Always a great power is released from the Master's
divine humility.
As I bade Oiya Pasha goodnight, looking at me through
a mist of tears, he said: "Truly, He is a Saint."

One day Mrs. Elkins invited the Master to drive with
us and we went to the Soldiers' Home. The Elkinses,
because of Katharine's engagement to the Duke of the
Abruzzi, have been terribly hounded by the newspapers,
but this happened before the Master came. He couldn't
have known about it through any outward means. Yet
no sooner were we seated in the car than He said to Mrs.
Elkins: ' 'How the newspapers here persecute one!"
It was such a sympathetic subject! At once Mrs. Elkins
opened her heart.
"Come away!" smiled the Master. "Elude these journalists! Come to Haifa where there is peace. Juliet will
tell you there is peace in Haifa."
Then He spoke of how much I loved her and of her
philanthropic deeds, which He prayed might increase.
He captured her hand and kept it in His, while she hastily hid the sweet gesture under her cape.
"Nothing endures, Mrs. Elkins," He said. "Nothing
but the Love of God endures. Look at these trees in full
blossom now." And in words which I will not try to
repeat He described the turning of the seasons: the trees
in summer flourishing green leaves; the inevitable
autumn with the leaves lying, yellow, on the ground.
"This," He said, "is a symbol of human life."

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

"Remember Babylon." He drew a vivid picture of ancient Babylon, its towers, its stupendous art; then of
Babylon today: a waste of rubble, "the hyena prowling
among its crumbled stones." No other sign of life but
the "voice of the owl by night or "a lark singing at
II

daybreak. "Remember Tyre. Here too was beauty and
II

splendor and pomp. Think of Tyre now. I have been
there. I have seen."
He spoke of my mother that day: "Juliet's mother is
very good. Her heart is very pure. As soon as we met, her
face became radiant."
When we reached home, Mrs. Elkins said to me: "You
can't hide a thing from Him. He sees everything that is
in your heart."
The day Mrs. Elkins first met the Master she mentioned her husband, the senator, * who died about a year
ago. "I wish he were here now/' she said, "to meet
You. II

"Inshallah, replied the Master, "for his good deeds I
II

shall meet him in the Kingdom of God."
One of the senator's good deeds had been to protect
the Baha'is in 'Akka and Haifa while the Master was being tried for His life in 1907.

I was so thankful to be in Washington. At those daily
meetings in Mrs. Parsons' house I would see many of my
old friends, friends of my childhood. Mrs. Elkins went
with me every day to the meetings: sometimes, when all
the chairs were taken, standing the whole afternoon,
although she was far from well.
One day, however, she was not with me. That night
she was giving a small dinner and an opera party and she

·Senator Stephen Benton Elkins; died January 4, 1911.

, ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

had to rest for this. So, being free for an hour or so, I
decided to stay at Mrs. Parsons' and have a little visit
with Edna.
While Edna and I were talking, the Master suddenly
entered the room. "I am going out for a drive," He said,
"but wait till I return, Edna, and you too, Juliet, wait.
I will see you in a short time."
So I waited-waited and waited. Half-past six came.
Seven. We were to dine at half-past seven and the Elkinses' house was a long way off, rather indirect on the
car-line.
"Go, Juliet," urged Edna. "I will explain."
But how could I? My Lord had told me to stay.
And now I shall have to digress and tell what may
seem, just at first, another story: When I was ten years
old land I remember the time because that year we were
living with my grandmother), a very presumptuous idea
took possession of me. I began to dream of some day
painting the Christ. I even prayed that I might. "0
God," I would pray, "You know Christ didn't look like
a woman, the way all the pictures of Him look. Please let
me paint Him when I grow up as the King of Men." And
I never lost hope of this till I saw the Master. Then I
knew that no one could paint the Christ. Could the sun
with the whole universe full of its radiations, or endless
flashes of lightning be captured in paint?
Imagine my surprise and dismay, fear, joy and gratitude all mixed together, at the news given me by Mrs.
Gibbons when the Master first came to New York. The
night before He landed she had received a Tablet in
which He said: "On My arrival in America Miss Juliet
Thompson shall paint a wonderful portrait of Me." This
was in response to a supplication from Mrs. Gibbons

MARCH 2.5 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

asking that her daughter might paint Him, which she
never did, though the Master graciously gave her permission, even more graciously adding those words about
me.
It was a little after seven when the Master came back
from His drive. Entering the room in which He had left
me and where of course I was still waiting, He said:
"Ah, Juliet! For your sake I returned. Mrs. Hemmick*
wanted to keep Me, but I had asked you to wait; therefore I returned." After a pause He added: "Would you
like to come up and paint Me tomorrow?"
So I learned the reward of obedience. Such a reward for
so small an act of obedience! Once in Haifa He said to
me: "Keep My words, obey My commands and you will
marvel at the results."
And, by a miracle, I wasn't late for dinner! The dinner,
because of another guest, had been postponed a half
hour.
The next morning I went very early to Mrs. Parsons'
house, taking my box of pastels; but though it was only
eight 0' clock, quite a crowd had already gathered and I
felt that the morning was doomed to be a broken one.
Not only that, but the light in the rooms upstairs, where
I was supposed to paint, is very weak, and the delicate
wallpaper, with tiny bunches of flowers allover it, I
couldn't use as a background for His head. For a while I
was in despair, for I dared not make the suggestion I had
in mind. But in the end I did. Begging Him to forgive me
if I were doing something wrong, I asked if He would
pose in New York instead. To this he consented so freely
and sweetly that I had no more qualms about it.

-Mrs. Barney Hemmick, a Baha'i from Washington, D.C.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

The following day I went to Mrs. Parsons' to meet Lee
McClung, the Treasurer of the United States. Lee Mc-
Clung had been one of the idols of my early adolescence.
He had seemed quite old to me then, though now he is
only thirty-eight. When I saw him again last winter for
the first time in about ten years, he had made all sorts of
fun of me for my "conversion to Bahaism." "It made me
laugh out of one eye and cry out of the other," he said.
"What does your mother think about it? Have you converted her?"
But at Mrs. Parsons' first meeting, to my great surprise, there he was in the audience! I couldn't wait to
speak to him or to present him to the Master as Mrs.
Elkins was in a hurry that day, but in the evening he
dined with us.
"How did you feel when you saw the Master?" I asked
him.
A shy look came into his face, and Mr. McClung is
anything but shy. "Well, I felt as though I were in the
presence of one of the great old Prophets: Elijah, Isaiah,
Moses. No, it was more than that! Christ ... no, now I
have it. He seemed to me my Divine Father."
Then he said he must leave us a little early, as he was
going to Mr. Bell's-Alexander Graham Bell's-to meet
'Abdu'l-Baha there.
Later I was told that the Master had made an address
at Mr. Bell's; then others were called on to speak. But
when Lee McClung was called on he said: "After
'Abdu'l-Baha has spoken, I cannot."
At Mr. McClung's request, I had made an appointment for him with the Master for a private interview and
this was the reason I was here to meet him at Mrs. Parsons'. I arrived a little ahead of time and while I was

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

waiting for Mr. McClung, a door in the hall opened and
there stood the Master, beckoning to me. He was alone,
so we had to fall back on His English and my scant
Persian.
"How is your mother?" He asked first. "How old is
she?"
But I couldn't tell Him, Mamma having always concealed her age till I think even she doesn't know it now.
"About fifty?"
"I think so."
"How old are you?"
I confessed my age.
"In My eyes you are fifteen," He replied, so sweetly.
"In your eyes I am an infant?"
"Yes. Baby!"
Then the translator arrived.
"Tell Juliet," the Master began at once, "that she
teaches well. I have met many people who have been
affected by you, Juliet. You are not eloquent, you are
not fluent, but your heart teaches. You speak with a feeling, an emotion which makes people ask: 'What is this
she has?' Then they inquire; they seek and find. It is
so too with Lua. You never find Lua speaking with dry
eyes! You will be confirmed. A great bounty will descend
upon you. You will become eloquent. Your tongue will
be loosed. Teach, always teach. The confirmations of the
Holy Spirit descend upon those who teach constantly.
Never feel fear. The Holy Spirit will give you the words
to say. Never fear. You will grow stronger and stronger."
That erect head, that hand held high in command, the
Power that eddied from Him as He spoke those words,
how can I ever feel fear again when I have to mount the
dreaded platform?

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

It was later that He said to me: "You have many
friends. You have no enemies. Everybody is your friend.
Do not think I am ignorant of conditions in New York.
Both factions are pleased with you, Juliet, and have
nothing but good to say of you, although they complain
of others. Miss X is pleased with you! Mrs. XX is pleased
with you!" (laughing as He mentioned the two chief
disturbers of the peace). //And you have accomplished
this only through .your sincerity. Others may do this
through diplomatic action, but you have done it with
your heart. /I

(Footnote. I am destroying my diary in longhand and I
can't bear to lose any of the Master's words to me, those
dear words of encouragement. That is why I keep them.)

Just then Lee McClung arrived and the Master took
him upstairs. *

On Saturday, May 11, just one month from the day of
His landing, the Master returned to New York from
Washington, Cleveland, and Chicago.
A few of us gathered in His rooms to prepare them for
Him and fill them with flowers; then to wait for His arrival: May Maxwell, Lua Getsinger, Carrie Kinney, Kate
Ives, Grace Robarts, and I. Mr. Mills and Mr. Woodcock
were waiting too.
The Master has a new home, in the Hudson Apartment House,t overlooking the river. His flat is on one of
the top stories, so that its windows frame the sky. Now
the windows were all open and a fresh breeze blew in.

-Mr. MacClung died soon afterward.-J.T.
tAt 227 Riverside Drive, New York.-Eo.

'ABDU'L-BAHA WITH CHILDREN
and Persian entourage. Lua Getsinger kneeling, right.
'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

About five 0' clock He came. Oh the coming of that
Presence! If only I could convey to the future the mighty
commotion of it! The hearts almost suffocate with joy,
the eyes bum with tears at the stir of that step! It is
futile to try to express it. Sometimes when the sun
breaks through clouds and spreads a great fiery glow, I
get something of that feeling.
After greeting us all the Master took a seat by the window and began to talk to us, with supreme love and gladness, wittily, tenderly, eloquently, carrying us up as if
on wings to the apex of sublime feeling, so that we wept;
then turning our tears to sudden little ripples of laughter
as an unexpected gleam of wit flashed out; then melting
our hearts with His yearning affection.
He had been horrified in Washington by the prejudice
against the Negroes. "What does it matter," He asked,
"if the skin of a man is black, white, yellow, pink, or
green? In this respect the animals show more intelligence than man. Black sheep and white sheep, white
doves and blue do not quarrel because of difference of
color."
Lua, May, and I, for the first time together in the
Glory of His Presence, sat on the floor in a comer, gazing
through tears at Him and whenever we could wrench our
eyes from the sorrowful beauty of His face, silhouetted
against the sky, gazing at one another, still through
tears.
Day after day I was with Him there. Lua and I had permission to be always with Him. I would go to His apartment in the early morning and stay through the whole
day and again and again He would call me to His
Presence.
"My Lord," I said once, "1 really shouldn't take Your
time. I don't want to take Your time. I am only too

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

thankful to be here, serving at a distance, somewhere in
Your atmosphere."
"I know you are content with whatever I do, therefore
I send for you, Juliet," He replied.

On the thirteenth of May (Percy Grant's birthday) a
meeting of the Peace Conference took place at the Hotel
Astor. It was an enormous meeting with thousands present. The Master was the Guest of Honor and the first
speaker, Dr. Grant and Rabbi Wise the other speakers.
The Master sat at the center on the high stage, Dr.
Grant on His right, Rabbi Wise on His left. Oh, the symbolism of that: the Jewish rabbi, the Christian clergyman, with the Center of the Covenant between, on the
platform of the World Peace Conference. *
The Master was really too ill to have gone to this Conference. He had been in bed all morning, suffering from
complete exhaustion, and had a high temperature. I was
with Him all morning. While I was sitting beside Him I
asked: "Must You go to the Hotel Astor when You are so
ill?"
"I work by the confirmations of the Holy Spirit," He
answered. "I do not work by hygienic laws. If I did," He
laughed, "I would get nothing done."
After that meeting, the wonderful record of which has
been kept, the Master shook hands with the whole audience, with every one of those thousands of people!

On Friday, the fourteenth of May, I had quite a
distinguished visitor, Khan Bahadfu A1lah-Bakhsh, the
Governor of Lahore. Mr. Barakatu'llah had sent him to
see me. I invited him to my meeting that night and he

·See Promulgation of Universal Peace, Second Edition, pp. 123-26.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

came and seemed to fall in love with the Teachings. The
next morning early he called on the Master at the Hudson Apartment House. Lua, May, and I were there at the
time and I told him that May was one of my spiritual
mothers and Lua my spiritual grandmother. Whereupon
the old gentleman said that in that case I was his
mother, May Maxwell his grandmother, and Lua his
great-grandmother!
Very soon the Master sent for him and kept him a long
time in His room. When the interview was over and
Khan Bahadfu Allah-Bakhsh had left, the Master called
me to Him.
"You teach well, Juliet," He said. "You teach with
ecstasy. You ignite the souls. A great bounty will descend upon you. I have perfect confidence in you as a
teacher. Your heart is pure, absolutely pure."
My heart absolutely pure! I wept.
Then, for the second time, the Master gave me a picture of Himself. .
Three days later I had a note from the Governor of
Lahore. In it he said: " 'Abdu'l-Baha is the Divine Light
of today."

One night I took Marjorie to the Master. She had in
her hand an offering of tulips, grown in her own garden,
and these He distributed among His visitors.
"Juliet's love for you is divine," He said, speaking to
Marjorie, II and your love for each other must become so
great that no stab will affect it. " Then He told us that, in
reality, our friendship was an "eternal" one.
Marion deKay went with me to Him.
"Your friend, Juliet? Ancient friend?" and He smiled
at the child. "You must become a flame of love." I"Like
Juliet," He said. I have to keep all His sweet words to

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

me.} "You must become as steadfast as a rock, firm!
strong! so that when the storms break over you, when
the thunder roars and the winds rage, you will not be
shaken. You must become a teacher, a speaker."
On the fifteenth of May the Master went away for a
few days. As soon as He returned Lua telephoned me.
"The Master says: come up now if you wish. If not, you
have permission to come to Him at any time and to stay
as long as you are able. Only, don't displease your
mother. He wants her to be happy, He says. This is His
message, Julie."

On Sunday, May 19, He spoke at the Church of the
Divine Paternity. * This was unbearably beautiful. The
church is Byzantine, making me think of the worship of
the early Christians. The interior is of gray stone.
Oh the look of His that day! Then, more vividly than
ever, He shone as the Good Shepherd, returned at last to
His flocks. I wept through the whole service. At the end
of the pew in front of me sat Lua, her eyes fixed on the
master, rapt, adoring, her beauty immeasurably heightened by that recognition, that adoration.
Soon I caught a glimpse of another rapt face-a
man's-my old friend, Mr. Bailey's. Mr. Bailey is the
last person I could have hoped to see there. A very old
gentleman, he had always seemed to me a hopelessly unconvertible atheist. At least he would never listen to a
word from me about the Cause. And now, here he sat,
and never have I seen a face more touched. His eyes were
wistful, like a child's, shyly reverent and as limpid as
though there were tears in them.
He met me that afternoon at the Master's apartment,

·See Promulgation of Universal Peace, Second Edition, pp. 126-29.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

making his entrance with these words: "I have been
thinking since this morning that the way to the attainment of greatness is through elimination."
"You felt," I ventured, "'Abdu'l-Baha simplicity?"
"One would naturally feel,"-huHilY-"the simplicity of Niagara."
"And the beauty of His Face?"
"The patriarchal grandeur of His face cannot be
denied."
Later, how his eyes hung on that Face while the Master talked with him!

On May 21, 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 rooms, library. All
these were soon crowded.
The first friend I caught sight of was Louis Potter. t He
*In December of that same year, Mrs. Tatum came to see me. "The
Master," she told me, "said such a strange thing to me just before He
left America. I had been saying how sorry I was that I had left my car
in Boston and couldn't put it at His disposal as I had done last spring.
He answered: 'Soon, Mrs. Tatum, you will not need your car, for you
will be riding in a chariot of fire.' I wonder, Juliet, what He meant by
that!" Within a few weeks, dear Mrs. Tatum died suddenly.-J.T.
tLouis Potter, one of the best-known sculptors in this country, also
died in 1912, in August, very tragically. Even after seeing the Master
and really loving Him, he was still seeking truth in other directions.
He went out to California to follow a spiritual quack, whose methods
of healing killed poor Louis. The last thing from his gifted hand was
a beautiful medal with the Master's profile on it.-J.T.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

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-Baha 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

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

doorway, almost timidly, and the Master at once sent
Dr. Farid 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.

(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-Baha 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

*Baha'is do not believe that 'Abdu'l-Baha is a Prophet of God, although this was a widespread notion at this time. The prophets of
the Baha'i Faith are Baha'u'Uah and the Bab.-ED.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

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 II

Counselor"; God would always protect her and all the
Celestial Beings of the Supreme Concourse would rally
to her assistance.
She did become a Great Counselor. 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 centers 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 center, 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 my parishioners. 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.)

Then I caught sight of little "Fergie." His real name I
don't want to mention because of what I am going to

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

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, I '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.
The next morning early Howard MacNutt came to see
me, looking so radiant that I knew he was bringing good
news. Then he told me. He had just had breakfast with

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

Dr. Grant, and the Master was to speak again at the
Church of the Ascension-at the People's Forum this
time, the night of June 2. Bishop Burch had severely
reprimanded Percy for inviting the Master to speak on
April 14 and for seating Him in the Bishop's chair! But
an idiotic thing like that would never stop Percy
Grant-only make him more defiant.
He had talked very freely with Mr. MacNutt about
'Abdu'l-Baha and His address of the day before with its
great climax. "As I listened," he said, "I realized profoundly that this was a historic moment; that before me
sat One Who, imprisoned for the sake of humankind,
had been freed by the Power of God alone, through the
dethroning of two kings."

On May 22 the Master left for Boston, returning the
twenty-sixth. After His return He stayed with the Kinneys a day or so (till He moved to His new house), and
then came my test! For two days He never even looked
at me. My heart bled and burned. I could not endure the
withdrawal of His nearness. The third day I went to the
new house-309 West Seventy-Eighth Street-and there,
in Lua's arms, I sobbed my heart out.
"I cry," I said, "only because I love Him," (which I
fear was not exactly true) "because I have just realized
how terrifically I love Him. This love burns my heart. It
is beyond endurance."
Then He sent for me to come to Him.

With tears rolling down my cheeks I entered His
Presence. He was sitting on a couch writing and did not
look up-still didn't look at me! But at last He said, going straight to the point, piercing to the real cause of my
trouble: "I have not seen you lately, Juliet, because of

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

the multitude of the affairs. But I have not forgotten My
promise to pose for you. Come on Saturday with your
materials and I will sit."
I thanked Him; then falling on my knees, begged Him
not to banish me from His Presence. I could not endure
to be separated from Him. I loved, loved Him.
He rose, stood above me, took my hand and held it a
long, long time. I still knelt at His feet, the hem of His
garment pressed to my lips.
Lua joined her sweet voice to mine.
"Julie has had so much trouble this year. She wants to
stay close to You now so that her heart may be healed."
"I want to stay close because I love You!"
He smiled and said something about another love.
"That is gone. Gone," I cried.
At these words of mine which I thought were true, the
strangest thing happened. Always when the Master holds
my hand I feel a flow of sparks from His palm to mine.
Now this current of Life was suddenly cut off. Could I
have lied to my Lord, and so, by unconscious selfdeception, disconnected myself from the Fountainhead
of pure Truth?
But His answer was merciful, reminding me of past
sincerities. "I am pleased with you, Juliet. You are so
truthful. You tell me everything. She said:" (He turned,
laughing, to Lua) " 'This is my heart. What can I do with
it?' "
I laughed too, through my tears. But soon I began to
cry again.
He went back to the couch and sat down and Lua and I
followed Him and knelt together at His feet there.
"Don't cry!" (I wish the whole world could hear the

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

Master say "don't cry." Tears would soon cease to be.)
"Don't cry! Unhappiness and the love of Baha'u'llah
cannot exist in the same heart, for the love of
Baha'u'llah is happiness."
"I cry for love of you, my Lord. My tears come from
my heart. I can't help it."
"Your eyes and Lua's"-and He laughed again-"are
two rivers of tears." "I love Juliet," He added, "for her
truthfulness."
"I told Juliet," said Lua, putting her arms around me,
as we still knelt together side by side, "of Your words to
Mrs. Kaufman: that these human loves were like waves
of the sea rolling to the shore one behind the other, each
wave receding."
"Balih," (yes) said the Master, "this is true. You will
not find faithfulness in humanity. All humanity is unfaithful. Only God is faithful. Baha'u'llah spent fifty
years in prison for the sake of humanity. There was
faithfulness! "
"From this moment," cried Lua, "Juliet and I dedicate
our lives to Thee and we beg to at last die in Thy
Path-to drink the cup of martyrdom. Oh, it would be so
good for the Cause if two Americans could do this! Take
hold of His coat, Julie, and beseech."
I touched the hem of His garment.
"Say yes," implored Lua. "Oh Julie, beg Him to say
yes."
But in Thonon I had told the Master that I would not
ask for that cup again but would wait till God found me
ready for it.
"I accept the dedication of your lives now. The rest
will be decided later."

'ABDU'L-BAHA. IN AMERICA

And it was clear what He meant. How we must amuse
Him!

I must go back a little. On Sunday, May 26, the night
of the Master's return from Boston, He spoke at Mr.
Ramsdell's (Baptist) church. *
My friend, Lawrence White, who lives in Utica, had
come to New York to meet the Master, and he, Silvia
Gannett, and I went together to the church.
We entered to see a breathtaking picture: That church
suggests an old Jewish synagogue. Behind the chancel is
a sweeping arch from which hangs a dark, massive curtain in folds straight as organ pipes. The chancel was
empty that night except for the Master, sitting-almost
lying-in a semicircular chair. His head thrown back,
His luminous eyes uprolled. The sleeves of His bronzecolored 'aba branched out from His shoulders like great
spread wings, hiding His hands, so that I was conscious
only of His head and those terribly alive eyes. There was
an awful mystery about that dominance of the head. It
seemed to obliterate the human form and reveal Him as
the Face of God. The curtain behind Him might have
conceafed the Ark of the Covenant, which He, THE COVE-
NANT, was guarding.
Later, when He rose to speak, the Manifestation of
the Glory was entirely different. He diffused a softer
radiance.
"Look at Him and see the Christ," whispered Lawrence White.

*Mount Morris Baptist Church. See Promulgation of Universal Peace,
Second Edition, pp. 147-50.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

Next, He spoke at the Church of the Open Door. Again
the Shepherd. Again I watched Him through blinding
tears.

On the second of June He spoke for Dr. Grant's
Forum. * And there He was simpler; He manifested less,
or perhaps I should say manifested something different:
a sort of brotherhood to the masses, still retaining His
grandeur. And how He addressed Himself to that meeting and to the heart of Percy Grant!
The subject was: "What can the Orient bring to the Occident?"
That subject in that church!
Lua and I were in a front pew with Valiyu'llah Khan
and Mirza Mahmud. Suddenly I was petrified to see
Mason Remey coming in, through the door of the vestryroom. When he was last in the Church of the Ascension,
I was sitting beside him, engaged to him, while Percy
thundered at me from the pulpit. The text of the sermon
that Sunday was the same as the text today: "What can
the Orient bring to the Occident." "Nothing but disease
and death," said Percy, his eyes on me, "and God wants
us to live; He wants us to live."
But the Speaker this time was the Master. He said:
"The Orient brings to the Occident the Manifestations
of God."
Then He defined the Church as that Collective Center
which, attracting many diverse elements, united them

*See Promulgation of Universal Peace, Second Edition, pp. 163-7l.

'ABDU'L-BAHA. IN AMERICA

into one ordered system, adding that the Church was but
a reflection of the real Collective Center, the Shepherd,
Who, whenever His sheep became scattered, reappeared
to unite them. So the Church, established by God's
Manifestation, was the Law of God, and when Christ
said to Peter, "On thee will I build My Church," He
meant He would build His Law upon Peter. Upon him
Christ built the Law of God by which all peoples and
creeds were afterward unified.
The Master had said it again to Percy Grant: "Be thou
like Peter," for this was His message sent by me last
summer.
When, at the end of the marvelous address, Percy stepped out into the chancel, it was another man I saw: a
man touched by the Hand of God, shaken to the very
roots of his being. As Marjorie said, he looked ill and
strangely upset. He could scarcely articulate.
The questions followed; it is the custom of the Forum
to ask questions. In the center of the chancel sat the
Master, Dr. Grant on His right in a choirs tall, Dr. Farid
behind Him. Howat home the Master looked there! He
pushed back His turban and smiled as He answered,
often very wittily. Once He raised one finger high. I
caught my breath then. He was like Jesus in the
synagogue -confronting the scribes and Pharisees, except
that His audience weren't Pharisees.

June 5, 1912

The Master has begun to pose for me. He had said:
"Can you paint Me in a half hour?"
"A half hour, my Lord?" I stammered, appalled. I can
never finish a head in less than two weeks.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

II Well, I will give you three half hours. You mustn't

waste My time, Juliet."
He told me to come to Him Saturday morning, June I,
at seven-thirty.
I went in a panic. He was waiting for me in the entrance hall, a small space in the English basement where
the light-not much of it-comes from the south. In fact
I found myself faced with every kind of handicap. I
always paint standing, but now I was obliged to sit, jammed so close to the window (because of the lack of
distance between the Master and me) that I couldn't
even lean back. No light. No room. And I had brought a
canvas for a life-size head.
The Master was seated in a dark comer, His black aba
I

melting into the background; and again I saw Him as the
Face of God, and quailed. How could I paint the Face
of God?
"I want you," He said, lito paint My Servitude to
God."
II Dh my Lord," I cried, II only the Holy Spirit could

paint Your Servitude to God. No human hand could do
it. Pray for me, or I am lost. I implore You, inspire me. "
"I will pray," He answered, "and as you are doing this
only for the sake of God, you will be inspired."
And then an amazing thing happened. All fear fell
away from me and it was as though Someone Else saw
through my eyes, worked through my hand.
All the points, all the planes in that matchless Face
were so clear to me that my hand couldn't put them
down quickly enough, couldn't keep pace with the clarity of my vision. I painted in ecstasy, free as I had never
been before.
At the end of the half hour the foundation of the head
was perfect.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

On Monday again I went to the Master at seven-thirty.
As I got off the bus at Seventy-Eighth Street and Riverside Drive I saw Him at the center of a little group standing beside that strip of park that drops low to the river
-the part we love to call "His garden," a forever hallowed spot to us, for there we sometimes walk with
Him in the evenings, there He takes His daily exercise,
or escapes from the house to rest and pray.
The people who were with Him this morning were
Nancy Scholl and Ruth Berkeley, Mr. MacNutt and Mr.
Mills, and, as I hurried to join them, I saw that the Master was anointing them from a vial of attar of rose.

Oh the heavenly perfume, the pale, early-morning
sunshine and the Master, all in white glistening in it
(no one else takes the sunlight as He does: He is like
a polished mirror to the sun!, the ecstatic, intoxicating love with which He rubbed our foreheads with His
strong fingers dripping with that essence of a hundred
roses!
Soon we saw Miss Buckton crossing the street toward
us, bringing with her a tall young man with a remarkable face, very pure and serene, which seemed somehow
familiar to me. The Master abruptly left us and met the
two in the middle of the Drive. Then I saw Him open
His arms wide and clasp the young man to His breast.
We all followed the Master to His house, where the
young man was introduced to me, and then I knew why
his face had seemed familiar. He was Walter Hampton.
I had seen him in the theater. I was in the audience, he
on the stage playing the part of lithe Servant" in The Servant in the House: Christ. And he played it so intensely,
with such spiritual fervor, that I prayed with all my

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

heart, there in the audience, that he might some day
meet the real "Servant!" *

June 12, 1912.
<]jesterday morning I went up early to the Master's
house, that house whose door is open at seven-thirty and
kept wide open till midnight.
He had been away and I had not seen Him for three
days. I had brought my pastels, thinking He might sit for
me, but I found Him looking utterly spent. He was in
the English basement, Ruth Berkeley and Valiyu'llah
Khan with Him, lying back against the sofa cushions.
But, in spite of His weariness, He looked up with
brilliant eyes.
"What do you want of Us, Juliet?" He smiled.
I had hid my pastels. "Only to be near You."
"You must excuse Me from sitting for you today. I am
not able today."
"I knew that, my Lord, as soon as I came in."
Then He talked to Ruth and me. He told us we were as
babes nursing at the Divine Breast. "But babes," He
said, "grow daily through the mother's milk."
I could not help but weep, for His was the Divine
Breast.
Soon He went out alone to "the garden," leaving
Ruth, Valiyu'llah Khan, and me together.
"It is wonderful," Ruth said as He went, "to see how
the world is quickened today in all directions."

• After this, Walter Hampton came to the Master every day-he never
missed a day-till our Lord went to Dublin [New Hampshire).-J.T.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

"And to know," I said, "that the Voice that is
quickening it is the same tender Voice that spoke to us
just now." And I wept again, for something about the
Master that morning had utterly melted me.
Later He came back. The English basement was
crowded by then and He talked for a long while to the
people. But this I could see was pure sacrifice. His vitality seemed gone. At times He could scarcely bring forth
the words, yet He gave and gave. When He had finished
He hurriedly left the house and went again to "His
garden."
On the way to the bus I met Him returning alone. He
stopped me, put out His hand and took mine, with indescribable tenderness smiling at me. In the handclasp,
the look, even in the tilt of the head was a Love so poignant as to give me pain.
"Come tomorrow and paint, Juliet," He said.
He appeared refreshed-better-but remembering His
utter depletion of the morning I couldn't help answering,
"If You are well." Then I thought I would speak in Persian to amuse Him, but instead of saying, "If Your
health is good," I made a mistake and said, "Agar
Shumiz khub ast," (If You are good.' whereupon I was
covered with confusion. I must have amused Him!
How stupidly we speak to Him! Imagine saying "if"
to Him. That was even worse than my break in Persian.

That night there was a meeting at the Kinneys', one of
those deadly "Board meetings," but the Master came to
it.
Striding up and down like a king, He spoke to us. In
these meetings, He said, we should be in connection

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

with the Supreme Concourse. Between the Supreme
Concourse and us there should be telegraphic communication, one end of the wire in the breast of each one
here and the other in that Concourse on high, so that all
we might say or do would be inspired.

Today !June 12) I went up early to His house, but not
early enough. As I turned into Seventy-Eighth Street
from West End Avenue I saw Him a block away, hastening toward "His garden," His robes floating out as He
walked.
Soon He came back to us. Miss Buckton had arrived
by that time and a poor little waif of a girl, a Jewess. She
was all in black and her small pale face was very
careworn.
I had been in the kitchen with Lua. When I heard the
voice of the Master I hurried into the hall, and there I
saw them sitting at the window, the poor sad little girl at
the Master's right, Alice Buckton at His left. Like a God,
He dominated the scene. Sunlight streamed through the
window, His white robes and turban shining in it, the
strong carving of His Face thrown into high relief by
masses of shadow.
The little Jewish girl was crying.
"Don't grieve now, don't grieve," He said. He was
very, very still and I think He was calming her.
"But my brother has been in prison for three years,
and it wasn't just to put him in prison. It wasn't his
fault, what he did. He was weak and other people led
him. He has to serve four more years. My father and
mother are always depressed. My brother-in-law has just
died, and he was the one who supported us. Now we
haven't even that."

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

"You must trust in God," said the Master.
"But the more I trust the worse things become!" she
sobbed.
"You have never trusted."
"But my mother is all the time reading psalms. She
doesn't deserve to have God abandon her. I read the
psalms myself, the ninety-first psalm and the twentythird psalm, every night before I go to bed. I pray too."
"To pray is not to read psalms. To pray is to trust in
God and to be submissive in all things to Him. Be submissive; then things will change for you. Put your
parents and your brother in God's hands. Love God's
Will. Strong ships are not conquered by the sea, they ride
the waves! Now be a strong ship, not a battered one."
At noon I took Percy Grant to the Master. The Master
had inquired for him and sent him a message by me, and
Percy had responded instantly by himself suggesting this
visit. But the Master was out when we reached the
house and while we were waiting for Him I mentioned a
very interesting thing He had said to Gifford Pinchot: *
that the people were rising wave upon wave, like a
great tide, and the capitalists, unless they realized this
soon, would be driven out with violence; also, that in
the future the laborer would not work on a wage basis
but for an interest in the concern.
Just then Lua appeared at the door of the room opposite, went to the stairway and, with her beautiful
reverence, leaned across the rail to look down.
"He is coming, Lua?"
"Yes, Julie, He is coming!"
He entered the room with both hands extended and in

·The famous conservationist.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

a voice like a chime from His heart, said: "Oh-h, Dr.
Grant! Dr. Grant!"
Then I slipped out.
When I returned at the Master's call, He was signing a
photograph for Percy and writing a prayer on it. " And
now," he said, presenting it, "you must give Me your
photograph. I want your face. I have given you Mine.
Now you must give Me yours."
"I will pray for you," He added as He bade Percy goodbye. "1 will mention you daily in My prayers."
The Master detained me for a moment. As I rejoined
Percy in the car, Valiyu'llah Khan was just going into the
house.
"Do you see that handsome, distinguished-looking
young man?" I said. "That is Valfyu'llah Khan, a
descendant of two generations of martyrs and the brother
of one very young martyr. His grandfather, Sulayman
Khan, was a disciple of the Bab. He was Governor of Fars
and a great prince, but that didn't save him. He suffered
the most ghastly kind of martyrdom and with such
ecstasy that he is one of the best beloved of the Babi
martyrs.
"Just a few years ago Valiyu'llah's father, Varga Khan,
and his little brother, [Rul;lU'llahj Varga, went on a
pilgrimage to ' Akka and had a wonderful visit with the
Master. But on their way home they were both arrested
and thrown into prison. Then one day some brutal men
came into their cell, one with an axe. Varga Khan was
hacked into pieces alive, and the poor little boy forced to
look on at that butchery. When it was over, one of the
executioners turned to the child. I think I will tell the
rest in Valiyu'llab Khan's own language, just as he told
it to me.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

"'The man said to my brother: "If you will deny
Baha'u'llah, we will take you to the court of the shah
and honors and riches will be heaped upon you." But my
brother answered: "I do not want such things." Then
the man said to him: "If you refuse to deny, we will kill
you worse than your father." "You may kill me a thousand times worse," my brother said. "Is my life of more
value than my father's? To die for Baha'u'llili is my
supreme desire." , This so angered the executioners that
they fell upon Varga and choked him to death. Varga was
only twelve years old.
"A day or two ago," I went on, "Valiyu'llah Khan
asked me, 'How is the Master's portrait progressing?'
and he added that, in a portrait, he thought 'one must
paint the soul.' 'But who can paint the soul of
'Abdu'l-Baha?' I asked. And I wish you could have seen
the fire in his eyes as he drew himself up and said: 'We
can paint it with our blood!' "

The next day, June 13, as usual I went very early to the
Master's house-so early that no one was there-I mean,
no visitors. Some of the Persians of course were with
Him: Valiy'u'llah Khan, Ahmad and Mirza 'Ali-Akbar.
I found them in the lower hall, the English basement.
The Master was sitting in the big chair by the window.
He called me to a seat opposite, then began to
speak, smiling.
"Juliet is absolutely truthful. For this I love her very
much. She conceals nothing from me."
"It would be useless, my Lord," I said, "to try to conceal anything from You. I could hide nothing."
"That is true," said the Master, raising one hand.
"Nothingj nothing."

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

Soon He rose. "Stay here," He told me, and went out
with Ahmad.
By the time He returned a crowd had gathered. He
gave a few private interviews upstairs, then came down
and, sitting by the window, talked to all the people. I
think the strongest image in my mind is and will always
be the holy figure of the Master sitting in the rays of the
sun at that window.
The meeting over, a few of us went upstairs to say a
healing prayer for Mrs. Hinkle-Smith, but just before
Lua began to chant, the Master looked in at the door and
called: "Juliet," and I happily deserted Mrs. Hinkle-
Smith.
"Bring your things in here and paint," He said, pointing to the library.
Oh, these sittings: so wonderful, yet so humanly difficult! We move from room to room, from one kind of
light to another. The Master has given me three half
hours, each time in a different room, and each time people come in and watch me. But the miraculous thing is
that nothing makes any difference. The minute I begin
to work the same rapture takes possession of me. Someone Else looks through my eyes and sees clearly; Someone Else works through my hand with a sort of furious
precision.
On this thirteenth of June, after Lua had chanted the
prayer for Mrs. Hinkle-Smith, she and May came into
the library, crossed over to where I was sitting and stood
behind me.
The Master looked up and smiled at May. "You have
a kind heart, Mrs. Maxwell." Then He turned to Lua.
"You, Lua, have a tender heart. And what kind of heart

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

have you, Juliet?" He laughed. "What kind of a heart
have you?"
"Oh, what kind of heart have H You know, my Lord. I
don't know."
"An emotional heart." He laughed again and rolled
His hands one round the other in a sort of tempestuous
gesture. "You will have a boiling heart, Juliet. Now,"
He continued, "if these three hearts were united into
one heart-kind, tender and emotional-what a great
heart that would be! "

The next morning, Thursday, though I went unusually
early to the Master, He had already left the house. But
Lua, Valfyu'llAh Khan, and I had a wonderful morning.
Valiyu'llAh told us so many things.
"My father," he said, "spent much time with the
Blessed Beauty. The Blessed Beauty Himself taught him.
"One time when my father was in His room,
BahA'u'llAh rose and strode back and forth till the very
walls seemed to shake. And He told my father that once
in an age the Mighty God sent a Soul to earth endowed
with the power of the Great Ether, and that such a Soul
had all power and was able to do anything. 'Even this
walk of Mine' said BahA'u'llAh, 'has an effect in the
world.'
"Then He said that His Holiness Jesus Christ had also
come with the power of the Great Ether, but the haughty
priesthood of His day thought of Him as a poor, unlettered youth and believed that if they should crucify Him,
His Teachings would soon be forgotten. Therefore they
did crucify Him. But because His Holiness Jesus possessed the power of the Great Ether, He could not remain

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

underground. This ethereal power rose and conquered
the whole earth. 'And now,' the Blessed Beauty said,
'look to the Master, for this same Power is His.'
"Baha'u'llah," added Valiyu'llah Khan, "taught my
father much about Aqa. Aqa (the Master, you know) is
one of the titles of 'Abdu'l-Baha, and the Greatest
Branch is anotlier, and the Greatest Mystery of God
another. By all these we call Him in Persian. The Blessed Perfection, Baha'u'llah, revealed the Station of
'Abdu'l-Baha to my father. And my father wrote many
poems to the Master, though the Master would scold
him and say: 'You must not write such things to Me.'
But the heart of my father could not keep quiet. This is
one poem he wrote:

'0 Dawning-Point of the Beauty of God,
I know Thee!
Though Thou shroudest Thyself in a thousand veils,
I know Thee!
Though Thou shouldst assume the tatters of a beggar,
still would
I know Thee!'

In the late afternoon I returned with my mother. The
Master received us in His own room, which was full of
roses and lilies and carnations.
/I Ab-h! Mrs. Thompson. MaIlJabtif MaIlJabtif"
(Welcome! Welcome!1
The intonation of that "MaI1}.abti" can never be
described. It is a welcome from a heart which is a channel for God's heart.
He was very playful with Mamma. "Are you pleased

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

with Juliet? Pleased now, Mrs. Thompson? The next time
you have to complain of her, come and complain to Me
and I will beat her!"

On Friday, June 15, I was with the Master alone for
a while, and I brought up the name of Percy Grant.
"He didn't understand You the other day, my Lord. He
thinks that You teach asceticism, that the spirit and
the flesh are two separate things."
"That is not what I said," the Master replied. "I said
that the spiritual man and the materialist were two different beings. The spirit is in the flesh."

July 5, 1912.
Clhe Beloved Master's portrait is finished. He sat for
me six times, but I really did it in the three half hours He
had promised me; for the sixth time, when He posed in
His own room on the top floor, I didn't put on a single
stroke. I was looking at the portrait wondering what I
could find to do, when He suddenly rose from His chair
and said: "It is finished." The fifth time He sat, Miss
Souley-Campbell came in with a drawing she had done
from a photograph to ask if He would sign it for her and
if she might add a few touches from life. This meant that
He had to change His pose, so of course I couldn't paint
that day. And the fourth time (the nineteenth of Junelwho could have painted then?
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?"

PORTRAIT OF 'ABDU'L-BAHA
painted by Juliet Thompson, 1912.
MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1911

"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 that 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, "Munillliy-i
'Ahd. " (Herald of the Covenant.)
Lua started forward, her hand to her breast.
"Man~" (H) she exclaimed.
"Call one of the Persians. You must understand this."
Never shall I forget that moment, the flashing eyes of
'Abdu'l-Baha, the reverberations of His Voice, the Power
that still rocked the room. God of lightning and thunder!
I thought.
"I appoint you, Lua, the Herald of the Covenant. And
I AM THE COVENANT, appointed by Baha'u'llAh. And no
one can refute His Word. This is the Testament of
Baha'u'llah. You will find it in the Holy Book of Aqdas.
Go forth and proclaim, 'This is THE COVENANT OF GOD in
your midst.' "
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!"

'ABDU'L-BAHA. IN AMERICA

By now I was sobbing uncontrollably.
"Julie too," said Lua, not even in such a moment
forgetful of me, "wants to be recreated."
But the Master had shrouded Himself with His veils
again, the "thousand veils." He sat before us now in His
dear humanity: very, very human, very simple.
"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 to me. 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
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.
"I am going to tell you something funny, " He said, adding in English, "a joke."
"Oh tell it!" we begged; and now I was in a sort of
hysteria, laughing and crying at the same time.
"No. Not now. Paint."
But of course I couldn't paint.
Later, walking up and down, He laughed again.
"I am thinking of My joke," He explained.
"Tell it!" we pleaded.
"No, I cannot, for every time I try to tell it I laugh so I
cannot speak."

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

We got down on our knees, able at last to enter into
His play, and begged Him, "Please, please tell us." We
were laughing on our knees.
"No. Not now. After lunch."
But, alas, after lunch He went upstairs to His room,
and we never heard the Master's joke.
Perhaps, there wasn't any joke. 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 early morning of June 19, before the Master had
called me to paint Him, He had spoken to the people in
the English basement. On His way down the stairs from
His room He passed Lua and me, where we stood in the
third-floor hall. We saw, and felt, as He walked down
the upper flight, a peculiar power in His step-as though
some terrific Force had possession of Him; a Force too
strong to be caged in the body, sparking through, almost
escaping His body, able to sunder it. I cannot begin to
describe that indomitable step, its fearful majesty, or the
strange flashing of His eyes. The sublime language of the
Old Testament, words such as these: "Who is this that
cometh from Bozrah . . . that treadeth the wine-press in
His fury?" faintly express what I saw as I watched the
Master descending those stairs. Unsmiling, He passes
Lua and me. Then He looked back, still unsmiling.
"Juliet is one of My favorites," He said.

In the afternoon of that same day He sent Lua down to
the waiting people to "proclaim the Covenant" i then a

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

little later followed her and spoke Himself on the station
of the Center of the Covenant, but not as He had done to
Lua and me. The blazing Reality of it He had revealed in
His own Person to us. To them He spoke guardedly,
even deleting afterwards from our notes some of the
things He had said.
Still later that afternoon the Master had promised to
sit for a photograph. I had made the appointment myself
with Mrs. Kasebier, a very wonderful photographer, to
bring the Master to her studio, but some people
prevented His getting off in time. When they left, He
sent for me.
"I am ashamed," He said (while I nearly died at that
word "ashamed" from Him), "but I will go tomorrow. I
had planned to leave for Montclair tomorrow but I will
stay until Friday for your sake."
"I can't bear, my Lord," I said, "to have You delay
Your trip to the country for this."
"No, I wish it," He answered.
"I have a confession to make, my Lord," I said. "I
have been to Dr. Grant's house. It happened in this way:
he asked if I would be the bearer of his photograph to
You and would I stop at the Rectory for it on my way up
to You. Then he invited me to come to breakfast. That
invitation I declined, but I could think of no excuse for
refusing to stop for the picture. So I did go. But I stayed
only five or ten minutes and his mother was with us all
the time."
"Good, good," said the Master. "Going to his house
was not good, but since you have confessed it, Juliet, I
am very much pleased. When I look into your heart," He
added, smiling, "I find it just like that mirror-it is so
pure."

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

(Oh, please understand me, when I repeat such things
it is only because they are His words to me. I keep them
just to remind myself of something potential He sees in
me which I must grow up to. I am not reminding myself
of His praise, for it really isn't praise but stimulation. If
He had been blaming me, I would repeat His blame too.)
He then spoke of my teaching. "Your breath is effective," He said. "You are now in the Kingdom of Abha
with Me, as I wished you to be."

The next day, June 20, we went to Mrs.
Kasebier's-Lua, Mrs. Hinkle-Smith, and I-in the car
with the Master.
I shall never forget the Master's beauty in the strange
cold light of her studio, a green, underwater sort of light,
in which He looked shining and chiseled, like the statue
of a god. But the pictures are dark shadows of Him.

On June 21, the Master left for Montclair to stay nine
days. I was with Him all day till He went. I had lunched
with Him nearly every day that week. Lua, Mrs. Hinkle-
Smith, Valiyu'llah Khan, and I bade Him good-bye on
the steps of His house.
It had nearly killed Lua not to be taken to Montclair
with Him. Two days later she said to me: "Let's go to
see Him, Julie."
"How can we, Lua? He didn't invite us," I answered.
"He bade us good-bye for nine days."
"Oh but you have an excuse, those proofs of Mrs.
Kasebier's pictures. You really should show them to
Him, Julie."
And she whirled Georgie Ralston and me off to Montclair with her.

'ABDU'L-BAHA. IN AMERICA

We were punished of course, and our first punishment
was that lunch was unusually late Iso that instead of arriving after,as we had planned, we arrived just in time
for it). And this was agonizing, for there weren't enough
seats at the table, and the Master wouldn't sit down to
eat. One of us had to occupy His chair, while He
Himself waited on us, carrying all the courses around
and around that table. I couldn't get over my mortification.
At the end He came in with the fruit, a glass bowl full
of golden peaches. Without turning His head-His face
was set straight before Him-He sent a piercing glance
from the comer of His eye toward Lua and me. Such a
majestic, stem glance, like a sword-thrust.
After lunch, and this was our second punishment, He
banished the three of us-Georgie, Lua, and me-leading
us to a small back porch and abandoning us there. But
before very long He returned and asked us to take a walk
with Him.
We came back from our walk by way of the front
porch. Some people were gathered there and Lua,
Georgie, and I sat down with them while the Master
went upstairs to rest. He joined us, however, very soon
and, striding up and down, began to talk to us. As He
walked His Power shook us; His intoxicating exhilaration, pouring into me, filled me up with new life.
His eyes-those eyes of light, which seem to be
always looking into heaven and when for an instant they
glance toward earth, veer away at once, back to
heaven-were brilliantly restless. His whole Being was
restless with the same strange Force I had felt on that
memorable day, the nineteenth of June. It was as though

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

the lightning of His Spirit could scarcely endure to be
harnessed to the body. He was almost out of the body.
But soon He took a seat and rested quietly.
I showed Him the proofs of the pictures, then spoke of
Mrs. Kasebier-who had seen Him only once, when she
photographed Him. "She said she would like to live near
You, my Lord."
He laughed. "She doesn't want to live near Me. She
only wants a good time!" Then He grew serious. "To
live near Me," He said, "one must have My aims and
objects. Do you remember the rich young man who
wanted to live near Christ, and when he learned what it
cost to live near Him-that it meant to give away all his
posses ions and take up a cross and follow Christthen," the Master laughed, "he fled away!" *
"Among the disciples of the Bab," He continued,
"were two: His amanuensis and a firm believer. On the
eve of the Bab's martyrdom the firm believer prayed:
'Oh let me die with You!' The amanuensis said: 'What
shall I do?'
" 'What shall I do?' " mocked the Master. " 'What do
you want me to do?' The disciple died with the Bab, his
head on the breast of the Bab, and their bodies were
mingled in death. The other died in prison anyway, but
think of the difference in their stations!
"There was another martyr," continued the Master
after a moment, "Mirza 'Abdu'llah of Shiraz." Then He
told us that Mirza 'Abdu'llah had been in the Presence of
Baha'u'llah only once, "but he so loved the Blessed
Beauty" that he could not resist following Him to

·See Mark 10:17-22 and Luke 18:18-23.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

Tihnin, though Baha'u'llah had commanded him to remain in Shiraz with his old parents. Still," said the
II

Master, His tone exultant, "he followed!"
Mirza 'Abdu'llah reached Tihran in the midst of that
bloodiest of massacres resulting from the attempt on the
shah's life by two fanatical Babis. Baha'u'llah had been
cast into a dungeon. There, in that foul cellar He sat,
weighted down by "The Devil's Chain," eleven
disciples sitting with Him, bound by the same chain. In
it were set iron collars which were fastened around the
neck by iron pins. Every day a disciple was slaughtered
and none knew when his turn would come. The first intimation he had of his immediate death was when the
jailer took out the iron pin from his collar.
Mirza 'Abdu'llah entered Tihran and inquired of the
guard at the gate "where Baha'u'llah resided." "We will
take you to Him," said the guard. And some men took
'Abdu'llah to the dungeon and chained him to
Baha'u'llah.
"So," the Master said, "he found his Beloved again!"
One day the jailer came into the dungeon and took out
the pin from Mirza 'Abdu'llah' s collar.
"Then," said the Master, "Mirza 'Abdu'llah stepped
joyfully forward. First, he kissed the feet of the Blessed
Beauty, and then ... "
The Master's whole aspect suddenly changed. It was
as though the spirit of the martyr had entered into Him.
With that God-like head erect, snapping His fingers high
in the air, beating out a drumlike rhythm with His foot
till we could hardly endure the vibrations set up, He
triumphantly sang liThe Martyr's Song."

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

"I have come again, I have come again,
By way of Shiraz I have come again!
With the wine cup in My hand!
Such is the madness of Love!"

"And thus," ended 'Abdu'l-Baha, "singing and dancing
he went to his death, and a hundred executioners fell on
him! And later his parents came to Baha'u'llah, praising
God that their son had given his life in the Path of God."
This was what the Cause meant then. This was what
it meant to "live near Him"! Another realm opened to
me, the realm of Divine Tragedy.
The Master sank back into His chair. Tears swelled in
my eyes, blurring everything. When they cleared I saw a
still stranger look on His face. His eyes were unmistakably fixed on the Invisible. They were filled with
delight and as brilliant as jewels. A smile of exultation
played on His lips. So low that it sounded like an echo
He hummed the Martyr's Song.
"See," He exclaimed, " the effect that the death of a
martyr has in the world. It has changed My condition."
Mter a moment's silence, He asked: "What is it, Juliet,
you are pondering so deeply?"
"I was thinking, my Lord, of the look on Your face
when You said Your condition had been changed. And
that I had seen a flash of the joy of God when someone
dies happily for His Cause."
"There was one name," the Master answered, "that
always brought joy to the face of Baha'u'llah. His expression would change at the mention of it. That name was
Mary of Magdala."

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

Almost a week passed before we saw our Lord again.
Then, on the twenty-ninth of June, we met Him at West
Englewood. He was giving a feast for all the believers in
the grounds around Roy Wilhelm's house, the "Feast of
Unity" He called it.
I went with dear Silvia Gannett. We walked from the
little station, past the grove where the tables were set-a
grove of tall pine trees-and on to the house in which He
was, He Whose Presence filled our eyes with light and
without Whom our days had been very dim and lifeless.
Ah, there He was again! Sitting in a comer of the
porch! I sped across the lawn, forgetting Silvia, forgetting
everything. He looked down at me with grave eyes, and I
saw a fathomless welcome in them.
For a while we sat with Him on the porch. Then He
led us down into the grove. There He seated Himself on
the ground at the foot of a pine tree and called two
believers to His right and left. One was Mrs. Krug in her
very elegant clothes, the other a poor and shabby old
woman. But both faces, the wrinkled one and the
smooth, pretty one, were beautiful with the same radiance. I shall never forget that old woman's shining
blue eyes.
The great words He spoke to us then have been
preserved.· I will not repeat them. Besides I remember
them too imperfectly. But He said one thing which woke
my whole being: "This is a New Day; a New Hour."
By the time He had finished, the feast was ready, but
just as it was announced a storm blew up-a strange,
sudden storm, without warning. There was a tremen-

·See Promulgation of Universal Peace, Second Edition, pp. 213-16.

MARCH 2S TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

dous crash of thunder; through the treetops we could see
black clouds boiling up, and big drops of rain splashed on
the tables.
The Master rose calmly and, followed by the Persians,
walked out to the road, then to the end of it where there
is a crossroad. A single chair had been left there and, as I
watched from a distance, I saw the Master take it and sit
down, while the Persians ranged themselves behind
Him. I saw Him lift His face to the sky. He had gone a
long way from the house; thunder still crashed and the
clouds rolled frighteningly low, but He continued to sit
perfectly motionless, that sacred, powerful face upturned to the sky. Then came a strong, rushing wind; the
clouds began to race away; blue patches appeared above
and the sun shone out. And then the Master rose and
walked back into the grove. This I witnessed.
Later, as we sat at the tables, two hundred and fifty of
us, He anointed us all with attar of rose. I was not at a
table but sitting under a tree with Marjorie Morten and
Silvia. The Master swept toward us in His long white
robes, forever the Divine Shepherd.
"Friends here?" He smiled, "Friends~"
In His voice was a thrilling joy. With a look that shook
my heart, so full was it with the musk of His Love, He
rubbed my face hard with the attar of rose.
He passed among all the tables with His little vial of
perfume (which Grace Robarts swears was almost as full
at the end as in the beginning) anointing the forehead of
every one there, touching and caressing all our blind
faces with His tingling fingers.
Then He disappeared for hours.

Lua, too, went off alone, an exceedingly naughty purpose in her mind. The Master had just told her that she

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

must leave very soon for California. So now she
deliberately walked in poison ivy, walked back and forth
and back and forth till her feet were thoroughly poisoned. "Now, Julie," she said (when the deed was done)
"He can't send me to California."

To me the most beautiful scene of all came later,
when the Master returned to us after dark. About fifty or
sixty people had lingered, unable to tear themselves
from Him. The Master sat in a chair on the top step of
the porch, some of us surrounding Him-dear guilty Lua
with her poisoned feet, May, Silvia, Marjorie, and I and a
young colored man, Neval Thomas. Below us, all over
the lawn, on each side of the path, sat the others, the
light summer skirts of the women spread out on the
grass, tapers in their hands (to keep off mosquitoes). In
the dark, in their filmy dresses, they looked like great
moths and the burning tips of the tapers they waved like
fireflies darting about.
Then the Master spoke again to us. I was standing
behind Him, close to Him, and before He began He turned and gave me a long, profound look. His talk of that
night has been recorded. It was a resounding Call to us
to arise from the tomb of self in this Day of the Great
Resurrection and unite around Him to vivify the world.
Before He had finished He rose from His chair and
started down the path still talking, passing between the
dim figures on the grass with their lighted tapers, talking
till He reached the road, where He turned and we could
no longer see Him. Even then His words floated back to
us-the liquid Persian, Ali-Kuli Khan's beautiful, quivering translation, like the sound of a violin string.
"Peace be with you," this was the last we heard, "I
will pray for you."

MARCH 15 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

Oh that Voice that came back out of His invisibility
when He had passed beyond our sight. May I always
remember, and hear the Voice.

That night our Beloved Lord returned to New York.
The next morning early I flew up to see Him, but He
sent me at once to Lua, who was staying with Georgie
Ralston in a hotel nearby.
She was in bed, her feet terribly swollen from the
poison ivy.
"Look at me, Julie," she said. "Look at my feet. Oh,
please go right back to the Master and tell Him about
them and say: 'How can Lua travel now?' "
I did it, returned to the Master's house, found Him in
His room and put Lua's question to Him. He laughed,
then crossed the room to a table on which stood a bowl
of fruit, and, selecting an apple and a pomegranate, gave
them to me.
"Take these to Lua," He said. "Tell her to eat them
and she will be cured. Spend the day with her, Juliet."
Oh precious Lua-strange mixture of disobedience and
obedience-and all from love! I shall never forget her,
seizing first the apple, then the pomegranate and gravely
chewing them all the way through till not even a
pomegranate seed was left: thoroughly eating her cure,
which was certain to send her to California.
In the late afternoon we were happily surprised by a
visit from the Master Himself. He drew back the sheet
and looked at Lua's feet, which by that time were
beautifully slim. Then He burst out laughing.
"See," He said, "I have cured Lua with an apple and a
pomegranate. "
But Lua revolted again. There was one more thing she
could try, and she tried it. The Master had asked me to

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

paint her portrait and I had already had one sitting. The
following day, at the Master's house, she drew me aside.
"Please, Julie, do something else for me. Go to the
Master, now, and say: 'If Lua is in California, how can I
paint her?' "
I went straight to His room with Valfyu'llah Khan to
translate. "My Lord," I said, "You have commanded me
to paint Lua. If she is in California and I here, how can I
do it? The portrait is begun; how can I finish it?"
Again the Master burst out laughing, for this of course
was too transparent.
"In a year," He said, "Lua will join Me in Egypt. She
will stay in New York a few days on her way to Me and
you can paint her then, Juliet."
So poor Lua had to go to California. There was no way
out for her. *

On the fourth of July, yesterday, Mamma had her
birthday dinner with the Master. He was so sweet to her.
When we first arrived we found Him in the English basement and He led Mamma to the sofa and, with that
wonderful freedom of His, drew her down beside Him.
Carrie Kinney, Georgie Ralston, and I were sitting
across the room by the window and I'm afraid we did
look solemn, for we sat in a row, perfectly silent.
"Look at them!" said Mamma, laughing. "They are
jealous of me!"
"Then we will make them more jealous!" and the

·We never dreamed how soon He would be with her there.-J.T.
'Abdul-Baha journeyed to California, arriving in San Francisco on
October I, 1912. Lua made the arrangements for his visit.-ED.

MARCH 15 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

Master seized Mamma's hand and drew her still closer,
at which she looked really scared!
Now I felt compelled to speak. "Three years ago, my
Lord, on the fourth of July, Carrie, and I were with You
in 'Akka and You took us to the Holy Shrine of
Baha'u'llah. I never expected to keep that anniversary
with You in New York."
At the table the Master joked with Mamma because
she was eating so little. "I perceive that you are an
angel, Mrs. Thompson. Angels do not eat."
"The Master sees I am not an angel," I laughed, "for I
eat every morsel He puts on my plate."
"I perceive that you are a very clever girl. Mrs.
Thompson, " He continued, "is going home to a luscious
supper and saving her appetite for that."
Passing me a dish with three very shriveled dates on
it, He said: "Here, Juliet, are the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Ghost."
And I ate them up!
A little later Mamma said, looking at the Master with
her sweet shyness: "You are very kind to me."
"God knows the degrees of it," He sighed deeply.

While we sat with Him after dinner, He spoke of tests.
"Even the sword," He said, "is no test to the Persian
believers. They are given a chance to recant; they cry out
instead: 'yti Bahti'u'J-Abhtif' Then the sword is
raised,"-He shot up His arm as though brandishing a
sword-"they cry out all the more 'yti Bahti'u'J-Abhtif'
But some of the people here are tested if I don't say
'How do you do?' "

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

July 12, 1912.
[/ have almost no time to write these days, as I spend
most of them with the Beloved Master and when I try to
write after dinner, my darling little mother stops me too
soon. Her room is at right angles with mine and at ten
o'clock she calls through her window: "Put out your
light, baby." But there are three or four lovely things
that I must tell.
On Monday, July 9, the Master invited me, with the
Persians to go to the Natural History Museum. It was a
broiling afternoon and I couldn't imagine why He should
want to go to that Museum, and in the hottest part of
the day. But wherever He went, there I wanted to be.
When we reached the Ninth Avenue comer of the
Museum the Master, exhausted by that time, sank to a
low stone ledge to rest. Between us and the main door
on the Central Park comer stretched a long crosstown
block in glaring sun, not a single tree on the sidewalk.
"My Lord," I said, "let me try to find a nearer entrance for You." And I hurried along the grass, keeping
close to the building, searching the basement for a door.
The employees' entrance was locked. Just beyond stood
a sign: "No Thoroughfare." I was rushing past this when
a shrill whistle stopped me, and I turned to face the
watchman of the grounds. He was a little bent old Jew
with a very kind face.
"Oh excuse me," I said, "for breaking the rules, but I
must find a nearer door than the main one. See Who is
sitting on that ledge! I must find it for Him."
The watchman turned and looked at the Master, look-

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912.

ed and looked, at that Figure from the East, from the
Past-the Days of the Old Testament-and his eyes
became very soft. "Is He a Jew?" he asked.
"A descendant of Abraham."
"Come with me," said the watchman. "Ask Him to
come with me."
I went over and spoke to the Master and He rose and
followed with the Persians, I dropping back to walk with
them. There was not a nearer entrance, but the watchman, taking a risk perhaps, led us across the grass,
where at least it was cooler and the way shorter.
In the Museum we passed through a room in which a
huge whale hung from the ceiling. The Master looked up
at it, laughed and said: "He could hold seventy Jonahs!"
Then He took us straight to the Mexican exhibit, and
this seemed to interest Him very much. In the great
elaborately carved glyphs standing around the room He
found traces of Persian art and pointed them out to me.
He told us this sculpture resembled very closely the
ancient sculpture of Egypt. "Only," He said, "this is
better." Then He took me over to the cases where He
showed me purely Persian bracelets.
"I have heard a tradition," I said, "that in the very
distant past this country and Asia were connected."
"Assuredly," answered the Master, "before a great
catastophe there was such a connection between Asia
and America."
After looking at everything in the Mexican rooms, He
led us to the front door and out into the grounds again.
Then, stepping from the stone walk to the grass, He
seated Himself beneath a young birch tree, His back to
us, while we stood behind Him on the flags. He sat there

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

a long time, silent. Was He waiting for someone? I
wondered.
While He-waited?-the old Jewish watchman stole
quietly up to me from the direction of the Museum.
"Is He tired?" he whispered. "Who is He? He looks
like such a great man."
"He is 'Abdu'l-Baha of Persia," I said, "and He has
been a great Sufferer because of His work for the real
Brotherhood of Man, the uniting of all the races and nations."
"I should like to speak to Him," said the Jew. And I
took him over to the tree under which the Master still
sat with His back to us.
At the sound of our footsteps He turned and looked up
at the watchman, His brilliant eyes full of sweetness.
"Come and sit by Me," He said.
"Thank You, Sir, but I am not allowed."
"Is it against the rules for Me to sit on the grass?"
The old man's eyes, softly shining, were fixed on the
Master. "No, You may sit there all day!"
But the Master rose and stood beneath the tree.
Such pictures as I see when the Master is in them
could never be put upon canvas-not even into words,
except by the sublimest poet-but I always want to try
at least to leave a trace of their beauty. The Master,
luminous in the sunlight, His white robe flowing to the
grass, standing beside the white slender trunk of the
birch tree, with its leafy canopy over His head. The Jew
standing opposite Him-so bent, so old-his eyes, like a
lover's, humbly raised to the face of his own Messiah! As
yet unrecognized, his Messiah, yet his heart worshiped.
Eagerly he went on, offering all he could think of to
this Mysterious One Who had touched him so deeply.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

"You didn't see the whole of the Museum. Would You
like to go back after You have rested? You didn't go up
to the third floor." (Unseen by us he must have been
following all the time. J "The fossils and the birds are
up there. Wouldn't You like to see the birds?"
The Master answered very gently, smiling.
"I am tired of traveling and looking at the things of
this world. I want to go above and travel and see in the
spiritual worlds. What do you think about that?" He
asked suddenly, beaming on the old watchman.
The watchman looked puzzled and scratched his head.
"Which would you rather possess," continued the
Master, "the material or the spiritual world?"
Still the old man pondered. At last he brought forth:
"Well, I guess the material. You know you have that,
anyway."
"But you do not lose it when you have attained the
spiritual world. When you go upstairs in a house, you
don't leave the house. The lower floot is under you."
"Oh I see!" cried the watchman, his whole face lighting up, "I see!"
After we parted from the watchman, who walked with
us all the way to the Ninth Avenue comer, leading us
again across the grass, I began to blame myself for not
inviting him to the Master's house, forgetting that the
Master Himself had not done so. Every day I meant to
return to the Museum to tell the old man where the
Master lived, but I put it off from day to day.
When, at the end of the week, I did run over to the
Museum, I found a young watchman there, who seemed
to know nothing of the one he had replaced.
Had our friend "gone upstairs?"
Why had the Master visited a Museum of Natural

'ABDU'L-BAHA. IN AMERICA

History in the hottest hour of a blistering July day? Had
He instead visited a soul whose need was crying out to
Him, to open an old man's eyes so that he might see to
climb the stairs, to take away the dread of death?·

On the tenth of July, I went to the Master in the early
morning with something in my heart to say, but already
there were people with Him and I saw no chance of talking privately.
"Come, Juliet, sit by Me," He called as I entered the
room. "Now, speak. II
How could I, before those people? I hesitated.
, 'All your hopes and desires are destined to be fulfilled," He said, "in the Kingdom of God."
This was my cue.
"I came to tell You, my Lord, that now I have only
one desire, to offer my heart for Your service. II
"This you will also do, but all your desires will be
fulfilled. I ,
He kept me to lunch that day. While we were waiting
in the English basement for the lunch to be announced,
Valiyu'llah Khan and I alone with the Master, He spoke
again of my "truthfulness."
"Oh," I prayed, "may I some day have all the virtues
so that in every way I can make you happy.' I

"But he who possesses truthfulness possesses all the
virtues," said the Master. Then He went on to tell us a
story. "There was once a disciple of Mul;tammad who
*1947. There may have been two meanings to that visit to the
Museum and the second meaning I could not have thought of till
1940, when I became so deeply involved in the Baha'i work in Mexico and completely at one in heart and spirit with the believers
there.-J.T.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

asked of another disciple, 'What shall I do to please
God?' And the other disciple replied: 'Do not kill. Do
not steal. Do not covet,' etc., etc., etc. A great many 'do
nots.'" the Master laughed. "He asked still another,
'What shall I do to become nearer to God?' And this one
said: 'You must supplicate and pray. You must be
generous. You must be courageous,' etc., etc., etc. Then
the disciple went to 'Ali. 'What do you say I should do in
order to please God and to become nearer to Him?' 'One
thing only: be truthful.'
"For," continued the Master, "if you are truthful, you
cannot commit murder. You would have to confess it!
Neither can you steal. You would have to confess it. So,
if one is truthful, he possesses all the virtues.
"I may tell you this," He said to me, and He told me a
thing so wonderful that, even to keep and cherish His
words and read them over in the time to come, I cannot
repeat it here.
"My Lord," I said, "if ever I have told You an untruth
it was because I deceived myself."
"There are degrees of truth," He answered, "but that
word of yours which has so pleased Me was absolute,
perfect, extraordinary truth."

That night we walked with Him in "His
garden"-Georgie Ralston, Mirza 'Ali Akbar, Valiyu'llah
Khan, Ahmad, and I. Dear Lua, who has not yet left for
California, was ill and unable to be with us.
He led us down a path sloping to the river, flanked by
tall poplars. Sweeping on ahead in His gleaming white
robes, He was like a spirit. The night was very dark, the
river and the Jersey Palisades starred and glittering with
lights and there were chains of lights close to the water.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

With a wave of the hand towards them He said: "If
only the souls of men could be thus illumined."
"It is You, my Lord," I said, as I followed close with
Valiyu'llah Khan and Ahmad, "Who will put a torch to
our souls and light them."
Suddenly out from behind the bushes rushed a crowd
of children, bursting upon us like little demons, capering around us and hooting. Some of them even picked
up stones and threw them. Then they all began to sing:
"Follow the Lord! The Lord leads on!"
Back to us floated the voice of the Master: "The people of the world are blind. You must have vision. The
people of the world are heedless: see how heedless they
are!" and He swept His hand toward the children, who
immediately melted back into the shadows as if they
had never really existed. "You must be aware. The people of the world are steeped in darkness. You must be
immersed in a sea of light."
We went deep down in the park, close to the river;
then turned, climbed a path, and came out upon the
street. Here there was a stone wall, dividing the park
from the sidewalk. The Master leaned wearily on the
wall and gazed far below to the river. He seemed to
be lost in meditation. His face profoundly sorrowful. I
thought of a picture, a poster, which, in the early days of
His visit, had been displayed on all the church doors:
the Christ mourning over the city.
Soon He continued His walk. I turned to Valiyu'llah
Khan.
-"Oh," I said, "if only I could realize throughout the
whole fibre of my being, feel with every nerve, every
atom in me, His Divine Reality, if only while in His
bodily Presence I could be fully aware of Who He
is ... II

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

He turned and spoke and His face was ineffably gentle
and holy and something in His voice pierced me to the
heart. He couldn't have heard me with the outer ear-I
had fallen too far behind and was whispering, and in
English-but how He answered me!
"They laugh at Me, yet My dress is the dress of Jesus,
just the same that He wore. "
The people of the world: children! Had the Master
Himself evoked those little demons and made a sort of
moving picture of them, to show us what is to come as
we "follow the Lord" in the dark night?

But the very next day another picture, of very different
children, was superimposed upon this.
I had been with the Master all morning. {Later I will
write of the morning.j In the afternoon around three
o'clock I returned with Rhoda Nichols only to meet Him
just going out with the Persians. He smiled, then walked
swiftly toward the river, but Ahmad, dropping behind,
called to Rhoda and me: "Come along with us to the
Harrises'." We should have known better than to go, for
the Master had not invited us, but we couldn't resist the
temptation. So we followed up Riverside Drive, then
West End Avenue, till we came to Ninety-Fifth Street,
where Mr. and Mrs. Harris live. A tenement house
neighborhood.
As we approached Ninety-Fifth Street, there we saw
them: the different children. There must have been nearly a hundred of them, playing in the street with their
hoops and balls. But, when the Master drew near, all
shining white in His long flowing robes, they immediately stopped playing. It all happened instantaneously.
The next moment they had fallen into formation and
were marching down the street behind Him {we had

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

turned east toward Central Park), some of them still rolling their hoops. Without one word they followed, their
little faces almost solemn. They made me think of a real
and beautiful Children's Crusade.
We came to the house where the Harrises live and
walked up five steep flights, but when Mrs. Harris
opened her apartment door and Rhoda and I saw a table
inside set only for the Master and the Persians, we
backed away terribly embarrassed and lost no time in
getting downstairs. After all, we couldn't have foreseen a
luncheon at three 0' clock!
When we opened the street door, there were the
children again, surrounding the house, silently looking
up at it. A little yellow-haired girl came running up the
stoop to me. She seemed to be the spokesman for the
others. Breathlessly she asked: "Please, ma'am, tell us.
Is He Christ/"
I sat down on the stoop while the whole crowd of
children swarmed and pushed around me. "I will tell
you all about Him," I said. Then I whispered to Rhoda:
"Go upstairs again, dear, and let the Master know what
is happening."
She returned with a wonderful message from the
Master, an invitation to all the children to come to a
feast to be given specially for them at the Kinneys' house
next Sunday.

And now just a word about the morning. Georgie
Ralston and Mrs. Brittingham, Lua, and I were together
in the Master's room. As I sat there I felt something of
the Mystery of His Divinity. The day was very hot and
His sleeves were rolled up and I saw on His arms the
scars of chains.
When the others left He kept me.

MARCH 15 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

"I come to Your Presence, my Lord," I said, "to be
cured of my spiritual ills."
"Your pure heart," the Master answered, "is a magnet
for the Divine feelings."
He spoke of my mother and sent her some fruit. "Your
mother," He said, "is very dear to me. You cannot imagine how I love your mother."
Then He laughed and asked: "How is Dr. Grant?"
"I don't know, my Lord. I haven't seen him. I'm afraid
I hurt him the last time we met."
"What did you do?"
"I refused to go into his house with him."
"How is he with Us?"
"I don't know."
"I want to see him. Is this possible?"
"Yes, I am sure. I will telephone to him."
/'Tell him I am longing to see him, longing to see
him," repeated the Master smiling.
I knelt and kissed His robe, looking up so happy, so
grateful, while He looked down and laughed at me.
That night I telephoned to Percy. //1 am the bearer of a
message to you," I said, "from the Master. He asked this
morning if I had seen you lately and said He wanted to
see you. 'Tell Dr. Grant I am longing to see him,' He
said."
/'That was very beautiful of Him. Give Him my cordial greetings. Tell him how happy I am that He thought
of me. I can't tell you at this moment, Juliet, when I can
go. I hope tomorrow afternoon. I have a wedding at halfpast four. After that, perhaps."
"Well, I will give you the Master's telephone number
and you can call His house about it, unless you prefer to
have me arrange it."
"I should rather do it through you."

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

Saying he would let me know in the morning, he bade
me good-bye; then, "I give you my loving salutations."
The next morning, however, when he called me up, he
was in another state of mind. "Tell the Master," he
said, "I have so many human engagements just now. I
am going up to Greenwich after the wedding. (Greenwich is Alice Flagler's home.) "But I want to run in to
see you this morning, if I may."
I went to my room and prayed. I was on my knees
when he came. Not that he found me on them!
"To come straight to the point, Percy," I said, "I hope
you will go to see the Master."
"I'm going to see the Master, only I can't today."
"Oh that is all right," I said, brightening. "I didn't
understand. "
We talked about other things and then Katherine Berwind dropped in. Percy spent the morning with us, leaving us for a little while to return with bottles of ginger
ale and grape juice which he mixed into a drink for us.
When he finally left about noon I followed him out of
the studio.
"What message have you," I asked, "for the Master?"
He swore! It was a very mild swear, but he coupled the
Master's name with it, so I can't repeat it.
"I believe you love Him," he said fiercely, "more
than anything on earth."
"I do."
"More than your art," he added quickly.
"But of course."
"Well, you shouldn't. With your talent, Juliet, you
could do immortal work. Do you never think of that?"
"I am thinking of His immortal work in us."

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

"He has done it, in you!"
"Not yet."
"Juliet, I have wanted to cooperate with Him. You
know that. But I don't believe He can do this thing
alone."
"1 believe He is perfectly able to do it alone."
"You do?"
"He changes the hearts and nobody else can do that.
Well, what message shall I take to Him?"
, 'Tell Him with my greeting that I will come up some
time to see Him, but I am out of town a great deal, most
of the time, and-"
"Can't you do any better than that?" I asked.
"I want to do something for His comfort and when
Mr. Flagler's yacht comes back I want to take Him up
the Hudson. I will be in town Friday, Juliet."
"Then come up on Friday to see Him with me. Please
come. You know I don't often persist, but this
time-forgive me if I do."
"I think it is beautiful of you to persist in this instance, Juliet." With the face of a martyr he kissed my
hand. "I will come Friday."
And, looking unspeakably miserable, he left me.

On Friday in the afternoon he stopped for me. We were
expecting the Master in the evening-He was to bless
our house with a visit-and at the moment Percy arrived
I was telephoning Marjorie, who had offered to bring
some light refreshment. Percy, sitting in the living
room, heard. But I couldn't invite him, for I knew it
would spoil Mamma's evening with the Master-she
mightn't even come into the room.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

While I was putting on my gloves Percy produced a
large and ornate pocketbook. "Juliet," he said, "here is
an empty pocketbook which someone brought me from
Italy. Will you accept it? I thought you might have in
mind some Oriental person to whom you would like to
give it."
When we started out he proposed going up in a cab,
but I objected on the grounds that it would be slow and
we were already half an hour late.
"I am bringing the Master down here at six, and you
would have no visit at all if we took a slow cab."
"Well, for the matter of that, Juliet"-and his upper
lip grew very stiff-"any visit I might pay would be
merely an expression of affection and courtesy. As for
all you could get from a visit of this sort, where conversation must be through an interpreter and 'Abdu'l-
Baha will go off into a monologue on some subject that
interests Him-well, as I said, it is merely a mark of
courtesy. ' ,

I never saw his mouth so stubborn as when we entered
the Master's house. The Master was waiting for us, sitting in the bay window of the English basement.
"MarlJ.aba, Dr. Grant! It is a long time since I have
seen you, a long time."
But his welcome was more reserved than it had been
before.
"Well, Dr. Grant," He said, after a moment, "what is
the very latest news, the very latest?"
Remembering Percy's remark, that the Master always
indulged in monologue, I couldn't help smiling at this.
"The latest news," said Percy with a wicked look, as

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

obstinate, pugnacious and self-confident as I have ever
seen, "is in the field of athletics."
"The Olympic games?" asked the Master.
"Yes," said Percy, surprised.
"You know," the Master went on, "that these games
originated in ancient Greece and it was a necessity of
that time to develop the body to its fullest strength, the
nations being constantly at warfare and the men wearing
armor and fighting hand to hand. Heavy swords had to be
driven through coats of mail; bodies had to be strengthened to endure the mail."
"But explain to the Master," said Percy, very much de
haut en bas, "that because of the people all centering
in the cities and thus depleting their constitutions, the
necessity for physical development is just as great now
as it was then, though the basis is different."
The Master answered with the utmost sweetness: "We
do not deprecate physical development, for the sound
mind should work through a sound body, but We think
that the people of the West are too much concerned
with mere physical development. They forget the need
of spiritual development."
But Percy was bent upon argument. The development
of the spirit, he maintained, could not even begin till
the body had first been built up; and he looked so absurdly condescending, so pompous, so sure of his power
to defeat the Master, that I could scarcely control my
mirth. The Master did not control His.
"Man thinks too much of perfecting the body," He
smiled delightfully, "but of what use is it to him without the perfecting of the spirit? No matter how much he
develops his muscles and sinews he will never become

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

as strong as the ox, as brave as the lion or as big as
the elephant! Physically he is an animal, yet inferior
to the animals, for animals acquire their sustenance with
the greatest ease, whereas man has to toil incessantly,
to labor with infinite pain, for a mere livelihood. So,
in the physical realm, the beast is nobler than man. But
man is distinguished from the beast by his spiritual
gifts and these he should develop with the other, both
together. There should be a perfect balance, the spiritual and the physical. A man whose ideal side only is
developed is also imperfect. We do not deprecate comfort. If I could find a better house than this, I would
certainly move into it. But man should not think of
comfort alone."
I looked at Percy. He was still like a fighting-cock,
ready for another bout. He would never give in before
me, I knew, so I slipped quietly into the kitchen. When
I returned the whole atmosphere had changed. His face
had softened, his stiff mouth relaxed. As I entered
the room the Master was saying: "When one prays, one
sometimes has divine glimpses. So, when one is spiritually developed, a sublimity of nature is obtained,
a delicacy of vision such as could not otherwise be
found. Not only this, but tranquillity and happiness are
secured.
"Do you think if it had not been for spiritual assurance I could have been happy all those years in prison?
Think of it, forty years! You have just been telling
me, Dr. Grant, that forty years is the average American life. I spent My American life in prison. Yet all
that time I was on the heights of happiness. Many believers in Persia have been forced to give up everything:

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

their possessions, their families, and, in the end, their
lives, but they never lost their happiness.
"Remember Christ, when they placed the crown of
thorns on His head. At that very moment, as the thorns
wounded His brow, He looked down the vista of the
centuries and beheld innumerable kings bowing their
jeweled crowns low before that crown of thorns. Do
you think He did not know, that He could not fOIsee?"
IAgain I stole a glance at Percy. He looked utterly melted
now and his eyes shone. ) "When they spat in the face of
Christ," the Master went on, "when they made a mock
procession and carried Him around the streets, He felt
no humiliation."
Just then I rose to go, first asking permission, with my
eyes, of the Master, Percy was not inclined to go, even
when we were on our feet. In spite of that momentary
softening-perhaps partly because of it-he still wanted
to stay and argue, and I could hardly tear him away.
While we were standing, he swung the master's divine
subject to a combative one, "the Occident versus the
Orient": that was the substance of it. And if ever I saw
the Occident embodied, it was at that moment in that
man.
The Master leaned close to him and with the utmost
gentleness and patience tried to appeal to him. The people of the East, He said, were content with less than the
people here, so their hours of work were shorter. He
touched too on the absence of suicide in the Orient.
When He spoke of suicide, and also while He described
the humiliations heaped on Christ, which could not
humiliate Him, I had a strange sense of impending tragedy for Percy Grant, of something dreadful to happen

I ABDU'L-BAHA. IN AMERICA

in the future in which he would utterly "lose his happiness" and would feel humiliation, when perhaps these
words of the Master would come back to him. *
On the way down in the cab the Master talked about
economics. "The most important of the questions here,"
He said, "is the economic question. Until that is first
solved nothing can be done. But if it should not be solved
there will be riots."
Percy spoke of democracy.
"But your poor man," the Master replied, "cannot
even think of economics; he is so overburdened."
I asked Percy to tell about his work and when he had
done so, with some hesitation (for he seldom speaks of
himselfl, the Master said sweetly: "May you make peace
here. May you unite the classes."
Whereupon Percy's face beamed.
But he steeled himself again and at my door he turned
to go, though I did invite him in, and the Master also
said: "Are you not coming in?"
"No, no," and he hurried away, with a huffy look.
I can still see the Master on my steps, so in command.
"Au revoir, Dr. Grant," He said.
Percy had mentioned the yacht trip to the Master and
asked if He could make it the following Monday, but the
*1947. He died of his humiliations, which were more than human
flesh could bear. And in the end he would weep and say to a friend,
who told me afterward, "Do you think we did all we could have done
for the Master?/I He tried his best to communicate with me, but fate
had made me inaccessible. "I must write to Juliet, '/ he said. "There
is something I must tell her. /I I have never known what this was.-J.T.
Dr. Grant was eventually publicly disgraced and forced to resign his
position in the Church of the Ascension. He retired to his country
home and died less than three years later. (See pp. xix-xxi.)-ED.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

Master had several appointments Monday and could not
accept for that day.
"I will try," said Percy, "to get the yacht for
Tuesday."
The Master had planned to spend the whole evening
with us and we were all to go for a walk, but the Persians
had forgotten to announce at the Seventy-Eighth Street
house that He would be absent Friday evening, so He felt
He must return early.

My Lord came into our house. The door was not
locked. He opened it Himself and walked up the stairs. It
was His house. Mamma almost ran to meet Him, her
face suffused with joy, her eyes shy and tender. The
MacNutts and the Goodalls had arrived and Ruth
Berkeley and Marjorie, and were waiting in the secondfloor living room. The Master went in and greeted them
with His wonderful buoyant greeting; then I took Him to
my room to rest and, after kneeling and kissing the hem
of His garment, left Him lying on my couch.
While He was resting Kahlil Gibran came. He had a
private talk with the Master in my room; then joined us
upstairs in the studio, to which we had all gone by that
time, and in a very few minutes the Master too joined
us.
Mamma, with her own loving hands, had prepared the
studio for His reception and it was very beautiful, full of
laurel, white roses, and lighted white candles.
"What a good room," said the Master as He entered it.
"It is like an Oriental room-so high. If I were to build a
house here," He laughed, "I would build an eclectic
house-partly Oriental, partly OccidentaL"

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

Then we passed the refreshments and our Beloved
Lord 'broke bread" with us.
I

jFootnote. Of course I was terribly disappointed that
the Master stayed such a short time that night. A few
days later I began to see that this was no accident, that the
changing of His plan for that evening had not been just a
result of the Persians' forgetfulness, but that in it was a
deep and subtle lesson for me. A lesson in perception
-or intuition-which is truth itself. I had asked the
Master whom I should invite to meet Him. Anyone II

you think of," He answered. "Whatever name comes
into your mind, invite that person.' A few names came
I

into my mind as if projected there from outside. Percy
Grant. At once I rejected that name, on Mamma's account, as I have explained already. Mrs. Krug. Oh no!
Mamma wasn't fond of Mrs. Krug. Mrs. Kaufman. No.
Then I selected my personal friends. Mrs. Krug and Mrs.
Kaufman both were extremely hurt because I didn't invite them and what harmony there was between us was
broken for the time being. As for Percy Grant . . . !)

Tuesday, July 16, the day proposed for the yacht trip
up the Hudson, was a day of crushing disappointment. In
the morning I awoke thinking: Today great things may
happen for Percy; miracles may happen! Still, an instinct
made me uneasy.
As soon as I reached the Master's house I asked if Dr.
Grant had been heard from. No word had come, Dr.
Farid told me, and really the Master ought to know in
order to arrange His day's appointments. "You had better telephone, Juliet."
I went to the comer drugstore and called the Rectory,

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

only to learn that Percy was still in Greenwich. I called
him in Greenwich.
"Oh, Juliet." He sounded bored. "I have been meaning to telephone you all morning, but one thing after
another has prevented. No, I am sorry, tell 'Abdu'l-Baha
how very sorry I am, but I cannot arrange the trip for today. Mrs. Flagler was in town yesterday and it didn't
agree with her and she isn't well enough to go today."
"I am very sorry," I murmured, so shocked I could
scarcely speak.
"When does the Master leave New York?"
"On the twenty-second."
"On the twenty-second? I hope it can be arranged
before them."
"I hope so."
"How did the supper go off the other night?"
"What supped"
"The supper you had for the Master?"
"There was no supper."
"Why, I heard you talking about 'provisions' over the
telephone with Mrs. Morten."
"That was only fruit and a cool drink. The Master just
paid us a visit. I asked you to come in."
"Well, I didn't feel that I could. I thought you were going to sit around a table and that all those Persians you
had asked would fill it up, and that woman you invited
at the Master's house. It makes me shudder, Juliet, to
think of all the money you spent that day."
"That was nothing."
"Oh, money is nothing, I suppose!"
"Certainly nothing compared with a visit from the
Master." And I said good-bye.
I went back to the house so ashamed I could hardly

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

hold up my head: miserably ashamed of Percy Grant,
burning up with indignation at his deliberate insult to
the Master, to Him Whose "dress was the same as the
dress of Jesus," an insult leveled at the Master, the real
intention of which was to hurt me. Just a petty revenge
on me.
I gave Percy's wretched message to Dr. Farid without
any commentj then stole off alone and wept.
Soon my Lord sent for me. I longed to unburden my
heart to Him, but Grace Krug and Louise were with Him
and Grace was telling her own troubles, speaking of
some unhappiness of the day before, so of course I could
say nothing. I sat forcing back my tears, feeling that at
any moment I might burst out crying and that I mustn't
do that in His Presence for any other reason than love.
"And now," said the Master, still talking with Grace,
"the sun is out again! The sun is shining. I am glad of
that. I do not like clouds!"
Oh, what if I cry now, I thought.
"Winds from all directions: from the north, south,
east, and west-great hurricanes-have beaten against
My Ark, yet My Ark still floats." Smiling, He made an
adorable gesture with His hands, swinging them like a
rocking boat. "One single wave has submerged many a
great ship, yet My Ark still floats!"
"Juliet," He said, turning suddenly to me, "is there
anything you want to ask Me privately? Biya.! (Come.)"
He led me by the hand into the back room.
"Now speak. Your eyes are all speech!"
"I only want to say that I am deeply ashamed for Dr.
Grant. Deeply sorry. The friend to whose husband the
yacht belongs is sick and he could not get it for today.'I

"It is better so," said the Master. "I was wondering

MARCH 2S TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

how I could do it, for I am not very well today and must
be in Brooklyn this evening at eight 0' clock. But I would
have done it for his sake. It is betterj better," He ended,
with a strange sweet intonation, as He returned to the
other room.

July 18, 1912.
Each day I drink deeper of the cup of Love. Yesterday
the draught I took was pure ecstasy. I saw Him for three
brief moments only, but those three moments were
charged.
First, I saw Him with a few others-Mrs. Helen Goodall, Miss Wise, Ella Goodall Cooper-and He spoke
to us of the kindness of God, holding in His hand my
rosary, which He has carried for several days (the one
Khanum gave me in Haifa). When we meet kindness in
a human being He said, how happy it makes us. How
much happier we will be when we realize the kindness
of God.
Later He called me to Him alone. I met Him as He
came downstairs from His room to the library. He was all
in white.
"Ab-h, Juliet," He said. He began to walk up and
down the library. "Your mother sent me these things,"
(referring to some flowers and another little present).
"These things came from your mother. I became very
happy from them, but she should not have taken the
trouble."
"It made her so happy to send that little offering."
"But she should not have taken the trouble." He continued to walk up and down. In a moment He said: "I
am very much pleased with your truthfulness, Juliet.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

That matter between us, your truthfulness on that occasion makes Me happy whenever I think of it."
"Everything in my heart is for You to see, my Lord. I
only hope the day may come when You will see nothing
in it except the Love of God."
He came very close and looked deep into my eyes with
His brilliant eyes.
"I see your heart," He said. "I look into your face and
your heart is perfectly clear to Me."
Again He paced up and down and it was then I knelt.
"Tell the Master," I said to Valiyu'llah Khan, "I pray
that my heart may become entirely detached from this
world."
"Your heart," said the Master, pausing before me and
gazing at me with a face of glistening light, "will
become entirely detached. You are now in the condition
I desired for you." He walked to the window and stood,
looking out. "I wish you to teach constantly. Therein
lies your happiness, and My happiness."
He came back to me. I had risen.
"I wish you to be detached from the entire world of
existence; to tum to the Kingdom of Abha with a pure
heart; with a pure breath to teach the people. I desire for
you," He continued, resuming His walk, "that which I
desire for My own daughters, Tuba and Rul;ta."
With this He dismissed me.

In the evening I returned to a wedding, Grace Robarts'
and Harlan Ober's, where the Master, for me, as well as
for the bride and bridegroom, turned the water of life into wine.
Grace and Harlan stood together, transfigured; they

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

seemed to be bathed in white light. Mr. Ives, standing
opposite, married them. Back in. the shadow sat the
Master. There were times when I, sitting at a little
distance from Him, felt His lightning glance on me. At
the end of the service He blessed the marriage. After this
He went upstairs, to the front room on the third floor.
I soon followed him there, taking with me our colored
maid, Mamie, and her little adopted son, George, a child
six years old. Mamie wanted to have the Master bless
him.
On the way up in the bus I had (idiotically) asked:
"Do you know who the Master is, George?"
"No, ma'am," very positively.
"Well, you will know some day, for by the time you
grow up the whole world will know Who the Master is
and then you will be so proud and happy to remember
that He blessed you."
The blessing the Master gave George was not an obvious one, there was nothing ceremonial about it. He
just took the child on His knee and talked playfully with
him and caressed him. But how it impressed that little
boy!
While we were going downtown in the bus, he rolled
his big eyes up at me and out of a dead silence said: "I
know now, ma'am."
And when Mamie's husband, Cornelius, opened the
door for us, George rushed to him, crying out: "The
Master blessed me, dearie, and I will show you just
how."
Then he clattered down the basement stairs and I was
spared the scene! I never did know how George
demonstrated it-he couldn't have taken Cornelius on

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

his kneel-but the next day Mamie told me of something else.
II Dearie, " George had asked, "is the Master that
blessed me this evening the same Master that holds the
moon in His hand and makes the sun shine?"
"Go to bed, child," said Cornelius.
II But, " repeated George, is the Master that same
II

Lord that makes the sun shine and the rain come
down?"
liThe Lord that makes the sun shine," said Mamie,
"is in the Master that blessed you this evening, George.
It was the Holy Spirit that blessed you."

(Footnote. 1947. Thirteen years later a handsome
young man came to my door. At first I thought he was
Syrian. "Do you remember George?" he asked. Almost
at once he spoke of the Master. "I have had a rough life
among my own people," he said, "but the blessing He
gave me has lived like a fountain in my heart. It has protected me through all my sufferings. It has inspired me
with the resolve to work for better conditions among my
people. And," he went on, "that other time when He
spoke at a big meeting on the first floor and you brought
me up' from the basement and stood me on a chair so
that I could see Him plainly, I thought He was God then
and was frightened." Then he described the Master to
the minutest detail: the color of His eyes, His skin, His
hair, even the two tones of white in the turban He wore.
A few years ago, during the Second World War, I heard
of George again from his real mother. He was in
England, practicing medicine and working with the
wounded in the hospitals.)

MARCH 2S TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

July 19, 1912.
C&is morning I went as usual to the Master's house but
was stopped at the door by Alice Beede.
/ /Fly," she said, / /after Mrs. Goodall and Ella. They
have your rosary. The Master just gave it to them."
My precious, precious coral rosary-given to me by
the Greatest Holy Leaf! Given on a wonderful occasion,
when a young carpenter living on Mount Carmel had
been healed of typhoid fever. Rul;ul and I had climbed the
mountain to see him and we were trying to help his
mother when Khanum and the Holy Mother arrived with
a doctor. The doctor went into the hut and the rest of us
stayed outside, KhAnunl sitting on the ground under a
tree, praying on this same rosary. It was dark by then,
and very dark in that little garden. KhAnum was all in
shadowy white, from her veil to her feet. When she had
finished praying, she glided like a spirit toward me and
threw the coral chain over my head. A few days ago I
took this great treasure to the Master. "This is the
dearest thing I possess," I said, "except Your tablets and
the ring You gave me. If You will use it, my Lord, it will
be infinitely dearer."
I ran up the street after Mrs. Goodall and Ella Cooper
and when I overtook them said breathlessly: / /Alice
Beede has just told me that the Master gave you my
rosary."
"Oh! Take it back," said Mrs. Goodall.
But I had come to my senses.
"No, no," I answered. "If the Master gave it to you it
is yours."

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

In the afternoon I went again to my Lord. He was sitting in the English basement, in His lap a tangled pile of
rosaries. I sat between Ahmad and Edward Getsinger.
The Master held up a rosary.
"To whom do I return this?" He inquired of Ahmad.
Edward leaned over to me and whispered: "That is the
way your rosary went."
"Oh no, it isn't," I whispered back.
"What did Juliet say?" asked the Master.
"It was nothing, my Lord, nothing, I ' I said.
He smiled and the subject was dropped. *

,uly 25, 1912.
Clhe Master is gone. Gone to Dublin, New Hampshire.
I shall never forget the day He left, day before yesterday. I went up early to His house-but oh, too late! On
the street I met Mrs. Hutchinson.
"The Master has gone!" she said, her eyes full of
tears, her lips quivering.
"When?"
"Twenty minutes ago."
"I will go to the station. II
I jumped on a subway train and reached the station in
a few minutes. But nowhere did I see the Master and the
Persians. I stopped a porter.
"Did a party of foreigners pass through here just
now?"
"Egyptians?"

·1947. Just after the Master ascended, dear Mrs. Goodall died and
Ella sent the rosary back to me. Several years later I gave it to Romeyn Benjamin. It played a miraculous part in his life and when he
died, eight years ago, again it came back to me.-J.T.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN DUBLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE
'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

"Yes!" There wasn't a minute to explain.
"Yes. Go to track 19."
But track 19 was deserted except for the gateman.
"Has a party of foreigners passed this way?" I asked
him.
"Turks?"
"Yes."
"They are on the train."
"I suppose I couldn't go through?"
"Yes, go through, but come right back."
Smiling my thanks, I dashed down the platform. At
one of the windows on the train I saw a white turban.
"Could I get on the car?" I asked the conductor.
"Yes, get on. It's all right."

"Ah-h, Juliet!"
"Good-bye, my Lord."
"Good-bye." He drew me down beside Him. "You
should not have troubled to come here," He said.
"My heart wouldn't let me do otherwise."
"I will see you in a month. * Give My greetings to
your mother, to all the friends j to Mrs. Krug, Miss
Boylan."
Closely, closely He pressed my hand, pouring the attar
of rose of His Love upon me. Then once more He said
good-bye and I left.
It had been too bold, yet even against the rules every
door had opened to me.

The last time I talked with the Master was the day
before He left. Sure that He was to leave that morning,
-In exactly a month, to the day, He saw me in Green Acre, where
Mamma and I were His guests for four days.-J.T.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

the twenty-second, I went very early to His house, with
eight palm-leaf fans in my hands. Mamma had sent
them for the Master and the Persians to use on the hot
journey.
The Master was sitting in the English basement at the
window. He called me to a chair opposite Him. "What
are all those for?" He asked, laughing, waving His hand
toward the fans.
I laughed too, for they did look funny. I explained their
purpose and that they were from Mamma.
For a while I sat in silence before Him. Then suddenly
I realized that He was about to leave us, that in just a
few minutes He would be gone. I began to cry quietly.
"Tell Juliet," laughed the Master, "that I am not
going today."
At this the sun came out! But soon my tears were flowing again, this time because His love was melting me.
"Why are you crying, Juliet? I am not going today!"

In the afternoon He called me to Him and I had twenty
minutes alone with Him and Valiyu'llah Khan. I sat
with overbrimming eyes, drinking in the Glory of His
Presence.
"Oh Valiyu'llah Khan," I said, "say to the Master for
me that I know He is the Sun, and I pray He will always
encircle me with His rays."
"You are very near Me," He answered, "and while
you speak the truth you will always be with Me. I pray
that you may become the candle of New York, spreading the Light of Love all around you."
After this we sat silent in His Presence, silent for a
long time.
Once again He saw me when Marjorie came. He told

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

her she was my child, my "little chicken" and said we
must comfort each other after He has gone.

(Green Acre, Maine, 1947.,
.!J£ only I had written of Green Acre day by day while we
were there with Him! There are unforgettable things,
but so many details, precious details, have slipped away.
Mamma and I were in Bass Rocks when the Master's
invitation reached us. Bass Rocks, on a cliff above the
ocean, was Mamma's paradise and we could never afford
more than two weeks of it. So, when Ahmad's postcard
came, with word from the Master that He wished us to
spend three days with Him in Green Acre, all she could
think of at first was that three days would be lost from
her paradise!
"I won't go," she said.
"Oh, Mamma, an invitation from a king is a command, and this is from the King of kings."
"Well, I'll go for just one night and no more. And I
won't take a suitcase. Just a little Irish bundle, so that
we can't stay more than one night."
So she packed our little Irish bundle: two nightgowns,
two toothbrushes, our combs and brushes and a change
of underwear.
When we arrived at the Green Acre Inn the Master met
us at the door with His loving Marl)abtl; then He drew
me into the dining room.
"She does not wanO" He asked in English.
I couldn't tell the truth then, but of course He knew.

Pictures come back to me. Mamma and I following
Him down a path to the Eirenion, where He was to speak

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

to the believers. He was all in white in the dark. Mamma whispering to me: "It is like following a Spirit."
A tussle day after day to keep Mamma in Green'Acre,
in which dear Carrie Kinney helped me.
A night when a horrifying young man came to a
meeting at the Kinneys' house. From head to foot he was
covered with soot. His blue eyes stared out from a dark
gray face. This was Fred Mortenson. He had spent half
his boyhood and young manhood in a prison in Minneapolis. Our beloved Albert Hall, who was interested in
prison work, had found him and taken him out on parole
and given him the Baha'i Message. But Albert Hall was
dead when the Master came to America.
Fred Mortenson, hearing that 'Abdu'l-Baha was in
Green Acre, and having no money to make the trip, had
ridden the bumpers [on freight trains] to His Presence.
He came into the meeting and sat down and was very
unhappy when the Master, pacing back and forth as He
talked, took no notice of him. "It must be that He
knows I stole a ride," thought Fred (who told me all
about it afterward). But no sooner was the meeting over
and the Master upstairs in His room than He sent for
Fred.
Fred had said nothing to anyone about his trip on the
bumpers, but the minute he entered that upstairs room
the Master asked smiling and with twinkling eyes:
"How did you enjoy your ride?" then He took from
Fred's hand his soot-covered cap and kissed it.
Years later, during the First World War, when the
American believers sent ten thousand dollars for the relief
of the starving Arabs, the messenger they chose to carry
the money through the warring countries was: Fred
Mortenson. The Master declined the ten thousand

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

dollars, relieving the Arabs Himself by His own hard
labor. He went to His estate near Tiberius and Himself
plowed the fields there; then stored all the grain in the
Shrine of the Bab.
For this He was knighted by Great Britain when
British rule replaced Turkish in Palestine. It was meant
as an honor, but to me it was like an insult. It nearly
killed me after that to direct my supplications to Sir
'Abdu'l-Baha 'Abbas.

But to return to Green Acre.
One day the Master, speaking from the porch of
somebody's cottage, while the believers sat on the grass
below, made this fascinating statement: "We are in affinity now because in preexistence we were in affinity."
"Let's ask Him what He means by that," whispered
Carrie to me.
So, in the evening, while the Master was in our
room-Mamma's and mine-and Carrie sitting there
with us, I put the question to Him.
"1 will answer you later," He said.
But He never did, outwardly.
In a minute or so Mamma, with that funny boldness of
hers which would sometimes burst through her timidity, said: "Master, I would like to see You without Your
turban."
He smiled. "It is not our custom, Mrs. Thompson, to
take off our turbans before ladies, but for your sake I will
do it."
And oh, the beauty we saw then! There was something
in the silver hair flowing back from His high forehead,
something in the shape of the head, which, in spite of
His age, made me think of Christ.

MARCH 15 TO DECEMBER 7, 1911

There was another night, when Carrie, Mamma, and I
and a few other believers were sitting in the second-floor
hall. Suddenly, on the white wall of the floor above, at
the head of the staircase, the Master's great shadow
loomed. Mamma slipped over to the foot of the stairs
and looking up with adoring eyes, called: "Master!"
And still another night. This was our third in Green
Acre. Again we were sitting in the second-floor hall, but
now the Master was in our midst.
"We must say good-bye tomorrow," Mamma said to
Him.
"Oh no, Mrs. Thompson," He laughed. "You are not
going tomorrow. One more day. " and He laughed again.
"You see, I am leaving for Boston day after tomorrow
and you are of My own family. Therefore you must
travel with Me."
And Mamma submitted now with a satisfaction
wonderful to see. She was proud as a peacock. "He said I
was of His own family," she kept repeating to me.
Once He called Mamma and me into His room and
among other things He said was this: "There are correspondences, Mrs. Thompson, between heaven and
earth and Juliet's correspondence in heaven is Mary of
Magdala."

(This diary, owing to the fact that it was written under
difficulties, has large areas left out of it. I find that I have
not spoken of what seemed then such a crucial
thing-Lua's departure for California. But since she was
not at our house when the Master visited us on July 12,
and my last account of being with her is dated the morning of July 11, I'm sure she must have left the night of
the eleventh.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

I have just one story to tell of Lua, with the Master,
in California. I want to tell it for two reasons. First:
because of its value and also its humor; then because
another version of it is still being told by the believers,
less direct and much less like the Master. This is how
I had it from Lua herself.
She and Georgie Ralston-who had gone with Lua to
California-were driving one day with the Master, when
He closed His eyes and apparently fell asleep. Lua and
Georgie talked on, I imagine about their own concerns,
for suddenly His eyes sprang open and He laughed.
"I, me, my, mine: words of the Devil!" He said.)

November, 1912.
Clhe Master is here again!
I met Him at the boat last Monday, November 11. I
met Him alone. And this is how that happened. At noon
on November 11, Mirza 'Ali-Akbar arrived from Washington to find living quarters for the Master and the
Persians. I had had a wire from him earlier, asking me
to meet him at the station and to house-hunt with him,
which I did. The Master was to come at ten that night
and we thought we had plenty of time to notify the
friends so that they could meet His ferryboat. But later
another wire came to our house, relayed to me through
Mamma and Mr. Mills at Mrs. Champney's (and luckily
catching me there), saying that the Master would arrive
at eight. Through a series of accidents, Mr. Mills' chauffeur landed us first somewhere in New Jersey and then
at the Liberty Street station, and there was no time to
telephone anybody.
"This will be very bad," said Mirza 'Ali-Akbar, but we
couldn't help it.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

We had accomplished everything else, had rented
again the dear house on Seventy-Eighth Street (Mrs.
Champney's) and found extra rooms for some of the
Persians.
Now, Mirza 'Ali-Akbar insisted on my taking Mr.
Mills' car and going at breakneck speed to the Twenty-
Third Street station to try to meet the Master there, if
He should come that way, while he himself waited at
Liberty Street.
I reached Twenty-Third Street just in time. The ferryboat was approaching and very close to the dock. Standing at the end of the pier, I saw it with its chain of
lights. I saw Dr. Farid. Then the Master rose from a seat
on the deck and entered the brightly lit cabin.
Soon He came toward me down the gangplank.
"Ah, Juliet," He said, taking my hand in His and
drawing me along with Him, so that I walked beside
Him. But He didn't invite me to drive to His house with
Him. Instead, He sent me back after Mirza
'Ali-Akbar-Dr. Baghdadi and Mirza Mal},mud going
with me. We returned all together to Seventy-Eighth
Street.
Oh, to see Him in that house again, sitting in His old
comer in the English basement, the comer in the bay
window!

I had been very naughty with Mamma that day and
had grieved her. My precious mother was brought up in
luxury, lived in luxury until Papa died. She cannot get
over her sensitiveness about our too-apparent poverty
and she simply won't have people to meals. I had begged
her to make an exception of Mirza 'Ali-Akbar, who was
arriving at such an awkward hour, and to let me bring
him back for lunch. But she wouldn't hear of it.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

Whereupon I flew into a temper, told her what I thought
of her "false pride," and stamped out of the house.
Now, entering the Master's house with the three Persians, instead of a welcome, I received a blow. The
Master didn't even look at me.
"How is your mother?" were His first words. "Is she
happy?"
Then He told me to go straight back to her but to
return the next day. I went back and comforted her with
His rebuke to me.

Early as I could on November 12, I sought His Beloved
Presence. Ruth and Lawrence White jwho have lately
been married) were with Him and Rhoda and Marjorie. It
seems impossible sometimes for the physical ear, or the
human mind, to retain His Divine Words. They moved
me to tears.
"Don't cry! Don't cry!" said the Master, with His infinite tenderness.
The twelfth of November, the Birthday of Baha'u'llah,
was the day of Mrs. Krug's meeting and never, never
shall I forget it.
There, at Mrs. Krug's, the Master invoked
Baha'u'llah. And as His cry, "Ya Baha'u'lliI.h!" rang
out, I hid my eyes, for it was as though He were calling
Someone on the same plane with Him, Someone Whom
He saw, and Who would certainly come.
He came-the Blessed Beauty, the Lord of Hosts. A
Power flashed into our midst, a great Sacred Power . . . I
can find no words. Burning tears poured down my
cheeks. My heart shook.
After the meeting, the Master, Who was resting in
another room, sent for me. I had supplicated through

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

Valiyu'llAh Khan that He would come to the meeting at
our house Friday.
"Tomorrow, Juliet," He said, "I will tell you about
your meeting. Now go back to the house and wait till I
come."
I did so and He soon came-came and sat in the comer
of the window in the English basement just as He used
to last summer. Carrie Kinney was there and Mr. Hoar.
He had spoken so often in public and in private of an
inevitable world war, warning America not to enter it,
that I felt moved to mention it now.
"Will the present war in the Balkans," I asked, "terminate in the world war?"
"No, but within two years a spark will rise from the
Balkans and set the whole world on fire."
Soon He rose and calling, "Come, Juliet," and
beckoning to Valiyu'llAh KhAn, took us out to walk in
"His garden," that narrow strip of park above the river.
As we followed Him, Valiyu'llAh Khan said: "How
blessed to be walking in His footsteps!"
He led us to a bench and sat down between us, clasping my hand tightly. And then He began to ask me questions: question after question about the believers in New
York, as to a certain condition among them, a lack of
firmness in the Covenant, which I had never
suspected-of which I was really ignorant. Of course, I
did know that earlier there had been awful confusion-some teaching that 'Abdu'l-BahA was like Peter,
others that He was Jesus Himself-but I thought that
time was past.
"But I don't know, my Lord!" I said. "If I knew,
I would tell you."
"I know you don't know," He laughed, "and I do

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

know. There are many things I know that you do not
know. I was only testing you. I have loved you for your
truthfulness, for the truth you spoke in a matter you
remember. I wanted to see if your heart were in the same
state of truthfulness." Then He said: "With those who
are against the Center of the Covenant you must not
associate at all. When you find that a soul has turned
away from the Covenant you must cut yourself off completely from him. You will know these people. You will
see it in their faces." (How on earth, I thought, could
I trust my judgment of the faces? He answered my unspoken thought at once.) "You will see a dimness on
the faces, like the letting down of a veiL"
"My Lord," I said, "I feel that I have failed in everything. I have failed You in all my pitiful efforts to bring
about unity. And I know my failure has been due to
lack of strict obedience."
"Obedience," said the Master, "is firmness in the
Covenant. You must associate with the steadfast ones."
He mentioned three people who, since His returnsince I met His ferryboat alone-have wreaked their displeasure on me, one of whom had even "scandalized
my name" (!) for several years; then added to the list-
Mason Remey. This was bitter! "You must be a rock,
as they are rocks."
"My Lord," I asked, with a sinking heart, "am I not
firm in the Covenant?"
"You could be more firm," He laughed.
"Oh, my Lord!"
He rose and we began to walk.
"I had hoped," I said miserably, "that nobody loved
You better than I."
"I know you love Me, Juliet," He answered, "but

MARCH 2S TO DECEMBER 7, 1911

there are degrees of love." Then He told me He carried a
measuring-rod in His hand by which He measured the
love of the people and that rod was obedience.
At the comer, at the entrance to the park, He paused.
"You must love Me," He said, "for the sake of God."
"You are all I shall ever know of God!"
"I am the Servant of God. You must love Me for His
sake and for the sake of Baha'u'llah. I am very kind to
you Juliet," He added.
"I know, my Lord."
"Now go back to your mother, so that she may be
pleased with you!" He laughed, and left me to wait for
the bus.
But when He had crossed the street, when I saw Him
stop for a moment to speak to Valiyu'llah Khan, I sank
on the chain of the fence utterly broken-hearted.
Oh I am nothing, nothing, I thought. I have done
nothing but fail Him. Which was just what He wanted
me to see, I suppose.
But, could it be that I was not firm? I examined my
character: Yes, it was unstable.

On Wednesday, November 14, I went very early to my
Lord's house. He was on the point of going out, but He
called me to Him.
"My Lord," I said, as He paced up and down His
room, "I want to thank You for Your great mercy last
night. I was asleep and You woke me."
"I pray you may ever be awake. There are a few souls
in America," He continued, "whom I have chosen to be
teachers in this Cause. You are of those, Juliet. I wish
you to have all the qualities of a teacher. That is all.
II

Then He asked me to wait till His return. I waited all

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

day. At five o'clock He came and called me to His room
on the upper floor. With that exquisite courtesy of His,
the sweetness of which almost breaks the heart, He-I
can hardly write it-asked me to excuse Him for keeping
me waiting.
"To wait for You, my Lord, is joy. Oh these blessed
days when we can wait for You!"
He went on to tell me why He had been detained . . .

(The record of this last month must be sketchy. I cannot copy it all, as it concerns other people, and conditions that are past and best forgotten.)

November 28, 1912.
[It is Thanksgiving Day, and I am thankful-thankful
and happy. Everything that means my personal happiness, even every hope is lost. My Lord has entirely
stripped my life. But I pray that He has freed my spirit.
On November 15, the Master came to our house (48
West Tenth Street) and gave a most wonderful talk in
the front room on the first floor to a great crowd of people who filled both the front and back rooms and the
hall. • I brought George up from the basement and stood
him on a chair, so that he could see the Master. He
thought the Master was God and was frightened.
Driving down to us with Mrs. Champney, our Lord
had said: "The time has come for Me to throw bombs!"
And He threw them in His talk that night.
"I have spoken," He said, "in the various Christian
churches and in the synagogues, and in no assembly has

·See Promulgation of Universal Peace. Second Edition, pp. 431-37.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

there been a dissenting voice. All have listened and all
have conceded that the Teachings of Baha'u'llah are
superlative in character, acknowledging that they constitute the very essence or spirit of this age and that
there is no better pathway to the attainment of its ideals.
Not a single voice has been raised in objection. At most
there have been some who have refused to acknowledge
the Mission of Baha'u'llah, although even these have admitted that He was a great teacher, a most powerful
soul, a very great man. Some who could find no other
pretext have said: 'These Teachings are not new; they
are old and familiar; we have heard them before.'
Therefore, I will speak to you upon the distinctive
characteristics of the Manifestation of Baha'u'llah and
prove that from every standpoint His Cause is distinguished from all others."
And in this address, which was one of His most power-·
ful, the Master certainly proved it. The address was
taken down and will be printed.

On November 18, at the Kinneys' house, the Master
put Howard MacNutt through a severe ordeal, an inevitable ordeal.
Mr MacNutt had been one of the few who, when I first
came to New York, had taught that the Master was' 'like
Peter" -just a glorified disciple. But for years he had
never mentioned this point of view, and I thought he had
gotten over it.
In Chicago there are some so-called Baha'is who are
still connected with Kheiralla, the great Covenant-
Breaker, and last week the Master sent Mr. MacNutt to
Chicago to see them and try to persuade them to give up
Kheiralla; otherwise he was to cut them off from the

'ABDU'L-BAHA WITH HIS PERSIAN ENTOURAGE
in the garden of Howard MacNutt, New York, 1912.
MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1911

faithful believers. He-Mr. MacNutt-wrote Zia Baghdadi that he had found these people "angels," and did
nothing about the situation.
He had just returned to New York and was to meet the
Master at the Kinneys' house that evening, November
18, for the first time since his unfruitful trip. I was in the
second-floor hall with the Master and Carrie Kinney
when he arrived. The Master took him to His own room.
After some time they came out together into the hall.
An immense crowd had gathered by then on the first
floor, which is open the whole length of the house.
I heard the Master say to Mr. MacNutt: "Go down and
tell the people: 'I was like Saul. Now I am Paul, for I
see."
"But I don't see," said poor Howard.
"Go down and say: 'I was like SauL' "
I pulled his coattail. "For God's sake," I said, "go
down."
"Let me alone," he replied in his misery.
"GO DOWN," commanded the Master.
Mr. MacNutt turned and went down, and his back
looked shrunken. The Master leaned over the stair rail,
His head thrown far back, His eyes closed, in anguished
prayer. I sat with Carrie on the top step, watching Him.
This is like Christ in Gethsemane, I thought.
We could hear the voice of Howard MacNutt stumbling through his confession: "I was like Saul." But he
seemed to be saying it by rote, dragging through it still
unconvinced. Nevertheless when he came upstairs
again, the Master deluged him with love.
By that time the Master was back in His room and as
Mr. MacNutt appeared at the door, He ran forward to
meet him. Our Lord was all in white that night and as

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

He ran with His arms wide open He looked like a great
flying bird. He enfolded Howard in a close embrace,
kissed his face and neck, welcomed with ecstasy this
broken man who, even though bewildered, had obeyed
Him.
The next night while Mamma, Miss X* and I were
together in the Master's Presence, Miss X brought
up Mr. MacNutt's name and spoke gloatingly of his
chastisement.
The Master sighed. "I immersed Mr. MacNutt in the
fountain of lob last night," He said.

The next morning, Sunday, November 24, I hastened
to the Master's house. I knew it would be full of people,
friends from other towns who had come to attend the
banquet and to be with the Master during His last days
here. I knew Mason Remey was in New York and that I
should have to meet him, perhaps this morning; and to
face him before the Master and all the believers would be
misery. Our engagement, in the eyes of the believers,
had been the most ideal romancet: I had seen many
moved to tears by it, and when the engagement was
broken, every one of them had resented it, taking up
cudgels for Mason and putting the entire blame on me.
As for Mason, he had said: "I am an Indian. I never
forgive."
For over a year Mason and I had avoided each other in
perfectly absurd ways. When I had to go down to
Washington, I had written him: "Please stay away from
the meetings while I am there." (!) Then one day, in
Washington, when I boarded a moving, rocking street-
·The Miss X of the Thonon diary.-J.T.
tSee announcement of their engagement, Bahai News (later Star of
the West), Vol. 1., No.9 (1910) p. 11.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

car, I fell backward on somebody's lap and turned to find
myself sitting on Mason's knees! I haven't seen him
since and now, as I approached the Master's house,
knowing he would surely be inside-if not at that moment, very soon-I wanted to tum and run.
Suddenly I saw that all this was nonsense and should
be overcome at once, before the Master's departure. An
idea occurred to me. I stood on the doorstep a minute or
two bracing myself to carry it out, to walk boldly up to
Mason and say: "Let's go to the Master now and tell Him
we are friends again and want to work together in the old
way as a real brother and sister in the Cause." All at
once, though still a little shy, I felt eager to do this, to
put things right.
I opened the door, and there stood Marie Hopper,
evidently waiting to waylay me. She looked very
mysterious, important and excited. "Juliet," she said, "I
must have a word with you. There is something I have
to do."
Then she exhorted me to marry Mason. She told me
she knew the Master wished it; she had "private information." The Master had said I would "suffer" until I
did marry him
"If I have to suffer," I said, "I prefer a respectable martyrdom! I'd be nothing but a common prostitute if I married him. And I can't believe, Marie, that the Master
really said this."
May Maxwell came up at that moment, very earnest
and starry-eyed, to reinforce Marie.
"Very well," I said, "I will talk with the Master
myself about it. He is just upstairs, thank God, no further away than the top floor of this house, and whatever
He wants me to do, I will do."
I went up with Valiyu'llah Khan. But first I stopped on

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

the third floor and had a litte private cry with
Valiyu'llah. Percy Grant was to come the next day to the
Master-this would be his last visit-and who could tell
what would happen then; what miracle might not happen; what change might not take place in him? And now,
Mason Remey looming up again!
We found the Master on the point of going out, standing in His room, holding a big, white, folded umbrella.
I knelt and He pressed my head against His arm and took
my hand in a tight clasp. "Speak," He said.
"Tell the Master, Valfyu'llah Khan, that I know He
will laugh at this, because I want to speak about marrying Mason. I have heard from Marie Hopper that the
Master wishes it. If He really does wish it, I am ready."
"Na! Na!" (No! No!) said the Master. His eyes were
twinkling and the comers of His mouth quivering as
though He were trying not to smile. "It was this way,"
He said. "I never interfere. Mrs. Hopper came and told
me that she wanted to unite you and Mr. Remey. I said
'Very well, try.' But it is just as I wrote you long ago.
Unless there is perfect agreement-perfect harmonylove, these things are not good."
I kissed His tender hand.
Needless to say, after this, I couldn't go near Mason
Remey.
On November 20, the Master spent the morning in my
little room. * Once more His Glory shone in my room;
His Life was diffused in it. It is a sanctuary now to me,
like a chapel in our house.
He had brought Mrs. Champney with Him and Mr.
MacNutt and, during the morning, Mr. MacNutt, who
-The extension room on the second floor of 48 West Tenth Street,
now divided into two rooms.-J.T.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

was standing behind the Master very humbly, lifted the
hem of His ' aba to his lips.
Mamma brought the Master some soup which she had
prepared especially for Him.
"I was just wishing for soup," He said sweetly. II You,
Mrs. Thompson, have the reality of love."
Mamma then showed Him Papa's picture and He
kissed it.
After a while He left us and was absent for some time.
When He came back He said: "I have been in every room
in your house."
And when He bade us good-bye, as He swung down
the stairs with His powerful step, His voice rang out:
, 'This house is blessed."
After He had gone I sat in the chair He had sat in and
wrote an appeal to Percy Grant: "I tried to reach you by
phone this morning to tell you the Master is soon returning to Haifa and that He wishes to take His portrait with
Him." (Percy had been exhibiting it in the chapel of his
Parish House. J "And to ask if some time tomorrow I
could come for it. I want to thank you too for your
hospitality to the Master's picture and for your beautiful
reference to it last Sunday, of which I have heard.
"You have given to many an opportunity to see at
least a portrayal, if a very weak one, of a dear face which
I doubt if most of us will see again. He is going back into
dangerous conditions. Dear Percy, will you let Him go
without saying good-bye to Him? Only the other day he
was speaking of you."
To this I received a very stiff answer, merely asking
the date of the Master's sailing and His address.

On Saturday, the twenty-third, the Master spent most
of the day in Montclair. When I went to His Seventy-

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

Eighth Street house in the late afternoon I was met with
joyous news. By staying over in Montclair, He had missed
reserving His passage on the Mauretania and His sailing
was now delayed! Also I heard that Percy had telephoned
and asked for permission to call Monday.
That night the Master gave a banquet at the Great
Northern Hotel.
May Maxwell, Marie Hopper, Marjorie, Rhoda, Mamma, and I sat at the same table. Just before the food was
served the Master rose from His seat, a vial of attar of
rose in His hand, and passed among all the tables, anointing every one of His guests. As His wonderful hand, dripping perfume, touched my forehead, as He scattered on
my hair the fragrant drops, my whole being seemed to
wake and sparkle.
At the end of his talk * He said: "Such a banquet and
such an assemblage command the sincere devotion of all
present and invite the downpourings of the blessings of
God. Therefore be ye assured and confident that the confirmations of God are descending upon you, the assistance of God will be given unto you, the breaths of the
Holy Spirit will quicken you with a new life, the Sun of
Reality will shine gloriously upon you and the fragrant
breeze of the rose gardens of Divine Mercy will waft
through the windows of your souls. Be ye confident and
steadfast . . ."

The following morning, November 25, I spent with
the Master. One heavenly thing He said was this: "I
have searched throughout the length and breadth of this
land for flames, I want the flames! The solid ones are no
good." Then He told me I was a flame. And He spoke
·See Promulgation of Universal Peace, Second Edition, pp. 447-48.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN BANQUET
at the Great Northern Hotel, November 23, 1912.
'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

beautifully of Mamma: "If I had a mother like yours,
Juliet, I would never deviate, even by a hair's breadth,
from her wishes."
That night Mamma went to see Him with me. He was
looking utterly spent, but He insisted on keeping
us-wouldn't let us go for at least an hour.
In the meantime, at five 0' clock, Percy Grant had
come. The Master was out but expected back any
minute. He had had to address a Women's Club early in
the afternoon and from there was to go to Mrs.
Cochran's. Through Valiyu'llah Khan, He had asked me
to wait and detain Percy. While I was waiting in the
English basement, Carrie and Mrs. Champney with me,
a taxicab stopped at the door; then in came Dr. Grant,
very big and rigid, his black clerical broadcloth and his
white clerical collar firmly molded around him.
Soon the Master returned. I can still see that Figure
entering the room like a mighty Eastern king, in His
long green 'aba, edged with white fur, His white turban;
I can see His outstretched arms, His divinely sweet
smile; can hear the music of His voice: that long "Oh-h!
Oh-h!" of welcome. "Oh-h! Oh-h!, Dr. Grant!" as
though to meet Dr. Grant were the most delectable thing
on earth.
Then He took Percy's hand and held it, never letting it
go while I saw them together, and began to talk smilingly to him.
"You must excuse me for keeping you waiting, Dr.
Grant. I am very, very sorry to have kept you waiting,
very sorry. But I was captured by three hundred women
this afternoon. Is it not a dreadful thing to be captured
by so many women? IAt this I felt wickedly amused.)
"The women in America dominate the men," the
Master continued. "Come upstairs with Me." And still

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

holding Percy by the hand, with the lightness of a spirit
He led him up the first flight. I shall never cease to see
those two figures. The King of the East-and the
West-in the garments of an Eastern king, leading the
way to an upper chamber; the resistant clergyman,
hardened into his clerical clothes, stiffly following,
pulled up the stairs by a too strong hand.
But when Percy came down, after a very long time, his
whole face was changed. His eyes were like burning
stars, his mouth softened, relaxed. He grasped my hand
and pressed it. "May I take you home, Juliet?"
"Thanks, Percy, I am staying here for a while."
Soon after he left, Dr. Farid rushed down the stairs to
me.
"There is hope-great hope," he said. "He was a
changed man today. Entirely different from last summer.
He seemed deeply touched at the thought of the Master
returning into danger and asked if we would cable him if
any trouble should arise, so that he might do whatever
he could. He asked also if, from time to time, the Master
would send him news, 'through one of your humblest
followers,' he said.
"When he spoke of danger the Master replied that He
had never feared danger and told him the story of the
Turkish Investigating Committee sent to ' Akka by ,Abdu'l-Hamid. How the verdict of this Committee was
that He-'Abdu'l-Baha-must die; that He must either
be crucified at the gate of 'Akka or sent alone to the
desert of Fezan, where He would inevitably starve. How
at that time the Italian consul, a friend, had arranged for
a ship to be sent to Haifa, ostensibly with cargo, but
really to help the Master escape. And how the Master
had said: 'My Father, Baha'u'llah, never delivered
Himself, though He had the opportunity. From this

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

Prison He spread His Teachings. I, therefore, will follow
in His footsteps. I will not deliver Myself.'
"Then," Dr. Farid went on, "the Master told Dr.
Grant of the hastening of the Committee to Turkey to
lay its verdict with all possible speed before the sultan,
but before they landed on Turkish soil, 'the cannon of
God had boomed forth at the gates of the sultan's
palace.' 'Abdu'l-Hamid was deposed by the rising of the
Young Turks and 'Abdu'l-Baha set free.
" 'So,' ended the Master, 'God delivered Me.' "
The miracle had happened. Percy Grant was " a
changed man!"

Not long was I allowed to cherish my hope!
The next day, November 26, while I was waiting in
the Master's house, He sent Dr. Baghdadi to bring me to
His room. May Maxwell was with Him and Dr. Baghdadi remained. I sat on the floor at my Lord's feet.
Smiling down on me, He said: "Why does Mrs. Maxwell love you so, Juliet?"
"Because she is my spiritual mother."
"In Montreal, when I was staying with her, she was
always mentioning your name and Lua's. 'Juliet, Lua.
Juliet, Lua. Juliet, Lua,' " chanted the Master. "That
was her song."
"May and Lua, May and Lua," I smiled, "are the two
dearest names to my heart."
"This is well," said the Master.
May turned to Dr. Baghdadi. "Ask the Master," she
said, "if I may be allowed to speak of something to
Him." And when she had received permission: "My
heart is tortured at the thought of all the children who
are starving for love in these days. So little is understood

JULIET THOMPSON (left) AND MAY MAXWELL
'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

of the privileges of motherhood. The children are left to
nurses and brought up in blighting environments. I want
to ask His prayers for the mothers of America. Juliet,"
she whispered to me, "join in this supplication."
I put my best foot forward to support her: "I should
like to join in May's supplication that the women may
soon realize that motherhood is their first function."
But, even as I spoke the words I saw how funny they
were, coming from me-and that I had spread a snare for
my own feet, which I suspect May wanted me to do!
The Master smiled broadly.
"What are you doing advocating this, Juliet? Where are
your children? Mrs. Maxwell has a child, but where are
yours? If you had married, you too could have brought
children to me, one to sit on each knee! A sterile woman
is like a fruitless tree. Of course," He added, smiling
again and quoting my words of last summer, "of course
you will say: 'What can I do with my heart.' "
"No, I won't say that any more," I answered. "You
can do something with my heart if I cannot. You can
make me a new heart. And now, since the Master has
spoken of this," I said to Dr. Baghdadi, "there is
something I should like to ask Him. Last spring and
summer He was indefinite with me about ... Dr.
Grant; perhaps, as I have been thinking lately, because I
wasn't strong enough to bear the truth. But I believe I
am stronger now and ready, at a word from Him, to renounce this hope. Is it not to be fulfilled?"
"No," said the Master. "Otherwise, I would have told
you."
Fqr a moment we sat in His Presence silent. In the fire
of that Presence, in that little moment, my hope of
twelve years melted away. As it vanished, a miracle happened. The Being sitting before me, now writing on a bit

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

of parchment held in the palm of His hand, changed
from a body to a sunlike Spirit. I saw Him translucent,
luminous, and depths of iridescence opened behind Him.
"Oh," I cried, tears coursing down my cheeks, "since
that phantom of a hope went, I have entered the
Presence of God."
The Master said nothing. He was still writing, writing
mysteriously.
"May," I whispered, "do you remember that prayer:
'As the Pen moves over the pages of the Tablet by which
the musk of significances in the world of creation is
exhaled?' "
After a while the Master looked up. "I wish you to
many, Juliet," He said. "I wish you to bring Me
children to hold on My knees. God will send someone to
you who will be agreeable to you."
What did it matter?
"May I ask one thing, my Lord? May I supplicate for
Percy's soul, that in the end he will see the truth?"
"We must always pray for him," answered the
Master.
Mrs. Krug and Carrie came in then. I hated to cry
before them, but I couldn't stop.
"Don't cry, don't cry," said the Master, as only He
can say it.
"Oh, that Voice!" whispered May.
"No, no. Don't cry." This from Grace Krug, with a
very disapproving look.
"I seem to be in flames, my Lord-the flames of Thy
love, Thy Presence-and to be melting.' I
But He saw deeper. "Khayr," (no) He said slowly.
"NO!" echoed Mrs. Krug.
"You must be happy," the Master ended, "because of
this thing I have told you."

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

As I said, this happened in the afternoon of November
26. The morning had been a tremendous one.
Knowing that my Lord would be at the Kinneys', I
went directly there. On the way up in the bus a great
wave of tears, like a tidal wave, rose from my heart (I
didn't know why) and threatened at any moment to
break over me.
I found the Master on the upper floor of the Kinneys'
house with the Persians, Carrie and Ned, Nellie Lloyd,
and Mr. Mills. The Tablet of the Branch· was being
translated under the supervision of the Master. Dr.
Baghdadi and Dr. Farid were working on it, submitting it
time after time to the Master before He was satisfied
with their rendering. I shall never forget His sternness,
His terrific majesty as He directed that translation.
The wave of tears did break as I listened and watched.
I was shaken beyond all control. Mirza Mal}mud and
Valiyu'llah Khan tenderly tried to calm me.

December 7, 1912.
cdVovember 28, Thanksgiving Day, was to be a day of
rest for our Beloved Lord. It had been given out that no
one would be received at the house that day. So, when
the telephone rang about noon and Ahmad, at the other
end, asked me to come immediately to the Master, I felt
so singled out and privileged! And to be alone with Him
and the Persians-that would be something important,
something wonderful.
But He met me with a grave, almost stem face. And
·See BohIl'J World Faith, pp. 204-207.

MARCH 15 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

with a command which at once banished my complacent
hope. Swiftly crossing His room to the door where I
stood, He said, without even a greeting: "Mrs. X is sick.·
I want you to go with some medicine to her and to spend
the afternoon taking care of her. " He walked back to the
window, beckoning me to follow Him. Then He picked
up a glass from His table and a bottle of rosewater.
"Give her this," He said. "Pour out so much," (He
poured about an inch into the glass) "and so much
water. Put in some sugar, the sugar of your love. Drink
this yourself." He gave me the glass He had been preparing, for my cure, and, looking pointedly at me, began to
pray.
"Ya Baha'u'l-Abha/"
Feeling strangely numb, I said, as I drank the
rosewater: "Ya Baha'u'l-Abha/"
He turned to the window and looked out.
"Ya Baha'u'l-Abha/"
"Ya Baha'u'l-Abha," I echoed.
Again and again He repeated the Greatest Name and I
repeated it after Him, praying with Him.
At last He said: "Now go to Mrs. X. Telephone your
mother that I have sent you to her as she is sick, to
spend the afternoon with her."
Then He bowed, still grave, and I left Him, the bottle
of rosewater in my hand.

(Footnote. 1947. Years later I was to see the meaning
of this and that I had utterly failed in administering the
"medicine." Mrs. X wouldn't drink it; she said I had put
too much sugar in it. I loved her with a personal love. It
never rose to the heights of an all-forgiving love, and so I
·This Mrs. X is May Maxwell.

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

couldn't overcome that strange vein of cruelty in the
love I think she felt for me. We were still divided when
she died. This was one of my great failures.
Another significant thing: Nine years after that date,
on November 28, 1921, our Beloved Lord ascended.
Could this have been the reason, with His pre-vision,
that He spent that day in 1912 in solitude?)

Within the next day or two, Mrs. X and I were together
in His Presence. "Am I spiritually sick, my Lord?" she
asked. "For I was not physically sick the day you sent
me the rosewater."
"Yes," He answered gently, "you are spiritually sick.
Had you been physically sick I would have sent you a
doctor instead of Juliet."

On November 29, May Maxwell, Dorothea Spinney,
and I were with the Master when Esther Foster came in.
May, Miss Spinney, and I rose.
"All of you may stay," said the Master, "on the condition that Juliet doesn't cry."
I tried so hard after that to squeeze back the tears, but
I couldn't. I wiped them away furtively as they trickled
down one by one.
He kept us with Him an hour. Dorothea Spinney-an
Englishwoman and a Theosophist-spoke of a vision she
had had while meditating. She has seen a great globe of
fire which she seemed to know was "the Center of
Peace."
"I should like to understand thiS," she said. "What,
or Who is the Center of Peace?"
The Master had been writing on a piece of parchment
held in the palm of His hand. He continued to write, not
looking up, leaving Miss Spinney's question in the air.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

And all the time He glowed more and more, like the sun
dispersing clouds, pulsing out with every breath intenser
light.
"Look at His Face," I whispered to Miss Spinney,
"and see the Center of Peace."
By and by He spoke: "Excuse me for writing," He
said, "it was very important. You asked me concerning
visions. Sometimes the thought becomes abstracted,
enters the World of Reality, and there makes
discoveries.' ,
Then He rose and began to pace up and down and
discovered that I was crying.
"Oh my Lord," I cried, in a panic, "what are You going to do with me?"
"I am going to find a Mister for you," He laughed.

Those last meetings in the Kinneys' house. Those
divine talks of the Good Shepherd leaving His flock for a
while: too tender, too sad for the heart to bear. *
One day, however, He was very stem. Holding the
book of the Hidden Words in His hand, walking back
and forth with that step which always makes me think
of the prophecy, "Who is this that cometh from Bozrah,
Who treadeth the wine-press in His fury?" lifting the
Hidden Words high, He said: "Whosoever does not live
up to these Words is not of Me."

Mr. Howard Colby Ives accepted the Cause in those
days. Mrs. Moore accepted. Touched to the core of their
beings they would sit with streaming eyes in the
meetings.

• See Promulgation of Universal Peace, Second Edition, pp. 449-56,
460-61.

'ABDU'L-BAHA WITH THE KINNEY FAMILY
in their home in New York.
MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

At last came the day before He sailed.
"May I stay in some corner of this house all day,/1 I
asked, "that I may breathe the same air with You this
last day?/1
"What does your mother say about it?/I-laughing.
"She said I might./1
"Very well./1
In the afternoon He called me. He kept me in the room
a long, long time, seeing many others while I sat there.
When He had dismissed them all, He came close to me
and took my hand.
"There is a matter,/1 He said, "about which I want
to speak to you. The photographs of the portrait you
painted of Me, you have offered them for the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar. I know your circumstances, Juliet. You
have not complained to Me, you have said nothing, but
I know them. I know your affairs are in confusion, that
you have debts, that you have that house, that you have
to take care of your mother. Now I want you to keep
the money/l (for the photographs) "for yourself. No,
no i do not feel unhappy, /I (as I began to cry) "this is
best. You must do exactly as I say. I will speak about this
myself to the believers. I will tell them," He laughed,
"that it is My command./1
I thanked Him brokenly.
I can see Him now, pacing up and down the room in
front of the line of Persians, who stood with bowed heads
and folded arms in the Glory of His Presence, deeply
aware of its Divineness.
Then Valiyu'lhlh spoke: "Juliet wants to know if You
are pleased with her, or not?/1

'ABDU'L-BAHA IN AMERICA

(I had spoken out my troubled heart to dear
Valiyu'lhlh.J
"I am very much pleased with the love of Juliet,"
answered the Master.
liMy Lord, I pray that my life may please You."
II Inshallah." And that was all!
"And that my services may become acceptable to You.
I know I have not begun to serve You yet."
The Master said nothing.
But that night He healed my broken heart, healed it by
a tone in His voice as He spoke to my mother, which
was the essence of God's tenderness, a tone
unimaginable to those who have only heard the human
voice.
As Mamma approached Him to bid Him good-bye, He
said: Ah, the mother of Juliet; the mother of Julie!"
II

(Mamma's pet name for me. J
"I can't bear to say good-bye," said Mamma.
II In sha1lah , I shall meet you in Akka, Mrs. Thomp-
I

son, and there I shall greet you with 'Welcome!
Welcome!' "
This was on the night of December 4.

He asked me to come to the Emerys' (where He had
been staying for a few daysJ the morning of December 5,
the day of His sailing; and I was there at eight 0' clock.
That last morning. I stood at the door of His room, gazing in, my eyes drinking their fill, if they ever could
drink their fill, of the Divine Figure as He sat, or stood,
or moved about the room.
He called me in twice. The second time He took my
hand. "Remember," He said, "I am with you always.
Baha'u'llah will be with you always."

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

Carrie Kinney was there that morning and Ned, and
Ali-Kuli Khan and Florence, Edna Ballora and her husband, Harriet Magee, Mrs. Parsons, and Mrs. Hannen.
The Master had invited Mamma too, but she had not felt
well enough to go.
"Rest assured," He said when I told Him, "that she
will be healed." And He filled my arms with fruit for
her.
We drove to the boat, then followed Him up to His
cabin. Many believers were crowding the cabin. Later we
all went upstairs and sat in a large room with Him. Very
soon He rose, and, walking up and down, delivered to us
His last spoken message. *
First He described heartbreakingly the war now raging
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 to God to strengthen and bless you. I I

·See Promulgation of Universal Peace, Second Edition, pp. 469-70.

MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

He seated Himself again in a comer of the large cabin,
all the believers flocked around Him. I sat opposite Him
at a little distance, weeping quietly. A great fear had
taken possession of me, a question risen in my mind
which must be answered or I should have no peace-I
should be left in a frantic state. I rose and walked over to
Him and stood before Him.
"My Lord," I said, "each time I have parted from You:
in Haifa, in Europe, You have said You would call me
again to You. Each time You gave me hope that I would
see You again. But this time You gave me no hope.
Won't I see You again, my Lord?"
"This is My hope," He replied.
"But still You don't tell me, my Lord, and it makes
me feel hopeless."
"You must not feel hopeless."
This was all He said to me. It killed me. While I sat,
weighed down with despair and grief, He drew from an
inside pocket the purse Dr. Grant had sent Him last
summer, laid it on His knee and looked at me. To me it
seemed a promise that He Himself would take care of
Percy. And this was the very last.
It was death to leave that ship. I stood on the pier with
May Maxwell, tears blurring 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 patient hand, till the Figure was lost to
sight.

'ABDU'L-BAHA
The last photo taken in America, 1912.
MARCH 25 TO DECEMBER 7, 1912

11947. Because of those blurring tears I could not see
the look on His face, the look of profound agony, as
though He were on the cross, as He bade His immature
children farewell, foreseeing for us so many sorrows, so
many failures, and a world gone to pieces because of our
failures.
This look I have seen ever since in a photograph taken
at that last moment.)

Non: A discrepancy exists in the various manuscripts of Juliet
Thompson's diary concerning the identities of the children from the
East mentioned on page 40.