# Abdu'l-Baha in New York: The City of the Covenant

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Eliane Lacroix-Hopson, Abdu'l-Baha in New York: The City of the Covenant, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá in New York:
> 
> The City of the Covenant
> 
> Eliane Lacroix-Hopson
> Abdu'l-Bahá
> 61 pages
> 
> New York: NewVistaDesign, 1999
> original date
> 
> 1987
> 
> Contents:
> 
> ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
> 
> PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS
> 
> 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ IN NEW YORK: THE CITY OF THE COVENANT
> FOREWORD
> 
> 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ IN THE CITY OF THE COVENANT, 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ'S ARRIVAL, THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1912
> 
> THE CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION AND THE CONTROVERSY THAT FOLLOWED
> 
> ABDU'L-BAHÁ COUNTERS RACIAL SEGREGATION
> 
> THE MASTER RETURNS
> 
> THE LAKE MOHONK PEACE CONFERENCE
> 
> ACTIVITIES CONTINUE UNABATED
> 
> ANOTHER UNIQUE EVENT AT THE CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION
> 
> PAINTING 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ'S PORTRAIT
> 
> THE BAHÁ'Í ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER AND OTHER LESSONS
> 
> THE FILMING OF 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ
> 
> THE CENTER OF THE COVENANT NAMES THE CITY OF THE COVENANT
> 
> THE UNITY FEAST, JUNE 29
> 
> NEW YORK CITY'S POTENTIAL
> 
> 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ'S ENCOUNTERS WITH CHILDREN
> 
> FULL SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES CONTINUES
> 
> THE ONENESS OF HUMANITY
> 
> THE FINAL MONTH
> 
> THE LAST ORDEAL
> 
> THE DAY OF THE COVENANT
> 
> FAREWELL!…
> 
> IN CONCLUSION
> APPENDIX 1
> THE SECOND BAHÁ'Í WORLD CONGRESS, 23-26 November 1992
> APPENDIX 2
> The Ring, the Pin and the Photographs
> Also download as a formatted PDF.
> 
> Revised and Enlarged Edition
> 
> Eliane Lacroix-Hopson
> 
> Copyright 1999 Eliane Lacroix-Hopson
> 
> aka Eliane A. Hopson
> 
> Research and Writing
> 
> Copyright 1987 Eliane A. Hopson
> 
> Cover from a collage
> 
> Copyright 1987 Eliane A. Hopson
> 
> Approved by the
> 
> Literature Review Office
> 
> Bahá'í National Center
> 
> Wilmette IL 60091
> 
> June 2, 1998
> 
> Published by NewVistaDesign ®
> 
> Eliane Lacroix-Hopson
> 
> 708 West 192nd St. #5-N
> 
> New York 10040-2451
> 
> (212) 56707252
> 
> ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
> 
> This Revised and Enlarged Edition:
> 
> Marie Samuel, Production Assistant.
> 
> Author is currently Feature writer for Yachay Wasip 'Simin' (Voice of Yachay Wasi) a
> quarterly, published by Yachay Wasi, Inc. (Quechua: House of Learning), a nonprofit
> Cultural and Educational corp. in New York State and Cuzco, Peru.
> 
> YACHAY WASI is a Civil Society, NGO/DPI United Nations.
> 
> Yachay Wasip 'Simin' is accredited at UN/DPI, UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library, Brooklyn
> Museum of Art "Art Reference Library, and the Bahá'í World Centre Library Collection,
> Haifa, Israel.
> 
> PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS
> 
> All 1912 photographs of 'Abdu'l-Bahá are from Mrs. Asa Cochran's estate, courtesy of the
> Hopson/Samuel family. The picture on p. 50 was taken by renowned Gertrude Käsebier, on
> June 20, 1912.
> 
> Translation of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's handwriting inscription:
> "O Lord, this handmaiden is working in Thy service, make her victorious."
> 
> This comment was addressed to Mrs. Cochran, a New York Bahá'í who had traveled to India
> for the Faith.
> 
> Recent photographs by Michel G. Samuel.
> 
> Al Burley's photographs, in the 1987 edition of this book, were shot in 1972. Life, lands-cape
> and traffic have changed since then.
> 
> 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ IN NEW YORK: THE CITY OF THE COVENANT
> 
> FOREWORD
> 
> Priceless eyewitness accounts, written records of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's addresses, and
> newspapers as well as magazine articles published in a number of volumes constitute a
> thorough chronicle of the Master's 1912 travels to and through the United States and
> Canada. The 1987 contribution to the existing body of work was in answer to the wish of the
> Spiritual Assembly of the City of New York that tablets addressed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to this
> community which appeared in a 1932 book entitled 'Abdu'l-Bahá In New York, long out of
> print, may be published in observance of the 75th Anniversary of His visit.
> 
> Authenticated by Shoghi Effendi's letter reprinted in this 1932 book, these tablets do not
> appear elsewhere, dates and circumstances surrounding their utterance are not known.
> They, and the historic events which took place in New York on June 19, 1912, are the basis of
> New York's distinguished title of "The City of the Covenant."
> 
> The meaning of this title is not generally understood. The present book, focusing on the
> chronology of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visits in the city and using some material as yet unpublished in
> this country, attempts to provide a practical frame of reference for study.
> 
> The Master did not "tour" the country, He deliberately chose New York as the hub of His
> travels as He pointed out: "I have always returned to New York, because I wished New York
> to advance greatly…" Consequently, 'Abdu'l-Bahá's stay in New York City was the longest in
> one place: 85 days out of 239 in the country. The length of this sojourn and the demanding
> schedule that He engaged in while in the city are further evidence of the attention the Master
> bestowed on this community.
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá found the New York of 1912 to be a place of tolerance by comparison with
> other racially segregated societies and planned the first Bahá'í interracial marriage to take
> place here. This was an event of great significance at the time, confirming the Master's
> statement that interracial marriages are "a service to humanity."
> 
> New York City welcomed 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Religious congregations, peace societies, and
> universities vied to invite Him. Bahá'ís and others alike, attracted by His love and wisdom,
> followed the Master from place to place.
> 
> The chronology of the visit of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to New York and the United States is primarily
> based on two sources: The Diary of Mahmud of Zarkan * and The Diary of Juliet Thompson,
> from the 1947 version annotated by Miss Thompson.**
> 
> Mahmud was one of the Persian secretaries who accompanied 'Abdu'l-Bahá in His travels
> to the West.
> 
> Juliet Thompson, one of the early New York City Bahá'ís, was a renowned portrait painter.
> Her obituary, published in the New York Times, mentions that she "painted the portrait of
> President Woodrow Wilson and his Cabinet," among other celebrities. In 1909 Miss
> Thompson spent two months in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's household in the Holy Land and was
> privileged to be called by Him "the sister" of His own daughter. In 1911, she was called to
> meet the Master in Switzerland and she was almost every day at His home in New York.
> 
> Juliet Thompson's diary stands out as a phenomenon, unique in the history of religion. In
> this candid and vibrant testimony, we experience the vicissitudes of a passionate and sincere
> woman's spiritual experience. Juliet as a painter and a writer brings to life in perceptive
> details the scenes surrounding 'Abdu'l-Bahá and succeeds in making us feel the reality of the
> extraordinary spiritual power of One Whom Bahá'u'lláh hailed as "The Mystery of God."
> 
> Additional information is from Portals to Freedom, a memoir written by Howard Colby
> Ives. Reverend Ives was a Unitarian minister from New Jersey who had heard of the Bahá'í
> Faith at a time of spiritual searching. He had approached 'Abdu'l-Bahá on the first day of His
> arrival and was with Him as often as he could be, frequently following Him in His travels. He
> became a Bahá'í before the end of the Master's sojourn in the United States and dedicated
> the rest of his life to service to the Faith. Portals to Freedom is a recollection of Howard
> Colby Ives' traumatic experience with the Master, written in 1936 when he was ailing and
> almost blind.
> 
> Other sources are listed in the notes and in the Selected Bibliography.
> 
> This Revised and Enlarged Edition includes additional historical material from the 1987
> Research Transcript which had been edited for budget reason at the time but is necessary to
> complete the chronicle of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's ministry in The City of the Covenant.
> 
> * Typescript copy, Archives of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the City of New York.
> 
> ** From the estate of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Kinney, courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Kinney.
> 
> INTRODUCTION
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá was the eldest Son of Bahá'u'lláh, the Prophet Founder of the Bahá'í Faith.
> His claimed station was the "Servant of Bahá," a Servant of His Father's Cause, a divine
> revelation from God which initiated a new age in the evolution of humankind.
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh designated 'Abdu'l-Bahá "The Center of His Covenant" and called Him "The
> Master," a title which was also respectfully used by the followers of the Faith in the United
> States when referring to 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh and His family were dispossessed of their ancestral properties and exiled from
> Persia in 1853, when 'Abdu'l-Bahá was a child nine years old. They remained prisoners of the
> Ottoman Empire in Akka (Akko or Acre, in today Israel) until the Young Turks' Rebellion of
> 1908 freed 'Abdu'l-Bahá and His family from prison.
> 
> After a period of rest, 'Abdu'l-Bahá decided to travel to the West to spread the message of
> Bahá'u'lláh. The Western Bahá'ís had been pleading with the Master to visit America.
> 
> An American Bahá'í, visiting 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Palestine wrote excitedly to a friend in
> August 29, 1910: "I have a very big piece of news to tell you. 'Abdu'l-Bahá has left this Holy
> Spot for the first time in forty-two years and has gone to Egypt." The day of His departure
> He had visited the pilgrims (other visitors) as usual; they did not suspect that it was a goodbye
> visit.
> 
> In 1911, 'Abdu'l-Bahá made His first historic trip to Europe, then He returned to Egypt, in
> Ramleh, a suburb of Alexandria, until the spring of 1912. On March 25, the Master and His
> retinue boarded the S.S. Cedric in Alexandria, heading for the United States. The American
> Bahá'ís had sent thousands of dollars for His journey, urging Him to leave the Cedric in Italy
> and travel to England to sail on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. But the Master returned
> the money for charity and continued His voyage on the Cedric.
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá's entourage was an unusual mixture of Easterners and Westerners. The
> Master usually wore a long robe, white or light tan, a dark aba (overcoat) and a white
> turbaned headdress on His flowing, silky white hair. The Persians in His entourage wore
> Western clothing and the red fez. At Naples, a few Americans and an English believer, Miss
> Louisa Mathew, joined the traveling party for the rest of the trip.
> 
> At the table, "the intermingling and assembling together of the Easterners and the
> Westerners attracted the eyes," wrote Mahmud. It also caused misunderstanding and
> distrust due to the war between Turkey and Italy at the time. However, during the voyage,
> the officers of the ship asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá to address a public meeting which they arranged
> in the lounge. Among the large number of people attending were the consuls of Russia and
> Italy, who conversed regularly with the Master afterwards.
> 
> Twenty five years later, a woman who as a child had traveled on the Cedric told a Bahá'í
> that she had never forgotten her personal encounter with the Master. "A glance that burned"
> into her soul and frightened her, lest she had displeased Him, and the kindly smile which
> released her "from terror." She recalled that everyone had remarked about "His majestic
> bearing, His kingly walk, and above all the strange white light that followed Him
> everywhere."
> 
> 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ IN THE CITY OF THE COVENANT
> 
> 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ'S ARRIVAL, THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1912
> 
> The momentous arrival of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in New York City occurred on the morning of
> April 11, 1912. On the tugboat that met the ship bringing 'Abdu'l-Bahá and His entourage to
> this country were newspaper reporters, among them Wendell Phillips Dodge of the New
> York City News Association. Mr. Dodge gives an account of the appearance and remarks of
> the Master:
> 
> "His face was light itself… He is a man of medium height, though at first sight he seemed
> to be taller… As he paced the deck, talking to reporters, he appeared alert and active in
> every movement, his head thrown back and splendidly poised upon his broad shoulders
> most of the time… When the ship was abreast the Statue of Liberty, standing erect and
> facing it, 'Abdu'l-Bahá held his arms wide apart in salutation and said, 'There is the New
> World's symbol of liberty and freedom. After being forty years a prisoner, I can tell you
> freedom is not a matter of place. It is a condition… When one is released from the prison of
> self, that is indeed a release.'… Going up the river, gazing in a look of bewildered
> amazement… at the downtown skyscrapers, the "Wise Man out of the East" remarked:
> "There are the minarets of the Western world's commerce and industry.' "
> 
> Dodge stated: " 'Abdu'l-Bahá comes on a mission of international peace, to attend the
> Peace Conference at Lake Mohonk and to address various peace meetings, educational
> societies, religious organizations, etc…"
> 
> Wendell Phillips Dodge's lengthy article was distributed around the world by the
> Associated Press and more than a dozen other newspaper accounts appeared in and around
> the city.
> 
> By the time the S.S. Cedric docked, a crowd of Bahá'ís had been waiting for hours, eager
> to meet 'Abdu'l-Bahá. However, one of the American believers, Mr. Edward Kinney* was
> called forth to board the ship, and he returned with a message from the Master that He
> would meet the friends at the home of Mr. Kinney at four o'clock.
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá and His entourage were driven from the ship to the Hotel Ansonia, Broadway
> and 73rd Street, His headquarters for the next nine days of incredibly intense activities. After
> resting and having a cup of tea, He was taken to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Kinney,
> where hundreds of Bahá'ís had gathered. "Almost everyone was weeping just at the sight of
> Him." The Master addressed a warm welcome to all, then had a few words with each one.
> 
> *Mr. and Mrs. Edward and Carrie Kinney, their two children, Juliet Thompson and a friend had been
> on an eight-month pilgrimage in Akka in 1909 and had offered their home to the Master. "They spared
> neither time nor effort or money to have everything as well arranged for 'Abdu'l-Bahá as possible
> during His sojourn in New York City." Shoghi Effendi called Mr. and Mrs. Kinney "Pillars of the Faith
> in the City of the Covenant" and "Pillars of the Cause of God."
> Bahá'í World XII, pp. 678-9; XIII, p.865.
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke a little English and it was often apparent that He understood it well. He
> addressed his audiences in the Persian language (Farsi), each sentence followed by a
> translation. His retinue of Persian friends were learned translators and secretaries. People
> commented that the translation did not seem necessary at times as they felt the meaning of
> His words through the power of "His flashing eyes," His gestures and His warm, smiling
> countenance.
> 
> The next day, April 12, set the pattern for all His days - that of a continuous flow of
> activities. In the mornings, people streamed in line at the Ansonia to meet Him, each one
> receiving a measure of His love. As recalled by Reverend Howard Colby Ives, the experience
> was dramatic: "Life has never been quite the same since."
> 
> In the afternoon, 'Abdu'l-Bahá traveled to Brooklyn, to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Howard
> MacNutt, where He addressed an audience in the hundreds. Back in Manhattan in the
> evening He spoke to hundreds of people in the studio of Miss Phillips. "The enormous room
> was packed," confirmed Juliet.
> 
> The following morning, as all mornings to come, was spent with an endless flow of visitors.
> Among the clergymen present was Reverend J.T. Bixby, a Unitarian minister who was
> writing an article on the Bahá'í Faith for the North American Review.
> 
> Rev. Bixby is described as self-important and verbose to the embarrassment of every- one
> present. At last, 'Abdu'l-Bahá led him to the door and laughing, took a large bunch of red
> roses and laid them in the arms of the surprised visitor, now humbly bowing, to everyone's
> mirth.
> 
> During the afternoon of this April 13, 'Abdu'l-Bahá addressed a large assembled group at
> the elegant home of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander and Marjorie Morten, celebrated patrons of the
> arts. The Master spoke of "the Season of Creation and the evolution of the Spiritual
> Springtime" when the translator experienced a blank… dead silence…'Abdu'l-Bahá,
> laughing, supplied the missing word: "Summer!" A ripple of delight went through the
> sophisticated audience which was captured by this moment of warm humanity.
> 
> THE CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION AND
> 
> THE CONTROVERSY THAT FOLLOWED
> 
> The visit of 'Abdu'l-Bahá on Sunday, April 14, to the Church of the Ascension, Fifth Avenue
> and 10th Street, was an historic day of triumph for the Bahá'ís of New York City, and
> particularly for Juliet Thompson who was a parishioner of the church. The Church Rector,
> Dr. Percy Stickney Grant, a personal friend of Juliet, had been persistently hostile toward
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá and the Faith, but in a change of mind had offered his church for the first
> official appearance of the Master in New York. 'Abdu'l-Bahá accepted the offer above
> thirteen similar invitations.
> 
> Dr. Grant was a brilliant but opinionated Christian clergyman who, during 'Abdu'l-Bahá's
> sojourn, was torn between conflicting allegiances. He was touched by the Master's love and
> majesty, and deeply moved by the momentous sense of history conveyed by His personality
> and mission. For 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visit he had spared neither publicity nor preparation. He
> had reached "perfection," wrote Juliet, in the decoration and organization of the service: the
> summit of pomp and circumstance.
> 
> Dr. Grant opened the service with the reading of prophecies pointing to Bahá'u'lláh and of
> the 13th Chapter of Corinthians, instead of the traditional lesson for the day. 'Abdu'l- Bahá
> was waiting in the vestry. Then, in the thunder of organ music and the triumphant singing
> of "Jesus Lives," the Master entered the chancel in a kingly manner, Dr. Grant holding His
> hand, leading Him to the Bishop's Chair. In front of a throng of two thousand, Dr. Grant
> introduced with the greatest respect and emotion the One he had previously fiercely
> denounced from his pulpit. He spoke from the chancel, then stepped aside as 'Abdu'l-Bahá
> replaced him in the same honored place.
> 
> We can imagine this unforgettable scene for those Bahá'ís present: 'Abdu'l-Bahá standing
> in His white, flowing robes, surrounded by a lavish profusion of lights and calla lilies, His
> turbaned head haloed by the rays of the sun filtering through the colored windows,
> dominating all with simple, majestic dignity, His arms outstretched.
> 
> His vibrating, melodious voice started: "In his scriptural lesson this morning the revered
> Doctor read a verse from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, 'For now we see through a
> glass darkly, but then face to face.' The light of truth has heretofore been seen dimly through
> variegated glasses, but now the splendors of divinity shall be visible through the translucent
> mirrors of pure hearts and spirits." And the Master went on to extol the mission of Jesus and
> Bahá'u'lláh, establishing a divine civilization and world peace.
> 
> When He ended His address, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was asked by Dr. Grant to give the benediction.
> His face uplifted, His eyes closed, the palms of His hands in offering to God, 'Abdu'l-Bahá
> chanted a prayer, the clergymen kneeling on each side of Him.
> 
> "…Too great to put into words, it was almost too great to bear…" wrote Juliet in
> exaltation. She was probably echoing the feelings of the Bahá'í friends on that day. After the
> service, the Master went to His car, while the neighborhood resounded with cries of
> "Alláh'u'Abhá" from the believers. Mr. Grant's mother, a friend of the Bahá'ís, ran to the
> Master, crying for joy at His knees.
> 
> In the afternoon, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke at the Union Meeting of Advanced Thought Center at
> the Carnegie Lyceum (now Carnegie Hall.)
> 
> The following day witnessed a controversy, the result of the Master having been seated in
> the Bishop's Chair in the Church of the Ascension and addressing the congregation from the
> chancel: An Episcopalian Canon had been broken! Newspapers took sides and were not
> quieted until the Bishop himself went to the Ansonia to visit 'Abdu'l-Bahá and thanked Him
> for honoring the Church with His visit. The Master replied with talk of "the injuriousness of
> dogmas and imitations."
> 
> To Dr. Grant, He sent the message, "Say: I will not forget the services thou hast rendered
> yesterday. They are engraved in the book of My heart…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 will never forget the love which was manifested yesterday."
> 
> It was on the same day, April 15, according to the biographers of the renowned and
> celebrated Lebanese poet and painter, Kahlil Gibran, that a beautiful pencil portrait of
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá was drawn by Mr. Gibran. This portrait was done as part of a series of
> drawings of well-known personalities and artists most respected by Gibran, including
> Auguste Rodin and Claude Debussy, among others. The series appeared in major exhibits in
> New York and Paris, and was acclaimed to be the best work of Gibran, who acknowledged
> drawing to be his favorite medium.
> 
> In "Juliet Remembers Gibran," the Bahá'í writer Marzieh Gail, recalls a 1943 conversation
> with Juliet about Kahlil Gibran, who lived in a studio across the street from her home. They
> were close friends, and Gibran loved 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He was inspired to write "Jesus, the Son
> of Man" from his recollection of the Master. Gibran had asked Juliet to request the Master to
> sit for him. He was accorded one hour at 6:30 in the morning. Gibran's biographers place
> this event on April 15, the day of the sinking of the Titanic.* Writer Barbara Young, in "The
> Man from Lebanon," mentions that this event took place in the studio of the artist. However,
> it is likely that at this early hour it was in the Master's suite at the Ansonia Hotel. (8
> 
> News of the sinking of the luxury liner, the Titanic, on her maiden voyage, was announced
> in the newspapers April 16. After praying for the deceased, the friends offered thanks that
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá had not traveled on that ship. This day was filled with the usual flow of
> morning visitors, a public meeting in the afternoon at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur
> Dodge, and in the evening, the Master addressed friends who had come from New jersey to
> visit Him at the Ansonia.
> 
> Commenting to Mr. MacNutt upon the newspaper accounts of the sinking of the Titanic,
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá reflected on the fact that material achievements of technology and wealth are
> in vain unless man builds a spiritual civilization in his own heart. "…I wish you to live in
> the world of the Spirit… beyond the gloomy mask of this mortal existence…" After a long
> pause, the Master said: "I was asked to sail upon the Titanic, but my heart did not prompt
> Me to do so." **
> 
> * "Kahlil Gibran: His Life and World". K. Gibran had moved from Boston to New York as a protégé of
> arts patrons Marjorie and Alexander Morten, identified as Bahá'ís and active pacifists. A dozen
> references describe their activities in this book, more particularly on pp. 273, 387-8. The portrait of the
> Master is reproduced on p.288.
> 
> **Star of the West, Vol.3, p.210.
> 
> ABDU'L-BAHÁ COUNTERS RACIAL SEGREGATION
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá deplored the racial segregation prevalent in the United States and He
> "strongly urged the friends to associate with each other in the utmost joy and happiness."
> He called for such a gathering, and it took place Wednesday, April 17, at the home of Mr.
> and Mrs. Kinney, where Bahá'ís and their friends of both the black and white races met in
> unity. He prepared and served the meal Himself, speaking of the human family as "a garden
> of flowers of various hues." The Master was most happy and the spirit of the friends was
> high. It was felt that this was a landmark in the city. This memorable event was followed by
> a public address at the hotel.
> 
> While pouring out love to everyone, expounding on the Teachings of the Faith, and
> traveling from place to place in the city, 'Abdu'l-Bahá's humaneness was always apparent.
> He often showed His emotions, He laughed, He wept. During a talk at the home of Mr. and
> Mrs. Marshall L. Emery, He was so anguished in His recollection of the sufferings of
> Bahá'u'lláh that the entire audience was moved to tears.
> 
> Friday, April 19 was a very busy day for the Master and the friends.
> 
> In the early afternoon, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had been invited to attend a play at the Little Theater,
> "The Terrible Meek," depicting the Crucifixion of Christ, and the Master said to have wept
> along with the audience.
> 
> At 5 pm, at Earl Hall, Columbia University, professors, scholars, students and others heard
> Him speak on "religion, science and universal peace." He was invited to visit the various
> departments of the University, but He had to decline for lack of time. This was followed by a
> return to the Ansonia, where He was met, as usual, by a crowd of waiting people. Among
> them was Kate Carew, a reporter for The New York Tribune. [See article bahai-library.com/carew_tribune_abdul-baha.]
> 
> We have an excellent description of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in a feature article Miss Carew wrote in
> which she depicted Him as being of "scarcely medium height, but so extraordinary in the
> dignity of his majestic carriage that he seemed of more than average height." She appeared
> not only totally bewildered by the diversity of the crowd but also impressed by the
> personality of the Master and His warm response to each visitor. 'Abdu'l-Bahá invited Miss
> Carew to accompany Him and a few others to His next engagement at the Bowery.
> 
> The unusual and moving event at the Bowery Mission was the confirmation of several
> weeks of Juliet's teaching and dedication. She had spoken about the Faith and the life of
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá to the derelicts, and in turn, they invited the Master to speak to them. 'Abdu'l-
> Bahá had previously given $500 to Juliet and to Mr. Edward Getsinger for them to change
> into two large bags of silver quarters. After a loving talk to about 400 men, the Master stood
> at the door waiting for them to file by. He looked ahead appraising each man, then pressed
> some coins into his hand. One of them, John Good, a former criminal who had reformed
> since Juliet befriended him, declared that the Master had justly appraised each man's need
> and had given accordingly.
> 
> Returning to the hotel by taxi, the Master was amused by the glittering of Broadway 's
> electric signs, and was reminded that Bahá'u'lláh loved light, recommending that His
> household economize on everything except light.
> 
> At the Ansonia, the Master emptied the remaining coins into a maid's apron, who, upon
> learning of the Bowery event, promised that she would also give this money to the poor. She
> wanted to say goodbye to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, crying that she had been blessed to serve Him, and
> asked for prayers.
> 
> The Master had invited the friends for a late supper in His suite. Recalling the
> performance of "The Terrible Meek" which He had attended early in the day, He said the
> play depicting the Crucifixion of Christ, should have been more complete. The Master then,
> told of the life and suffering of Jesus, in so detailed and vivid terms, that He seemed to relive
> events of "remembered anguish." He also commented on the power of the theater which
> could influence human feelings in reviving an event which took place 2000 years ago.
> 
> Of the mornings at the hotel, Juliet Thompson wrote: "Oh, those mornings at the Ansonia
> in the Master's white sunny rooms, filled with spring flowers and roses! People poured in to
> see Him in droves, sometimes a hundred and fifty in one morning! Exhausted, He received
> the late arrivals in bed…I would watch them go into His bedroom and come out changed, as
> though they had had a bath of Life." Charles Rand Kennedy, author of "The Terrible Meek,"
> was there one morning, and deeply moved said: "I was in the presence of God."
> 
> On April 20, 'Abdu'l-Bahá left for Washington as the first stop of a three-week tour of
> Bahá'í communities. In Washington, journalists wrote that 'Abdu'l-Bahá swept through the
> Capitol, the Supreme Court, and the Congress "saw fit to adjourn."
> 
> A number of Washington Bahá'ís belonged to the highest strata of society. Receptions
> organized for 'Abdu'l-Bahá included the elite of government, diplomatic and academic
> circles. The Master addressed a large interracial gathering at Howard University and
> expressed happiness, but He sternly commented to His entourage about the evidence of
> racial prejudice He had witnessed. He related that He had ordered interracial meetings. "The
> attendance was very large, the colored people predominating. At our second gathering this
> was reversed, but at the third meeting, We were unable to say which color predominated.
> These meetings were a great practical lesson upon the unity of colors and races in the Bahá'í
> Teachings."
> 
> THE MASTER RETURNS
> 
> Saturday, May 11, returning from a trip which included, on May 1st, the official laying of
> the cornerstone of the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, 'Abdu'l-Bahá moved to
> a top floor apartment in the Hudson Apartment House. To those joyously gathered around
> Him, He said: "It is only three weeks that we have been away from the New York friends, yet
> so great has been the longing to see you that it seems three months."
> 
> On Sunday, though still tired, 'Abdu'l-Bahá went to the Unity Church in Montclair, New
> Jersey. The minister, Dr. Edgard Wiers, had invited the Master and now introduced Him
> with great respect and emotion "as One of the Great Prophets, Chosen Ones of God."
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke on the Oneness of God and Creation, and ended chanting a prayer. A
> deeply moved audience followed Him to the street, all eyes brimming with tears of joy.
> After an afternoon shared with a group of friends, the Master returned to New York to
> address the International Peace Forum at the Grace Methodist Church. This was another
> triumph as the large attendance gave a standing ovation at the end of a major talk on the
> Bahá'í Teachings and history, and the establishment of the Most Great Peace.
> 
> On May 13th, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was to appear as the guest of honor at a meeting of the New
> York Peace Society held at the Hotel Astor. The Master was sick in bed with a high
> temperature, Juliet pleaded for Him to rest. "I work by the confirmation of the Holy Spirit. I
> do not work by hygienic laws. If I did, I would get nothing done," He laughed.
> 
> The peace meeting was an impressive gathering of two thousand people. On the dais was a
> group of leading personalities of the time: Rabbi Stephen Wise, president; Mr. Short (a
> friend of philanthropist Andrew Carnegie); Mrs. A. G. Spencer of the Ethical Society; Dr.
> Percy Grant; Professor William Jackson of Columbia University, and Mr. Topakyan, Persian
> Consul General. They all made introductory remarks. Mr. Topakyan said: "Our guest of
> honor has stood as a Prophet of enlightenment and peace for the Persian Empire, and a wellwisher
> of Persia may well honor Him…In closing, I am happy to say that 'Abdu'l-Bahá is the
> Glory of Persia today." This was not the only laudatory remark; they all vied to express their
> reverent admiration, recognizing the spiritual leadership of this "Great Figure from the
> East."
> 
> Though the Master was visibly tired and His voice was hoarse, He delivered a unique
> speech on the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh for the age and on the establishment of peace. The
> response of the audience was such that Mahmud was ecstatic: "Verily, no desire remained
> unfulfilled to us, the servants of the Covenant. We saw with our own eyes the victory and
> confirmation of the Kingdom of Abhá." After the meeting, the audience pressed to come
> near to the Master, "He shook hands with…everyone of those two thousand people!" wrote
> Juliet.
> 
> Later, back at the Hudson Apartments, a group of Japanese and Indian people were
> waiting for Him. The Master welcomed them and spoke on the civilization of India and the
> divine civilization.
> 
> THE LAKE MOHONK PEACE CONFERENCE
> 
> Juliet Thompson had previously introduced the Faith to Mr. Khan Bahadur Alláh-Bakhsh,
> the Governor of Lahore. On the morning of May 14th, this gentleman came to meet 'Abdu'l-
> Bahá who, warmly, welcomed him. The Governor sent a letter to Juliet stating: "'Abdu'l-Bahá
> is the Divine Light of today."
> 
> On the same day, the Master traveled to Lake Mohonk, New York, for three days at the
> National Conference on Peace and International Arbitration.
> 
> In 1911, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had exchanged correspondence with Mr. Albert Smiley, Founder and
> President of the Conference. As a result, He had been invited to be the featured speaker at
> the 18th Annual Conference and the Master had scheduled His visit to the United States to
> include this important event.
> 
> These Conferences were attended by prominent people of New York, Washington DC, and
> other cities and countries. 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke on the first day on "The Oneness of the
> Reality of Humankind." Many in attendance were impressed and came on the platform to
> thank Him, some embracing Him with emotion.
> 
> The Master also gave two general addresses on the teachings of the Faith and many
> private talks. His main address and commentaries were featured in the Conference report
> and two of His speeches were published in New York newspapers.
> 
> On the last evening, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had expressed regrets that He should have brought a
> Persian rug as a gift for Mr. Smiley. Dr. Zia Bagdadi took the challenge of going to the New
> York apartment to fetch the rug during the night, and to be back in time before the planned
> departure. After an epic trip by various cars and trains, Dr. Bagdadi arrived in the mailman's
> horse wagon when the Master was leaving, shaking hands with Mr. Smiley. Receiving the
> rug, this gentleman exclaimed that this rug was similar to one destroyed in a fire and his
> wife, still heart broken over the loss, will be very happy.
> 
> Although 'Abdu'l-Bahá greatly enjoyed the beautiful scenery, and the comfortable and
> quiet setting of Lake Mohonk, He was glad to come back to New York. He loved the
> Riverside Park area. He had selected a secluded spot there where He liked to go daily and
> walk by Himself or "sleep on the grass" a few minutes to rest. "When I am alone, exhaustion
> is removed and I am relaxed," He said. Sometimes, He allowed the friends to go with Him to
> this "hallowed spot," "His Garden," as the friends named the place and a recurring name in
> Juliet's and Mahmud's diaries.
> 
> ACTIVITIES CONTINUE UNABATED
> 
> On Sunday, May 19, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke at the Church of the Divine Paternity on Central
> Park West. The church's Byzantine architecture seemed a natural frame for the Master who
> was often referred to as "the Patriarch of the East" because of His Eastern robes and
> headdress. The people attending were touched by the beauty of the scene as well as
> captivated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá's address on progressive revelation and the Teachings of
> Bahá'u'lláh. Miss Thompson was astonished to see a man she knew as a staunch atheist who
> looked as captivated as the rest of the audience. This person went regularly to visit the
> Master at His home afterward.
> 
> In the afternoon, 'Abdu'l-Bahá went to Jersey City to speak at the Brotherhood Church
> where Dr. Howard Colby Ives was the unsalaried Pastor. Reverend Ives ended his
> introduction with these words: "My friends, the Kingdom of God is at hand, and I call upon
> you to recognize it! I call upon you to spread the news on every side!"
> 
> On Monday, at a Woman's Suffrage meeting at the Metropolitan Temple, the Master's
> topic was education and the rights of women. He brought in stories about some of the great
> women in history, including Mary Magdalene. A flow of emotion stirred some of the
> audience to tears.
> 
> The following day, Tuesday, May 21, "the fashionable world," including artists and writers,
> met 'Abdu'l-Bahá at a reception given in His honor by Mrs.Tatum, a devoted Bahá'í and a
> socialite. In His address to the large group, He spoke of His years in prison and the contrast
> of being there in this friendly home, associating with such personalities. "Think of it. Two
> Kings* were dethroned in order that I might be freed. This is naught but pure destiny, and
> now, you here in America must work with me for the peace of the world and the oneness of
> mankind."
> 
> Dr. Percy Grant was in the audience and the following day said to Mr. MacNutt: "As I
> listened, I realized profoundly that this was an 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." Dr. Grant then extended an invitation for the Master
> to come back to the Church of the Ascension, to the People's Forum on June 2.
> 
> * Sultan 'Abdu'l-Hamid of Turkey and Shah Mussaffarid-Din of Persia.
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá spent four days in Boston, then, returned to New York on May 26. After a
> brief rest at the home of the Kinneys, although still very tired, He proceeded to Mount
> Morris Baptist Church (now Mount Moriah) where He was scheduled to address the
> congregation. Juliet Thompson wrote: "This church suggests an old synagogue and the
> Master looked Christ-like to the friends." This spiritual feeling is described by Mahmud:
> "'Abdu'l-Bahá was standing under the arch of the church and reclining exhausted against
> the pillar… That night all saw with their outward eyes the effect of the Holy Ghost. Let no
> one think that it is only word painting. Yes, the tongues and feelings of all present bear a
> testimony to it. I write this because it is my duty to record it… all the non-Bahá'ís looked
> upon the Beauty of the Covenant as a Prophet."
> 
> As the landlord at the Hudson Apartments complained about the excessive number of
> visitors and that his staff could not cope with the extra labor and problems, the Master
> decided to rent a house. In the meantime, He stayed for a few days at the Kinney's home,
> then moved at the end of May to a house owned by Mr. Champney, 309 West 78th Street.
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá received a continuing flow of invitations from churches, educational
> organizations and other groups. In the evening of May 28, He was the main speaker at a
> peace forum held at the Metropolitan Temple. This was a major reception attended by
> leading personalities and more than a thousand people. The Master was introduced as "the
> representative of the International Peace Movement…promoting the unity of all nations as
> the need of this age…" Author Frederick Lynch made the welcoming address. He said to
> have followed the Master to several places, and expressed his feelings with emotion: "In
> Mohonk, 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave the most remarkable address, expressing the highest principles
> of His teachings… How I welcome this great man whose presence has inspired and attracted
> the minds of Americans. He receives inspiration from the breaths of the Holy Spirit. His
> spirit is infinite, unlimited and eternal. I am happy… to be given the opportunity to express
> publicly my innermost testimony."
> 
> The Master spoke on the Oneness of God and unity of His Prophets as the source of the
> oneness of mankind and peace. Rabbi Silverman, previously hostile to the Faith, was visibly
> moved and responded to 'Abdu'l-Bahá's words with high praise: "We have seen today the
> light with our own eyes… The spiritual lights have always shone from the East upon the
> West. The world is in need of these lights…The fountainhead of these lights has today
> spoken before us… His love and teachings have captivated the hearts of the Americans."
> "This change of mind is the greatest proof of the majesty and the power of the Covenant of
> God," commented Mahmud.
> 
> Two evenings later, 'Abdu'l-Bahá addressed an audience at the Theosophical Lodge on the
> evolution of the spirit through the realms of creation. Also He spoke at New York University
> on science and divine philosophy.
> 
> On Friday, May 31, the Master was welcomed by friends in Fanwood, New Jersey, where He
> gave talks at two places and at the Town Hall. He returned to New York the following day
> and met with the large number of people, both friends and seekers who were, as usual,
> waiting for Him.
> 
> ANOTHER UNIQUE EVENT AT THE CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION
> 
> On the evening of Sunday, June 2, as previously invited by Dr. Grant, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was the
> guest speaker at a People's Forum at the Church of the Ascension. These meetings were less
> formal and the participants were invited to ask questions.
> 
> The Master gave a powerful talk on the requested topic: "What can the Orient bring to the
> Occident?" Juliet recalled that the previous year, Dr. Grant had preached on the same topic
> in negative terms toward the Faith. Now beautiful words were praising Christ and the Law of
> God, represented by the firmness of Peter and the Church as a collective center for
> humanity. In our time, this same collective center, it was pointed out, is the revelation of
> Bahá'u'lláh and a civilization of peace.
> 
> Dr. Grant, visibly shaken, praised the Master and fielded questions from the large
> audience while 'Abdu'l-Bahá responded warmly. Seated at the center of the chancel, He
> enjoyed the exchange. At ease, "He pushed back His turban and smiled as He answered,
> often very wittily."
> 
> Mahmud marveled at witnessing the respectful audience, the sight of which "no written
> words can describe." Afterward, the Master confided that arriving at the church, He hadn't
> felt well enough to speak, "…but when I stood before this gathering I found the atmosphere
> of the church full of the Holy Spirit and a state of wonderful happiness and joy came upon
> Me."
> 
> On going to the Master's home the next morning, Juliet found Him in the street near "His
> Garden," with a group of friends whom He was anointing with attar of rose. Then He
> welcomed a young man who turned out to be Walter Hampden, the actor playing the part of
> Jesus in a play. Mr. Hampden, afterward, came every day to visit.
> 
> Later on that day, upon having been invited, 'Abdu'l- Bahá traveled to the estate of an
> unidentified U.S. Cabinet member, where He spent the night. A social gathering was held,
> attended by notables and national statesmen, who were respectfully attentive to the Master's
> utterances. One gentleman inquired about the possibility of international war. 'Abdu'l-Bahá
> spoke of this event as likely: "Great ravages will take place in Europe. Great empires will
> crumble and will become petty states."
> 
> The following day, before leaving the estate, the Master called the servants, and thanking
> them distributed a gift of money to each one of them. Back home, He found the many
> friends waiting for Him and spoke at length to them.
> 
> The Master's whirlwind activities continued and the fifth of June saw Him in Brooklyn. He
> first attended a children's affair sponsored by the Union League Club of Brooklyn. A
> luncheon was served for civic leaders and guests which included Admiral Peary, the explorer
> of the North Pole as featured speaker. He had met 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Washington and
> expressing his admiration for Him, requested a talk. The Master spoke on education. Then,
> in the evening, He went and spoke at a meeting of the Women's Union.
> 
> On June 8, although exhausted, 'Abdu'l-Bahá went to Philadelphia at the invitation of
> several churches. He came back to New York two days later, refreshed by the love of the
> friends and the enthusiastic response of the congregations He had visited in Pennsylvania.
> 
> PAINTING 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ'S PORTRAIT
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá had expressed a desire for Juliet to paint His portrait and he requested that
> she come to His home on June 1st, at 7:30 in the morning, to begin work on it. She was given
> three sittings: the first one on that day, the final two about two weeks later.
> 
> "I went into a panic," she confessed. The light and the location in the basement were poor,
> and "how could I paint the Face of God?" "I want you," He said, "to paint my servitude to
> God." "Oh. my Lord," she cried, "only the Holy Spirit could paint Your servitude to God…
> Pray for me!" "I will pray," answered the Master, "and as you are doing this only for the sake
> of God, you will be inspired." "And then, an amazing thing happened. All fear went away
> from me. I painted in ecstasy, free as I have never been before."
> 
> THE BAHÁ'Í ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER AND OTHER LESSONS
> 
> On June 11, after morning prayers and tea, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke to the assembled friends
> about the role of the future House of Justice which will ensure the continuity of the Faith.
> Later that day, He gave two talks at His home and received the usual stream of visitors. Juliet
> noticed how tired He looked, still talking to all: "It was pure sacrifice!"
> 
> That very night at the home of the Kinneys, there was a Board of Council* meeting. The
> Master came and "striding up and down like a king, He explained the meaning of Bahá'í
> Assemblies to the friends, inspiring them to become 'telegraphic stations…one of the wires
> attached to the souls, the other fixed in the Supreme Concourse.' "
> 
> During the next two days, June 12 and 13, Juliet went early in the morning to the beloved
> house to work on her painting. The flow of visitors made it a bewildering experience: "So
> wonderful…so humanly difficult…from room to room, one kind of light to another." She
> had one sitting on the 13th, and actually this was the third half-hour promised by the Master.
> Each time the "miraculous thing" happened and she worked "in rapture." The painting was
> practically finished, afterward whenever she tried to go back for more detail something
> always seemed to interfere.
> 
> *These "Boards of Council" were precursors of today's Local Spiritual Assemblies.
> 
> On the 14th, Juliet arrived early hoping to work, but 'Abdu'l-Bahá had left already. She
> stayed with one of the Persian friends who recalled memories of his father. Valiyú'lláh Khán
> was the son of Varqa Khán, a Bahá'í Martyr and renowned poet, very dear to Bahá'u'lláh.
> Varqa Khán had told his son that Bahá'u'lláh had explained to him the Station of the Master
> as "The Mystery of God," a Station although not of a "Manifestation of God" (a Divine
> Prophet), was of the same spiritual nature and power for a certain purpose in the Plan of
> God.
> 
> Varqa wrote poems to the Glory of the Master, Who would scold him for it. Varqa could
> not keep quiet and wrote:
> "O Dawning-Point of the Beauty of God,
> 
> I know Thee!
> 
> Though Thou shroudest Thyself in a thousand veils,
> 
> I know Thee!" *
> * J. Thompson's Diary, pp. 309-10.
> 
> Besides receiving daily morning visitors and friends, some with petitions, 'Abdu'l-Bahá
> wrote tablets in answer to His voluminous mail. Though He would escape as much as He
> could to "His Garden," and He tried to limit individual requests for interviews to urgent
> matters, the Master found the daily process exhausting. Yet He did not cease speaking to the
> friends in groups on various aspects of "this Great Dispensation."
> 
> On the afternoon of June 15, 'Abdu'l-Bahá came down to the waiting crowd of friends. He
> told them that while resting, He had dreamt that he was speaking to them at the top of His
> voice. The sound of His own voice awakened Him with the word "distinction." He explained
> the meaning of distinction in every kingdom of Creation. "I desire distinction for you. The
> Bahá'ís must be distinguished from others…but not of any worldly distinction. For you, I
> desire spiritual distinction."
> 
> On June 16, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was invited to speak at the Fourth Unitarian Church, in
> Brooklyn, and the Pastor had posted on the church's outdoor signboard:
> "The Great Persian Prophet, His Holiness 'Abdu'l-Bahá,
> will speak in this church at 11am on the 16th of June."
> 
> The Persian friends were amazed that a Christian church would recognize the Master as a
> "Prophet." The Pastor came to greet 'Abdu'l-Bahá at the door and led Him to the pulpit
> where He spoke.
> 
> At the end of the service, the congregation pressed around Him. The Minister asked the
> Master to speak to the children of Sunday School. They flocked to Him in earnest, and He
> called them "beautiful children of the Kingdom." The prayer He revealed for them remains a
> favorite to this day: "O God… These children are the plants of Thine orchard, the flowers of
> Thy meadow, the roses of Thy garden…"
> 
> Lunch was served at Mr. and Mrs. Howard MacNutt's home. That evening, at a meeting at
> the Central Congregational Church on Hancock Street in Brooklyn, 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave one of
> His major addresses, speaking with the power of majesty on progressive revelation, with
> emphasis on Muhammad, and the station of Bahá'u'lláh and His proclamation to the kings
> and rulers of His time. The Pastor was so transported that he pleaded with 'Abdu'l-Bahá for
> another visit.
> 
> The next day, the newspaper, The Brooklyn Eagle, published the complete transcript of
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá's address with a description of the gathering.
> 
> The following morning, speaking of His day in Brooklyn, the Master said: "I established
> the Truth of Islam in the great churches in this day. What have the Moslems now to say to
> us?" Later, He encouraged the friends to visit the sick, and to travel to teach the Faith in
> foreign countries.
> 
> THE FILMING OF 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ
> 
> During His stay at the Ansonia, a commercial movie company had requested to make a
> short film of 'Abdu'l-Bahá for its newsreels. The Master replied at once, "Khaili Khub" (Very
> good). Some of the friends were upset and explained to Him that this film would be
> scattered around the country and used in movie houses. He replied: "Besyar Khub" (Most
> good!)
> 
> Consequently, one day, He appeared at the entrance of the Ansonia for the making of a
> short film. "It was a wonderfully impressive sight, for as He approached the camera, he was
> exhorting Bahá'u'lláh to bless this means for the spreading of the Heavenly Cause
> throughout the world."
> 
> The friends arranged for a longer film to be made at the home of Mr. and Mrs. MacNutt on
> June 18, and they also made a recording of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's voice chanting "Glad tidings! Glad
> Tidings!"
> "Rejoice! Rejoice! The Sun of reality has dawned!
> 
> Rejoice! Rejoice! The New Jerusalem has descended from Heaven!
> 
> Rejoice! Rejoice! The Glory of Carmel has shone on the worlds!"
> 
> Although unskilled handling of the camera had 'Abdu'l-Bahá going out of frame and back
> again, this is a precious legacy, the record of the Beloved Master in action. The film and
> recording have been duplicated and sent out to all countries where Bahá'ís resided at the
> time.
> 
> Seventy years later, the film has been incorporated into "The Quiet Revolution," a 58
> minutes major film on the Bahá'í Faith, a 1985 BBC production released on English national
> television and in New York City in January 1986.
> 
> At the end of this memorable day, 'Abdu'l-Bahá traveled 40 miles to visit a Jewish friend
> who was sick, returning home at night utterly exhausted.
> 
> THE CENTER OF THE COVENANT NAMES
> 
> THE CITY OF THE COVENANT
> 
> June 19th was an historic day for the Bahá'ís of New York . On that day, 'Abdu'l-Bahá
> named their city the "City of the Covenant." Also, He spoke of the Tablet of the Branch*
> revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in Andrianople, and proclaimed His own station as the "Center of
> the Covenant."
> 
> What a highly dramatic, almost terrifying moment in history! The Son of Bahá'u'lláh, the
> Prophet of God for our time, suddenly lifting the veil of His humanity, appearing in the
> Glory of the Power of the Covenant, the Power of Creation! It happened with the swiftness
> and blinding energy of a bolt of lightning, transporting its two witnesses, Juliet Thompson
> and Lua Getsinger,** into a spiritual whirling of exaltation and fright.
> 
> Juliet had been called to work on His portrait on that day. She describes a sense of
> "peculiar power… in the Master's steps while coming down from His room… a fearful
> majesty… strange flashing of the eyes…" evoking an Old Testament Figure. Later as He was
> sitting for His portrait, Juliet recalled the following events:
> "I had just begun to work, Lua in the room sitting on a couch nearby, when the
> Master smiled at me, then turning to Lua said in Persian: "This makes me sleepy.
> What shall I do?"
> 
> "Tell the Master, Lua, that if He would like to take a nap, I can work while
> He sleeps."
> 
> But I found that I could not. What I saw then was too sacred, too formidable.
> He sat still as a statue, His eyes closed, infinite peace on that chiseled face, a
> God-like calm and grandeur in His erect head.
> 
> Suddenly, with a great flash like lightning He opened His eyes, and the room
> seemed to rock like a ship in a storm with the power released. The Master was
> blazing! "The veils of glory," "the thousand veils" had shriveled away in the Flame
> and we were exposed to the Glory Itself!
> 
> Lua and I sat shaking and sobbing. Then He spoke to Lua. I caught the words,
> "Munádíy-i 'Ahd" (Herald of the Covenant).
> 
> Lua started forward, her hand to her breast. "Man?" (I?), she exclaimed.
> "Call one of the Persians. You must understand this."
> 
> Never shall I forget that moment, the flashing eyes of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the
> reverberations of His Voice, the Power that still rocked the room. God of
> lightning and thunder! I thought.
> 
> "I appoint you, Lua, the Herald of the Covenant. And I AM THE COVENANT,
> appointed by Bahá'u'lláh. And no one can refute His Word. This is the
> Testament of Bahá'u'lláh. You will find it in the Holy Book of Aqdas.
> Go forth and proclaim:"
> "This is THE COVENANT OF GOD in your midst."
> *In the Bahá'í Writings, Bahá'u'lláh referred to Himself as a Tree, (The Tree of Life), His children as
> "Branches" and "Leaves". 'Abdu'l-Bahá is entitled "The Greatest Branch."
> 
> **Lua Getsinger was one of the first Bahá'í pilgrims to Akka in 1898. 'Abdu'l-Bahá had chosen her for
> her passionate and irresistible nature to be a "Banner" and inspired her to teach "day and night."
> Though sick, until her death in Cairo 18 years later at the age of 45, she never spared herself and was
> given the title of "Mother-teacher of the American Bahá'í Community" by Shoghi
> Effendi, besides the title of "Herald of the Covenant" given by the Master.
> 
> Bahá'í News April 1976.
> 
> A great joy had lifted Lua up. Her eyes were full of light. She looked like a
> winged angel. "Oh, recreate me," she cried, "that I may do this work for Thee!"
> By now I was sobbing uncontrollably.
> 
> "Don't cry, Juliet," He said. "This is no time for tears. Through tears you cannot
> see to paint."
> 
> I tried hard to hold back my tears and to work, but painting that day was at an
> end for me.
> 
> The Master smiled lovingly. "Juliet is one of my favorites because she speaks
> the truth. See how I love the truth, Juliet. You spoke one word of truth to me
> and see how I have praised it!"
> 
> I looked up to smile in answer and in gratitude, then I was overwhelmed
> again by that awful convulsive sobbing. At this the Master began to laugh
> and, as He laughed and laughed, the strangest thing happened. It was
> as if at each outburst He wrapped himself in more veils, so that now
> He looked completely human, without a trace left of His superhuman
> majesty. Never had I seen Him like this before and I never did afterward."
> (At one time, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had explained that "laughter is spiritual relaxation." Now the
> Master very tenderly endeavored to make Lua and Juliet laugh.)
> "Perhaps He had just found it necessary, after that mighty Declaration, to
> bring us down to earth again. He had revealed to us "The Apex of
> Immortality." He had lifted us to a height from which we could see it.
> Now He, our loving Shepherd, had carried us in His own arms back
> to our little valley and put us where we belonged."
> 
> In the afternoon of that day, He sent Lua down to the waiting people to "proclaim the
> Covenant," then a little later, He followed her and spoke on the Station of the Center of the
> Covenant, "but not as He had done to Lua and me."
> 
> In confirmation of His explanations, the Master had the Tablet of the Branch read to the
> friends so they could hear these mighty words of Bahá'u'lláh:
> "Whosoever turns to Him hath surely turned to God and whosoever
> turneth away from Him hath turned away from my Beauty, denied My
> Proof and is of those who transgress."
> 
> On that same day a copy of the book, "The Brilliant Proof," written by Mírzá 'Abu'l Fadl
> was received. It was in answer to Reverend P. Easton's virulent criticism of the Faith in
> London and his letter to America, warning people of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's dangerous influence.
> The Master was very pleased with the book and ordered its translation to be published in
> this country.
> 
> This Mighty Day ended like an ordinary day, with more visitors requesting an interview.
> 
> THE UNITY FEAST, JUNE 29
> 
> On June 20, 'Abu'l-Bahá agreed to a photographic session at the renowned Gertrude
> Käsebier's Studio. He approved and chose the proofs He liked.
> 
> While preparing for His departure the next day for a ten-day visit to Montclair, New
> Jersey, the Master announced to the friends that they would be joining Him there for a
> "Unity Feast," and they would be His guests.
> 
> In New Jersey, He stayed at a rented house, going to the market every day and preparing
> the meals Himself for invited friends and visitors. In general during His travels, He would
> always supervise kitchen matters. For Himself, He required the least possible amount of
> food, but for His guests He provided lavishly.
> 
> Until June 29, when the Unity Feast was to take place, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke at various
> places every afternoon and every evening. On the 29th, He went to the home of Mr. Roy
> Wilhelm, in Englewood, for the Feast. On this day, the friends came from New York and the
> neighboring area.
> 
> The grounds of Mr. Wilhelm's home were beautified by a pine grove, surrounded by
> lawns spread with flowers of every hue, and tables had been set up under the trees.
> 
> Seated on an armchair in the shade, the Master looked rested and loving. The friends
> surrounded Him on the lawns. He greeted every newcomer and asked two ladies to sit on
> either side of Him- Mrs. Krug, young and elegant, and a very old lady in shabby clothes.
> They both had the same radiant look, their love for the Master shining like a fire in their
> eyes raised toward Him.
> 
> He spoke to the friends: "This is a delightful gathering… This is a New Day and this hour
> is a New Hour… Such gatherings as this, have no equal or likeness in the world of
> mankind… This assembly has a name and a significance which will last forever. Hundreds
> of thousands of meetings shall be held to commemorate this occasion and the very words I
> speak to you today shall be repeated in them for ages to come…"*
> 
> At the end of the talk the meal was ready, but a sudden storm blew up, and big drops of
> rain splashed on the tables. The Master walked calmly in His ivory and white flowing robes,
> went out toward the road, took a chair which had been stranded there and sat down, His
> head toward the sky. The Persian friends who had followed Him were behind the chair. After
> a while, a strong rushing wind raced the dark clouds away and the sun shone again. The
> Master rose and returned to the grove, smiling at the children who rushed toward Him.
> 
> Lovingly, He went among the 250 guests with a vial of attar of rose, anointing each one of
> the friends while a Persian meal was served. Then He went into the house to meet with
> visiting ministers. After dark, some 60 people were lingering, unable to tear themselves away
> from this place of love, unity and beauty. The Master talked to them by the light of candles
> held by the ladies seated on the lawn: "It was a resounding call to arise from the tomb of self
> in this Day of the Great Resurrection and to unite around Him
> to vivify the world." He left them, disappearing into the night: "Peace be with you. I will pray
> for you." His melodious voice chanted the last words echoing forever in their hearts.
> 
> On the following day, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was the guest of Mr. Topakyan, the Persian Consul
> General in Morristown. The reception was attended by prominent people and members of
> the press. At night, the Master returned to New York.
> 
> *This event is commemorated every year at the same location, on the last Saturday of June.
> 
> NEW YORK CITY'S POTENTIAL
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá once said: "I desire to make manifest among the friends in America a new
> light, that they may become a new people, that a new foundation may be established and
> complete harmony realized, for the foundation of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh is love." And one
> evening, answering the Persian friends' question, the Master confided that He was staying a
> long time in New York because "it is the meeting place of the East and the West. I desire to
> make it a Center of Signs. I stay here so the friends may advance in spirituality and gain
> precedence." This was an endless task for the Master in these days.
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá knew of New York City's potential for greatness. He was heartened by the
> love and vitality of the Bahá'í community but saddened by the display of lavish luxury. As
> He was invited to the Hotel Plaza, He chose to sit in one of the smallest rooms of the hotel.
> He told the Persian friends that whenever He encountered magnificent buildings He was
> reminded of the dark pit of Tihrán, the desolate barracks of Akka and of the sufferings of
> Bahá'u'lláh.*
> 
> A major article on 'Abdu'l-Bahá and His teachings appeared in Hearst's Magazine. The
> Master commented that all activities and the response of the people and the press were
> "confirmation… through Bahá'u'lláh's Bounty and Favor… We are like flutes and all these
> tunes are from Him."
> 
> Mahmud wrote of the many newspapers articles in praise of the Master. The best were
> sent to the friends in Eastern countries to share with them, for them to realize how much
> Western society was impressed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá's teachings and the inroads made by Bahá'í
> concepts in the minds of the people. Everywhere, poems and songs were written by many in
> honor of Him and His Faith.
> 
> The Mayor of New York, Honorable William S. Gaynor, had invited 'Abdu'l-Bahá to be with
> him, on July 4, on the parade reviewing stand. As this was not a religious event, the Master
> sent Persian friends to represent Him. They were respectfully welcomed and, in spite of the
> hot weather, Mahmud was quite impressed by the attention given them and by the pageantry
> of the event.
> 
> In the evening, the Master lovingly prepared a reception for Mrs. Thompson's (Juliet's
> mother) birthday at His home.
> 
> During one of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's morning walks in His Garden, a group of people of Greek
> ancestry passing by were attracted to Him and began to ask questions. The Master talked to
> them about Greek philosophy and history. They were so captivated that they came back in
> the evening to join the Bahá'í friends and became frequent visitors afterward. One of the
> Greek seekers invited 'Abdu'l-Bahá to meet more of his friends in a park outside Manhattan.
> They went by subway and the Master mentioned that He preferred traveling by surface
> railway.
> 
> * From H.M. Balyuzi, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p.226.
> 
> Juliet relates that on July 8th, 'Abdu'l-Bahá expressed the desire to visit the American
> Museum of Natural History. The Master laughed at the size of a huge whale, saying that
> "…he could hold seventy Jonahs!" He was very interested in the Mexican exhibit, pointing
> out the relationship of glyphs with Persian and Egyptian art. Answering a question, He
> assured that in the distant past the continents of Asia and America had been connected
> before a great catastrophe.*
> 
> This was a very hot day, 'Abdu'l-Bahá appeared very tired and sat on the grass outside the
> Museum as if waiting for someone. An old watchman came, the Master welcomed him
> warmly and started to explain to him, in simple terms, the relationship of the spiritual world
> to the material one: "When in a house you go upstairs, the lower floor is still under you."
> The old man looked startled, then his whole face lighted up: "I see!"
> 
> A few days later Juliet, thinking that she should have invited the old man, went back to the
> Museum and inquired about him. No one knew of any old watchman…She wondered why
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá wanted to visit a Museum of Natural History under the sun on a blistering July
> day? Had He instead, knowingly, visited a soul whose dread of death retained him to the
> lower floor?
> 
> *Hopi ancestral tradition relates a similar story and a similar theory is currently accepted by
> scientists. In many of His Writings and in some of His talks in Europe and America, 'Abdu'l- Bahá
> often referred to scientific knowledge and concepts well ahead of His time, such as the feasibility of
> space travels. (Paris Talks, 1913)
> 
> 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ'S ENCOUNTERS WITH CHILDREN
> 
> One evening Juliet and some of her friends were following 'Abdu'l-Bahá down the paths of
> His Garden when a band of screaming children rushed out from the bushes, laughing and
> throwing stones at the group. The Master swept at them at a distance, saying with sorrow:
> "The people of the world are blind." The children "melted back into the shadow as if they
> had never existed." Later the Master added, "they laughed at Me, yet My dress is the dress of
> Jesus, just the same that He wore."
> 
> On the very next day, Juliet and a friend followed 'Abdu'l-Bahá's party going to visit Mr.
> and Mrs. Harris in a tenement neighborhood. There was another group of children who
> almost spontaneously left their games and followed the Master like "a children crusade."
> Juliet was struck by the contrast with the strange incident the previous night. A little girl
> asked her: "Please, Ma'am, is He Christ?" While talking to the children, Juliet sent her friend
> to inform the Master, now at the Harris' home, of the incident. She came back with the
> Master's invitation for the children to join Him the following Sunday at the home of Mr. and
> Mrs. Kinney.
> 
> Howard Colby Ives described a lovely scene he witnessed that Sunday at the Kinneys'
> home, which by now he was visiting on a regular basis. On this day, looking out the window,
> Reverend Ives was astonished to see a group of some thirty "noisy, not too well dressed…
> urchins, but spruce and clean, enter the house." He followed them upstairs where 'Abdu'l-
> Bahá greeted them, one by one, with smiles and laughter. The last one was a dark colored
> boy and when the Master saw him, His face lit up with a heavenly smile, and He exclaimed:
> "Here is a black rose!" Everyone present was impressed with a feeling of wonder, which
> increased when 'Abdu'l-Bahá, distributing a handful of chocolates to each child with a kind
> word, picked up a particularly dark chocolate and "without a word, but with a humorously
> piercing glance that swept the group, laid the chocolate against the black cheek. 'Abdu'l-
> Bahá's face was radiant… and that radiance seems to fill the room." The children looked
> with real wonder at the colored boy as if they had never seen him before. "As for the boy,
> himself… his eyes fastened with an adoring, blissful look upon the Master…For the moment
> he was transformed. The reality of his being had been brought to the surface and the angel
> he really was revealed."
> 
> FULL SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES CONTINUES
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá's activities from the middle of July until July 23rd, when He left for a sojourn
> in New Hampshire, included a morning visit to the home of Juliet Thompson where Kahlil
> Gibran had a private meeting with Him, and where He met some of the friends in Juliet's
> studio on the fourth floor. On that same day, Mahmud noted that 'Abdu'l-Bahá had met with
> Reverend Grant and that he was visiting Him "frequently showing great humility and
> reverence." In the evening, at His home, the Master gave a talk to a large audience.
> 
> "This was the day of victory," proclaims Mahmud on July 14th as a multitude waited for the
> Master at the All Souls Unitarian Church. 'Abdu'l-Bahá delivered a major address on the
> teachings of Bahá'u'lláh and in conclusion chanted a prayer. "A new spirit was engendered
> in every heart…Though the Master was discomforted by the hot weather, He stood on the
> dais while the people filed by to shake His hand with great humility."
> 
> The evening found 'Abdu'l-Bahá in New Jersey at the home of Roy Wilhelm in West
> Englewood, where a group of seekers had declared their faith in Bahá'u'lláh.
> 
> The hectic schedule and the sweltering weather were taking their toll. The Master was very
> tired, and on the 16th of July He went to Brooklyn to enjoy a relaxing time at the home of Mr.
> and Mrs. MacNutt. The following day he returned home, radiant from the renewed energy
> found in the love of the Brooklyn friends.
> 
> To a lady doctor inquiring about the causes of calamities and troubles in the world of
> Creation, the Master explained that there were two kinds of calamities. Some are the
> consequences of man's misconduct and ignorances; others are the results of the exigencies
> of the contingent world and the unfoldment of the divine law, such as changes, life and
> death, and are inevitable. As all events are interrelated, increased ills and calamities may
> ensue from man's actions.*
> 
> In the evening 'Abdu'l-Bahá was very happy as He chanted a prayer at the wedding of
> Harlan Ober and Grace Robarts, and He witnessed the marriage vows according to the laws
> of Bahá'u'lláh. The Master had asked Reverend Ives to perform the legal ceremony since
> Bahá'í marriage was not recognized at the time.
> 
> Juliet attended the wedding, going along with her colored maid who wished 'Abdu'l-Bahá
> would bless her little boy. After the ceremony, Juliet took the child to the Master Who
> simply, sat him on His knees, talking playfully with him. Little George was so impressed that
> back home he told the story excitedly to his step-father, and asked: "Is this the same Master
> that holds the moon in His hand and makes the sun shine?" **
> 
> *Again, this concept is now a scientific theory known as "the flight of the butterfly" explaining the
> interrelatedness of events. It is also part of other advanced theories.
> 
> **A 1947 footnote in Juliet's Diary recalls that in 1925 a handsome young man visited her. This was
> George, who came to tell her how the Master's blessing "had lived like a fountain in his heart" in spite
> of his sufferings along with his people. He had a vivid recollection of the Master's appearance at
> Juliet's home, when he had thought he was seeing God. During the second World War, Juliet heard of
> George again: He was a medical doctor caring for the wounded in a London hospital.
> 
> On Sunday, July 21st, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had been invited by the Consul General of Turkey to a
> reception at his home. The Master was introduced by Mr. Topakyan, the Consul General of
> Persia, to a distinguished audience of dignitaries. In the evening the Master met with a
> group of Armenians.
> 
> The next day, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had the joy of receiving the visit of a Bahá'í friend from France,
> the distinguished Orientalist Hippolyte Dreyfus.* Later, He had a lengthy meeting with
> Prince Muhammad-Ali Pasha, brother of the Khedive of Egypt. When back in Egypt, the
> Prince published an account of his travels, referring to his encounter with 'Abdu'l-Bahá in
> admiring terms.
> 
> In 1929, Martha Root, a renowned Bahá'í traveler, visited Prince Muhammad-Ali in his
> palace in Cairo. The Prince spoke at length of 'Abdu'l-Bahá as he recalled how proud he was
> to witness the high station and prestige of the Master in New York. He said "I loved and
> admired 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and I felt that He loved me as a good friend."**
> 
> Among the magazine articles then published, a Harper's major story on Bahá'u'lláh and
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá concluded in these words: "They live their religion as well as teach it. This is
> their power."
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá left on the morning of July 23 for New Hampshire and an historic sojourn at
> Green Acre, where Sarah Farmer and her father had established a center for educational
> exchange which was frequented by educators and scholars of international reputation, as
> well as spiritualists. The Master's appearance had a great impact. Later Miss Farmer willed
> the school and all her properties to the Faith. Green Acre is today the best known of Bahá'í
> educational institutions.
> 
> *Professor Dreyfus was the first French Bahá'í . He translated several books of Bahá'u'lláh's Writings
> which were published by the Presses Universitaires de France in 1902 , and are reprinted to this day.
> Mr. Dreyfus married distinguished Bahá'í Laura Barney, translator of "Some Answered Questions", a
> transcript of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's answers to the questions she asked during one of her visits to Akka.
> 
> **The Bahá'í World, Vol. IV, p.431.
> 
> THE ONENESS OF HUMANITY
> 
> While in Dublin, New Hampshire, 'Abdu'l-Bahá announced the forthcoming marriage of
> Mr. Louis Gregory, a Washington lawyer of black heritage, with Miss Louisa Mathew of
> London, a white lady. The wedding was planned for the 27th of September in New York City.
> Though the Master was in Denver, Colorado, on His way to California on that day, this union
> was His work and the ceremony was performed in the City of the Covenant, as He had
> expressly wished. The simple ceremony at a Church of England took place with nine persons
> present, including the minister and his wife, a friend of Jewish background, and
> representatives of the Bahá'í Spiritual Assemblies of New York, Philadelphia and
> Washington.
> 
> For years, a number of Bahá'í communities had been torn by misunderstanding over
> racial unity and the concept of interracial marriage implied in the teachings of Bahá' u'lláh.
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá had invited an unsuspecting Miss Mathew to travel with Him on the Cedric to
> America, and during the voyage had gradually prepared her to understand His wishes. She
> had met Mr. Gregory the previous year in Egypt in the presence of the Master. They were
> both middle-aged, mature persons who respected and were fond of each other. They
> understood the desire of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to make an example of their union as a service to the
> Faith, and their profound love for the Master gave them the courage to confront the social
> prejudices prevalent at the time. Their marriage was a happy one, and 'Abdu'l-Bahá
> described it as "an introduction to the accomplishment of good fellowship between black
> and white."
> 
> THE FINAL MONTH
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá returned to New York on November 11, after a journey of about three
> months and three weeks, which had taken Him north to the Montreal area in Canada, across
> the United States, back and forth, including twenty-five days in California. Fortunately, Mr.
> Champney's lovely house, so dear to the friends, was available for renting again. Mr.
> Champney and his relatives had become Bahá'ís by this time.
> 
> This was the last month of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's sojourn in America; 23 days remained before His
> departure, and His task was not yet done. In 1912, very few of the Bahá'í Writings had been
> translated into English; consequently, Bahá'ís at the time had little concrete basis to rely
> upon in the deepening of their Faith. One major accomplishment of the Master's lengthy
> visit was the many opportunities He had to present the Bahá'í teachings with thorough
> explanations to various audiences. These utterances were trustfully recorded and carbon
> copies of the transcripts were already circulating among the friends.
> 
> As timely as the Bahá'í teachings were to the needs of mankind, Bahá'ís in those days
> lacked the perspective of history to appraise the true dimensions of the Faith, the unique
> phenomenon which the Bahá'í Revelation constitutes in the spiritual and social evolution of
> mankind and which is implied in the concept of "the Covenant of God."
> 
> To insure the integrity of His Mission, Bahá'u'lláh had designated 'Abdu'l-Bahá as the
> Center of His Covenant, the sole Interpreter of His Revelation. From the start of His
> ministry, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had been confronted by opponents justly known as "Covenant
> breakers." In 1912, some of these misguided and confused individuals lived in Chicago and
> were disrupting the unity of the Bahá'ís. The concept of "unity" being inherent to the
> fundamental structure of the Bahá'í Faith, more was at stake in Covenant-breaking than the
> creation of a splinter group or sect.
> 
> The primary purpose of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's journey to America was to officially proclaim His
> Station as the Center of the Covenant, to rally the unity of the Bahá'í Community, and to
> establish the strong foundation of love and integrity upon which the future of the Faith of
> Bahá'u'lláh would stand and progress.
> 
> With complete disregard for His frail physical condition, the Master gave most of His time
> in America to the friends, to their spiritual needs, to turn their weaknesses into
> springboards for future greatness, to weave a web of love connections between them.
> Answering their ceaseless inquiries, He patiently nurtured each one of them into the Faith.
> As Reverend Ives noted, "He sought the soul, the reality of everyone He met." Much was
> accomplished in this direction, particularly in New York City. On July 16, Mahmud could
> observe: "His extended stay in New York brought wonderful results among the friends."
> 
> On June 19, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had made the official Proclamation of His Station, as "The
> Center of the Covenant." On that day, the Mystery of God revealed a glimpse of the awesome
> spiritual power implied in the statement of Bahá'u'lláh:
> " Whosoever turns to Him hath surely turned unto God…"
> 
> During the three weeks ahead, the last act of this historic drama was to be unfolded.
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá declined most official invitations and spent the rest of His sojourn perfecting
> His task of unity. He poured the infinite spiritual power of His divine love into the
> creative energy which will make the City of the Covenant the "Center of Signs" for centuries
> to come.
> 
> The pattern of these final days was that 'Abdu'l-Bahá spent mornings at His home, then
> would go to the home of Carrie and Edward Kinney, followed by other visits. He gave only a
> few public talks. At intervals, He would escape to His Garden to relax and catch the
> November sun, still bright and warm in New York.
> 
> November 12th: The Birthday of Bahá'u'lláh. Some of the friends met at the home of Mrs.
> Krug who had weekly women's meetings on Tuesdays. Juliet describes the Master's invoking
> "Ya Bahá'u'l-Abhá" with such force that "…it was as though He were calling Someone on the
> same plane with Him… and Who would certainly come" and she felt His presence!
> 
> Later, 'Abdu'l-Bahá took Juliet to His Garden and instructed her in detail on how to be firm
> in the Covenant and help bring unity among the friends. "…You must love Me," He said,
> "for the sake of God." "You are all I shall ever know of God," she cried. "I am the Servant of
> God," He replied.
> 
> Shaken, on the way home Juliet was wondering "Could it be that I was not firm?" The
> following day, Juliet went early to 'Abdu'l-Bahá's house to thank Him for His mercy and
> patience with her. "I was asleep and You woke me." The Master replied: "I pray that you may
> ever be awake. There are a few souls in America whom I have chosen to be teachers of this
> Cause… I wish you to have all the qualities of the teacher."
> 
> Addressing a large number of Bahá'ís at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kinney, the Master
> exhorted them "…to strive for the emancipation of their souls from passion and desire… to
> be aware of selfish ones who would lead them astray from the Path of God." At first, the
> Master was seated between the two large rooms. Then, He rose in a majestic and dignified
> manner, His beautiful face transfigured by a powerful emotion and invoking the sufferings
> and sacrifices of Bahá'u'lláh and the Martyrs, He spoke of firmness in the Covenant. The
> friends, their eyes brimming with tears, were galvanized.
> 
> On the evening of November 15, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was annoyed that some people would
> comment that they did not see the difference between Christianity and the Bahá'í Faith, or
> they did not understand the advent of this New Dispensation. En route to the house of Juliet,
> the Master said: "The time has come for Me to throw bombs!" To a crowd occupying the
> entire length of the house, He spoke powerfully on the greatness of this Cycle, the great
> Victories of Bahá'u'lláh over the Kings and Rulers of His time, and on the meaning of the
> Bahá'í Revelation for mankind.
> 
> Public appearances during this period included a talk at the Genealogical Hall, on the
> evolution of all forms of existence, of mankind and civilizations. "He ended this address
> with the chanting of a prayer which drowned the hearts in a surging sea of ecstasy and
> rapture…" commented Mahmud.
> 
> THE LAST ORDEAL
> 
> On November 18, upon being invited, 'Abdu'l-Bahá visited the J. Pierpont Morgan Library,
> where He wrote a few sentences in the guest book, praising the philanthropist and asking
> God's blessings on his work. The event was reported in The New York Times, including the
> complete translation of the Master's remark which Dr. Farid had written in the guest book.
> 
> In the afternoon, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kinney became the stage of a drama. "The
> Master put Howard MacNutt through a severe ordeal, an inevitable ordeal…" commented
> Juliet.
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá had instructed Mr. MacNutt with the mission of going to Chicago to meet
> with the misguided individuals and clarify their status in the Faith. Mr. MacNutt failed to
> understand the danger of the forces of disunity at this time in the history of the Faith and
> had avoided the issue, trying to justify his action in a letter to a Persian friend. The result
> was a dark shadow cast over the community, which since his return was shaken by
> arguments and uncertainty. Now, Mr. MacNutt was to meet the Master.
> 
> In the little time left before His departure, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had to act swiftly. He called Mr.
> MacNutt in His room, on the second floor, and after a while He was heard to sternly ordering
> him to publicly recognize his mistake and retract his words at once! "Go down and tell the
> people: I was like Saul. Now I am Paul, for I see." * Though reluctantly, Mr. MacNutt went
> down the stairs to the large assembly of believers and, "his back shrunken…" barely audible,
> went through his retraction. During this time…"the Master leaned over the stair rail, His
> head thrown far back, His eyes closed, in anguished prayer… This is like Christ in
> Gethsemane," Juliet thought.
> 
> When Howard MacNutt went up toward His room, 'Abdu'l-Bahá ran forward to meet him.
> "Our Lord was all in white that night and as He ran arms wide open He looked like a great
> flying bird. He unfolded Howard in a close embrace… welcomed with ecstasy this broken
> man who, though bewildered, had obeyed Him." The Master then called Mr. Kinney and
> others to His room and asked them to embrace Howard MacNutt, and from now on to work
> together teaching the Cause in perfect love and unity in the City of the Covenant.
> 
> "Obedience," the Master once said, "Obedience, is the rod by which I measure the love of
> the friends." The following night, someone gloated over Mr. MacNutt's chastisement. The
> Master sighed: "I immersed Mr. MacNutt in the fountain of Job last night."**
> 
> *Reference to Biblical Saul of Tarsus who became Jesus' Apostle Paul after his vision on the Road to
> Damascus.
> 
> **J. Thompson's Diary, pp. 369-72.
> 
> Howard MacNutt's love and gratitude for the Master never failed after his ordeal. He went on as a
> dedicated teacher of his beloved Faith, until his and Mrs. Mary MacNutt's untimely death in a car
> accident.
> 
> THE DAY OF THE COVENANT
> 
> On November 20, 'Abdu'l-Bahá made a last visit to the home of Juliet and Mrs.
> Thompson. After resting in one of Juliet's room, He visited every room of the house and
> said: "This house is blessed." These words echoed in the heart of Juliet and her mother for
> ever…
> 
> By spending Saturday, November 23, in Montclair, New Jersey, the Master missed the
> booking deadline for the S.S. Mauretania, to the delight of the friends. In the evening, the
> Day of the Covenant was celebrated with a great banquet at the Great Northern Hotel. The
> banquet room was magnificent; more than 300 Bahá'ís attended, some coming from the
> regions of Washington, Philadelphia and Boston. A few dignitaries such as Mr. Topakyan,
> were also invited. Before the food was served, 'Abdu'l-Bahá went among the guests,
> anointing everyone with attar of rose, a Persian custom to honor guests. The Master gave a
> short talk.
> 
> As the Great Northern Hotel manager had stubbornly and vehemently refused to allow
> black guests at the banquet, the friends organized a great interracial feast at the home of the
> Kinneys the following day. Many of the white ladies rose to serve the meal. The Master was
> very pleased and said: "Today you have shown the Commandments of the Blessed Beauty in
> your actions and have acted according to the teaching of the Supreme Pen."
> 
> On November 25, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was the honored guest at the annual luncheon of the Club
> Minerva at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. Mrs. Mary MacNutt was the President of this
> renowned women's club. The Master spoke on the virtues and rights of women. He next
> visited the home of Mrs. Asa Cochran, where He gave a talk on the abolition of prejudices
> and on acquiring perfection through spiritual power.
> 
> Later, Juliet was at 'Abdu'l-Bahá's home waiting for the Master with Dr. Percy Grant, who
> had come for his farewell visit. The Master was happy to see Dr. Grant and apologized for
> keeping him waiting. He said, "I was captured by 300 women this afternoon. Is it not a
> dreadful thing?" They met in private in the Master's room. Dr. Farid, who was the
> interpreter, later told Juliet that Dr. Grant had expressed great concern for the safety of
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá who was going to a war area (Turkey and the Balkans) and had offered his
> services to help Him in any way he could, asking to be kept informed of His well-being.
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá was born on May 23rd, 1844, on the same night the Báb, Forerunner of
> Bahá'u'lláh, revealed His Mission. In the early days of the Faith in Akka, the Master told the
> Persian friends, that this day was not to be celebrated as His birthday. It was the Day of the
> Declaration of the Báb, exclusively associated with Him. But, as the friends begged for a day
> to be celebrated as His, He gave them November 26th, to be observed as the day of the
> appointment of the Centre of the Covenant. It was known as the great Festival, because
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá was the Greatest Branch. In the West, it became known as the Day of the
> Covenant.*
> 
> In this context, the scene witnessed by Juliet on this November 26, 1912, in New York,
> takes a special significance.
> 
> On this Day of the Covenant, Juliet went to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kinney to meet with
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He was on the upper floor with the Persian friends, Mr. Montford Mill, Carrie
> Kinney and others. Dr. Bagdadi and Dr. Farid were working on the official translation of The
> Tablet of The Branch under the stern supervision of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. The translation was
> submitted sentence by sentence to the Master until He was satisfied with the rendering. "I
> shall never forget… His sterness, His terrific majesty as he directed that translation."
> Throughout the proceedings, Juliet was overwhelmed and reacted with uncontrollable
> crying, comforted by Mahmud and Valíyu'lláh Khán, who understood her feelings.
> 
> Future generations of Bahá'ís can only be grateful for Juliet Thompson's great love for
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and her sincerity, that He had praised. In her emotional testimony, we can see,
> unfolding within three days, the historical purpose of the Mystery of God in the City of the
> Covenant: June 19; November 18 and 26- events which can be remembered as the divine
> triptych which firmly established the continuity of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh. **
> 
> *From H.M. Balyuzi "'Abdu'l-Bahá," p.523.
> 
> **During a 1980 pilgrimage in Haifa, this writer asked Hand of the Cause Mr. Furitan, if he knew the
> purpose of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in the City of the Covenant. Mr. Furitan explained that the Master had
> planned to build up the unity of the Bahá'ís in New York City to counter the destructive activities of
> the Covenant-breakers in Chicago. Mr. Furitan asserted: "Yes, and He stopped the Chicago Covenantbreakers
> from New York toward the end of His sojourn!"
> Also, at the Bahá'í International Archives, inquiry was made about the status of Juliet Thompson's
> diary. The friends were shown a package wrapped in brown paper and string with Shoghi Effendi's
> hand writing: " Diary of Juliet Thompson to be published in due time." And we were told "Shoghi
> Effendi loved it!"
> 
> FAREWELL!…
> 
> During the last few days, the house of 'Abdu'l-Bahá was crowded with eager friends. The
> Master told them: "I always derive pleasure from our meetings. I shall always remember
> these days." The friends came to look at His face, "to turn to the Dawning Place of the Divine
> Covenant… He was imparting joy to the sad, hope to the hopeless and a flame to the
> dormant while He guided strugglers to the right path." At another time, the Master said,
> "…the purpose of the Holy Manifestations of God was not to found religions and churches,
> but to educate souls who will become teachers of mankind… The people of Bahá must
> endeavor day and night to enforce this divine purpose."
> 
> On that Thanksgiving Day, November 28, the Master expressed love for Americans and
> hope in their destiny to evolve toward spirituality with the same energy now directed toward
> material achievements.
> 
> Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Emery had invited 'Abdu'l-Bahá to move to their home for the last
> few days, but most of the large meetings were held at the Kinneys' until the end. Some of the
> friends wanted to offer money to the Master and gifts of jewelry for His relatives. He asked
> them to give everything to the poor. As the friends insisted, He said that He accepted their
> gifts, but they should sell them for His sake and give the proceeds to the fund for the
> construction of the House of Worship in Wilmette.
> 
> Speaking of impending international war, 'Abdu'l-Bahá expressed the wish that America
> would lead the world to peace and world unity. "In the religion of Bahá'u'lláh this question
> of peace is a positive command and a religious obligation… It is a positive divine command
> and is, thus, certain to come to pass."
> 
> At the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kinney on December 2, 'Abdu'l-Bahá announced His
> departure. "These are the days of my farewell to you, for I am sailing on the 5th of the month.
> Wherever I went in this country I returned always to New York City." The Master gave a
> beautiful exhortation ending with these words: "Be illumined, be spiritual, be divine, be
> glorious, be quickened of God, be a Bahá'í."
> 
> This was not yet the end. In spite of all the final preparations, 'Abdu'l-Bahá continued to
> have meetings at the Kinneys', mostly with Bahá'ís. However, ministers and rabbis still
> sought to reach Him for guidance until the last day. His final public appearance was made
> the evening before His departure, at the Theosophical Society, where He delivered an
> address on the eternity of creation, the evolution of the spirit, and the power of the
> Manifestation of God.
> 
> Juliet had asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá for permission to stay "in some corner of His home" the
> entire day of December 4. She was allowed to do so although He was seeing many others.
> After everyone had left, the Master told Juliet that the proceeds of the sale of the
> photographs of His portrait that she had planned to send to the Temple fund were for her to
> keep. He was aware of Mrs. Thompson's and Juliet's dire financial situation since the death
> of her father. The portrait had been exhibited at the Church of the Ascension for several
> weeks, and now 'Abdu'l-Bahá was taking it with Him.*
> 
> On Thursday, December 5th, Juliet had gone early in the morning to the Emery's (last
> home of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in New York). She was trying to fill her memory with the Master's
> every move and expressions. The Master took her hand telling her, "Remember, I am with
> you always. Bahá'u'lláh will be with you always." He had expressed often these thoughts to
> the friends.
> 
> Juliet and some of the friends drove to the pier with the Master and followed Him up to
> His cabin on the S.S. Celtic. Then they all went to the large first class lounge, packed with
> Bahá'ís from various parts of the country. Walking back and forth, a familiar action when
> speaking to the friends, 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave them His last exhortation in the City of the
> Covenant, while all the friends were weeping quietly.
> 
> * The original portrait has been lost. Only a few of the 1912 photographs are kept in private and
> bahá'í archives. The illustration in this book is one of these 1912 prints, from the estate of Mrs. Asa
> Cochran, courtesy of the Hopson-Samuel family.
> 
> He reminded the friends that they were standing for the unity of all nations and for world
> peace while a war raged in the Balkans. Then He said, "As to you, your efforts must be lofty.
> Exert yourselves with heart and soul that perchance through your efforts the light of
> Universal Peace may shine and this darkness of estrangement and enmity may be dispelled
> from amongst men.
> 
> "You have no excuse to bring before God if you fail to live according to His command, for
> you are informed of that which constitutes the good pleasure of God… It is my hope that
> you may become successful in this high calling, so that like brilliant lamps you may cast
> light upon the world of humanity and quicken and stir the body of existence like unto a
> spirit of life.
> 
> "This is eternal glory. This is everlasting felicity. This is immortal life. This is heavenly
> attainment. This is being created in God's image and likeness. And unto this I call you,
> praying God to strengthen and bless you."
> 
> The passengers and officers of the Celtic were astonished at the scene: "Their surprise was
> beyond expression," noted Mahmud. "The Master was seated in a corner of the lounge, while
> the believers flocked around Him for the last minutes left." Juliet lamented, "…It was death
> to leave that ship. I stood on the pier with May Maxwell, tears blurred my sight. Through
> them, I could see the Master in the midst of the group of Persians waving a patient hand to
> us. It waved and waved, that beautiful hand, till the Figure was lost to sight."
> 
> From the ship, Mahmud could see the friends on the pier, "…the steamer moved out to
> sea, but as far as the eyes could see the multitude of the friends surged like a mighty host…
> The Beloved spoke about the power of the Greatest Name. 'Behold!' He said, 'By the power
> of the Cause of God a new spirit has been breathed into the hearts which has produced a
> change in the souls. Continuously the assistance of the Beauty of Abhá reached us and
> invariably the lights of victory shone from the Supreme Horizon. We received the
> confirmations of the Kingdom of God and the assistance of the Invisible Sovereignty of the
> Beauty of Abhá which He promised clearly in the verse:
> 'We see you from the horizon of Abhá and with the hosts of the Supreme
> Concourse and the armies of the Angels of Nearness We assist those who
> rise to help the Cause.'"
> 
> IN CONCLUSION
> 
> We may take the time to reflect on the extraordinary events that took place in this country
> in 1912 as they were part of a greater pattern.
> 
> In God Passes By, Shoghi Effendi, after relating the trials and sufferings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
> and the recovery of His freedom, wrote: "So momentous a change in the fortune of the Faith
> was the signal for such an outburst of activity on His part as to dumbfound His followers in
> East and West with admiration and wonder, and exercise an imperishable influence on the
> course of its future history. He Who, in His own words, had entered prison as a youth and
> left it as an old man, Who never in His life had faced a public audience, had attended no
> school, had never moved in Western circles and was unfamiliar with Western customs and
> language, had arisen not only to proclaim from pulpit and platform in some of the chief
> capitals of Europe and in the leading cities of the North American continent, the distinctive
> verities enshrined in His Father's Faith, but to demonstrate as well the divine origin of the
> Prophets gone before Him and to disclose the nature of the tie binding them to that Faith."
> 
> In this country, followed by throngs of Bahá'ís and anonymous people alike, and trailed by
> groups of astonished journalists and writers, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke to the lowliest of society
> and to the loftiest socialites, to leaders of thought and representatives of governments. He
> addressed large audiences, praising Christ in synagogues, bringing Mohammad's teachings
> to Christian churches and the unity of religion and science to universities, further
> proclaiming the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh and His Mission of Peace to a world at the brink of
> world war. The Master nurtured the friends, one soul at a time, captivating new believers,
> confirming wavering ones, and made proud standard-bearers of the humblest, uniting all in
> the embracing shelter of His Divine Love.
> 
> Finally, The Mystery of God, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, unveiling the Spiritual Power of His Station as
> Center of the Covenant of Bahá'ulláh, endowed New York with the imperishable title of "City
> of the Covenant."
> 
> The City of the Covenant 1987/1998
> 
> APPENDIX 1
> 
> THE SECOND BAHÁ'Í WORLD CONGRESS
> 
> 23-26 November 1992
> 
> The 1992 World Congress was called by the Universal House of Justice to "celebrate the
> centenary of the inauguration of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh, and to proclaim its aims and
> unifying power." The World Congress was part of the Holy Year commemorating the
> centennial of the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh and the site of the Congress was New York City,
> The City of the Covenant, as designated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. The event lasted four days ending
> on the Day of the Covenant.
> 
> United States President George Bush sent his greetings from the White House and the
> Honorable Mario M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York, sent an official statement of
> welcome.
> 
> The Congress was officially opened by the Honorable David N. Dinkins, the (first black)
> Mayor of the City of New York, reading a Proclamation welcoming the international
> community of Bahá'ís, acknowledging the principles of the Faith, and evoking the Person of
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá who "visited New York City in 1912, calling it 'The City of the Covenant.'"
> In response, Mayor Dinkins was presented with a framed reproduction of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's
> Prayer for the City of New York:
> 
> Bless Thou, O King of Kings, the City of New York!
> Cause the friends there to be kind to one another. Purify their souls
> and make their hearts to be free and detached. Illumine the world
> of their consciousness. Exhilarate their spirits and bestow celestial
> power and confirmation upon them. Establish there a heavenly realm,
> so that the City of Bahá may prosper and New York be favored with
> blessings from the Abhá Kingdom, that this region may become like
> the all-highest Paradise, may develop into a vineyard of God and be
> transformed into a heavenly orchard and a spiritual rose garden.
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá
> 
> The Congress, beautifully organized, and incredibly awe-inspiring, was unforgettable for
> the nearly 30,000 Bahá'ís who participated, mostly from the Hemisphere and from around
> the world, many wearing their traditional dress.
> 
> Among the events attended, friends involved with the production of this book, were
> particularly moved by the "'Abdu'l-Bahá's Mission to America" theme pavilion. The visitors
> were greeted by a life-size portrait of the Master reproducing the 1912 photograph opening
> this book. Spread out over five imposing rooms, large cut out dioramas of 1912 New York
> and panels of various enlarged photographs brought to life the Bahá'í scenes evoked in these
> pages. The visit concluded in a quiet room with the recording of 'Abdu'l- Bahá's voice.
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá's 1912 film was also part of the program.
> 
> MAJOR ADDRESSES
> 
> All material in the following sections is compiled from " 'Abdu'l-Bahá in New York" a 1932
> book now out of print.
> 
> Following is the exact text of the first address delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá at the Church of the
> Ascension, Fifth Avenue and Tenth Street on April 14, 1912, marking His first public address
> in the United States. A second address was delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá at the Church of the
> Ascension on June 2, 1912 at the People Forum.
> 
> In his scriptural lesson this morning the revered Doctor read a verse from the Epistle of St.
> Paul to the Corinthians: "For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face."
> 
> The light of truth has heretofore been seen dimly through variegated glasses, but now the
> splendors of divinity shall be visible through the translucent mirrors of pure hearts and
> spirits. The light of truth is the divine teaching, heavenly instruction, merciful principles
> and spiritual civilization. Since my arrival in this country I find that material civilization
> has progressed greatly; that commerce has attained the utmost degree of expansion; arts,
> agriculture and all details of material civilization have reached the highest stage of
> perfection; but spiritual civilization has been left behind. Material civilization is like unto
> the lamp, while spiritual civilization is the light in that lamp. If the material and spiritual
> civilization become united, then we will have the light and the lamp together and the
> outcome will be perfect. For material civilization is like unto a beautiful body and spiritual
> civilization is like unto the spirit of life. If that wondrous spirit of life enters this beautiful
> body, the body will become a channel for the distribution and development of the
> perfections of humanity.
> 
> His Holiness Jesus Christ came to teach the people of the world this heavenly civilization
> and not material civilization. He breathed the breath of the Holy Spirit into the body of the
> world and established an illumined civilization. Among the principles of divine civilization
> he came to proclaim is the "Most Great Peace" of mankind. Among his principles of
> spiritual civilization is the oneness of the kingdom of humanity. Among the principles of
> heavenly civilization he brought is the virtue of the human world. Among the principles of
> celestial civilization he announced is the improvement and betterment of human morals.
> 
> Today the world of humanity is in need of international unity and conciliation. To establish
> these great fundamental principles a propelling power is needed. It is self-evident that unity
> of the human world and the "Most Great Peace" cannot be accomplished through material
> means. They cannot be established through political power, for the political interests of
> nations are various and the policies of peoples are divergent and conflicting. They cannot
> be founded through racial or patriotic power, for these are human powers, selfish and weak.
> The very nature of racial differences and patriotic prejudices prevents the realization of this
> unity and agreement. Therefore it is evidenced that the promotion of the oneness of the
> kingdom of humanity which is the essence of the teachings of all the manifestations of God
> is impossible except through the divine power and breaths of the Holy Spirit. Other powers
> are too weak and are incapable of accomplishing this.
> 
> For man, two wings are necessary. One wing is physical power and material civilization; the
> other is spiritual power and divine civilization. With one wing only, flight is impossible.
> Two wings are essential. Therefore no matter how much material civilization advances it
> cannot attain to perfection except through uplift of the spiritual civilization.
> 
> All the prophets have come to promote divine bestowals, to found the spiritual civilization
> and teach the principles of morality. Therefore we must strive with all our powers so that
> spiritual influences may gain the victory. For material forces have attacked mankind. The
> world of humanity is submerged in a sea of materialism. The rays of the Sun of Reality are
> seen but dimly and darkly through opaque glasses. The penetrative power of the divine
> bounty is not fully manifest.
> 
> In Persia, among the various religions and sects there were intense differences. His Holiness
> Bahá'u'lláh appeared in that country and founded the spiritual civilization. He established
> affiliation among the various peoples, promoted the oneness of the human world and
> unfurled the banner of the "Most Great Peace." He wrote special epistles covering these facts
> to all the kings and rulers of nations. Sixty years ago he conveyed his message to the leaders
> of the political world and to high dignitaries of the spiritual world. Therefore spiritual
> civilization is progressing in the Orient and oneness of humanity and peace among the
> nations is being accomplished step by step. Now I find a strong movement for Universal
> Peace emanating from America. It is my hope that this standard of the oneness of the world
> of humanity may be upraised with the utmost solidity, so that the Orient and Occident may
> become perfectly reconciled, attain complete inter-communication, the hearts of the East
> and West become united and attracted, real union become unveiled, the light of guidance
> shine, divine effulgences be seen day by day so that the world of humanity may find
> complete tranquillity, the eternal happiness of man become evident and the hearts of the
> people of the world be as mirrors in which the rays of the Sun of Reality may be reflected.
> Consequently it is my request that you should strive so that the light of reality may shine
> and the everlasting felicity of the world of man become apparent.
> 
> I will pray for you so you may attain this everlasting happiness. When I arrived in this city I
> was made very happy for I perceived that the people here have capacity for divine bestowals
> and have worthiness for the civilization of heaven. I pray that you may attain to all merciful
> bounties.
> 
> Prayer:
> 
> O Almighty! O God! O Thou compassionate One! This servant of thine has hastened to the
> regions of the west from the uttermost parts of the east that perchance these nostrils may be
> perfumed by the fragrances of thy bestowals; that the breeze of the rose-garden of guidance
> may blow over these cities; that the people may attain to the capacity of receiving thy favors;
> that the hearts may be rejoiced through thy glad-tidings; that the eyes may behold the light of
> reality; that the ears may hearken to the call of the kingdom. O Almighty! Illumine the hearts.
> O kind God! Make the souls the envy of the rose-garden and the meadow. O incomparable
> beloved! Waft the fragrance of thy bounty. Radiate the lights of compassion so that the
> hearts may be cleansed and purified and that they may take a share and portion from thy
> confirmations. Verily this congregation is seeking thy path, searching for thy mystery,
> beholding thy face and desiring to be characterized with thine attributes.
> 
> O Almighty! Confer Thy infinite bounties. Bestow Thy inexhaustible treasury so that these
> impotent ones may become powerful.
> 
> Verily thou art the kind! Thou art the generous! Thou art the omniscient, the omnipotent!
> 
> THE MOST GREAT PEACE
> 
> May 13, 1912, at Hotel Astor. Reception by New York Peace Society.
> 
> Today there is no greater glory for man than that of service in the cause of the "Most Great
> Peace." Peace is light whereas war is darkness. Peace is life; war is death. Peace is guidance;
> war is error. Peace is the foundation of God; war is a satanic institution. Peace is the
> illumination of the world of humanity; war is the destroyer of human foundations. When we
> consider outcomes in the world of existence we find that peace and fellowship are factors of
> upbuilding and betterment whereas war and strife are the causes of destruction and
> disintegration. All created things are expressions of the affinity and cohesion of elementary
> substances, and non-existence is the absence of their attraction and agreement. Various
> elements unite harmoniously in composition but when these elements become discordant,
> repelling each other, decomposition and non-existence result. Everything partakes of this
> nature and is subject to this principle, for the creative foundation in all its degrees and
> kingdom is an expression or outcome of love. Consider the restlessness and agitation of the
> human world today because of war. Peace is health and construction; war is disease and
> dissolution. When the banner of truth is raised, peace becomes the cause of the welfare and
> advancement of the human world. In all cycles and ages war has been a factor of
> derangement and discomfort whereas peace and brotherhood have brought security and
> consideration to human interests. This distinction is especially pronounced in the present
> world conditions, for warfare in former centuries had not attained the degree of savagery
> and destructiveness which now characterizes it. If two nations were at war in olden times,
> ten or twenty thousand would be sacrificed but in this century the destruction of one
> hundred thousand lives in a day is quite possible. So perfected has the science of killing
> become and so efficient the means and instruments of its accomplishment that a whole
> nation can be obliterated in a short time. Therefore comparison with the methods and
> results of ancient warfare is out of the question.
> 
> According to an intrinsic law, all phenomena of being attain to a summit and degree of
> consummation, after which a new order and condition is established. As the instruments
> and science of war have reached the degree of thoroughness and proficiency, it is hoped that
> the transformation of the human world is at hand and that in the coming centuries all the
> energies and inventions of man will be utilized in promoting the interest of peace and
> brotherhood. Therefore may this esteemed and worthy society for the establishment of
> international peace be confirmed in its sincere intentions and empowered by God. Then will
> it hasten the time when the banner of universal agreement will be raised and international
> welfare will be proclaimed and consummated so that the darkness which now encompasses
> the world shall pass away.
> 
> Sixty years ago His Holiness Bahá'u'lláh was in Persia. Seventy years ago His Holiness the
> Báb appeared there. These two blessed souls devoted their lives to the foundation of
> international peace and love among mankind. They strove with heart and soul to establish
> the teachings by which divergent people might be brought together and no strife, rancor or
> hatred prevail. His Holiness Bahá'u'lláh, addressing all humanity, said that Adam the parent
> of mankind may be likened to the tree of nativity upon which you are the leaves and
> blossom. Inasmuch as your origin was one, you must now be united and agreed; you must
> consort with each other in joy and fragrance. He pronounced prejudice, whether religious,
> racial, patriotic, political, the destroyer of the body-politic. He said that man must recognize
> the oneness of humanity, for all in origin belong to the same household and all are servants
> of the same God. Therefore mankind must continue in the state of fellowship and love,
> emulating the institutions of God and turning away from satanic promptings, for the divine
> bestowals bring forth unity and agreement whereas satanic readings induce hatred and war.
> 
> This remarkable personage was able by these principles to establish a bond of unity among
> the differing sects and divergent people of Persia. Those who followed his teachings, no
> matter from what denomination or faction they came, were conjoined by the ties of love,
> until now they co-operate and live together in peace and agreement. They are real brothers
> and sisters. No distinctions of class are observed among them and complete harmony
> prevails. Daily this bond of affinity is strengthening and their spiritual fellowship
> continually develops. In order to insure the progress of mankind and to establish these
> principles His Holiness Bahá'u'lláh suffered every ordeal and difficulty. His Holiness the Báb
> became a martyr, and over twenty thousand men and women sacrificed their lives for their
> faith. His Holiness Bahá'u'lláh was imprisoned and subjected to severe persecutions. Finally
> he was exiled from Persia to Mesopotamia; from Baghdad he was sent to Constantinople and
> Adrianople and from thence to the prison of 'Akká in Syria. Through all these ordeals he
> strove day and night to proclaim the oneness of humanity and promulgate the message of
> Universal Peace. From the prison of 'Akká he addressed the kings and rulers of the earth in
> lengthy letters summoning them to international agreement and explicitly stating that the
> standard of the "Most Great Peace" would surely be upraised in the world.
> 
> This has come to pass. The powers of earth cannot withstand the privileges and bestowals
> which God has ordained for this great and glorious century. It is a need and exigency of the
> time. Man can withstand anything except that which is divinely intended and indicated for
> the age and its requirements. Now, praise be to God! in all countries of the world, lovers of
> peace are to be found and these principles are being spread among mankind, especially in
> this country. Praise be to God! this thought is prevailing and souls are continually arising as
> defenders of the oneness of humanity, endeavoring to assist and establish international
> peace. Let this century be the sun of previous centuries the effulgences of which shall last
> forever, so that in times to come they shall glorify the twentieth century, saying the
> twentieth century was the century of light, the twentieth century was the century of life, the
> twentieth century was the century of international peace, the twentieth century was the
> century of divine bestowals and the twentieth century has left traces which shall last forever.
> 
> THE UNITY FEAST
> 
> Unity Feast, June 29, 1912, at West Englewood, New Jersey.
> 
> This is a delightful gathering; you have come here with sincere intentions and the purpose of
> all present is the attainment of the virtues of God. The motive is attraction to the divine
> Kingdom. Since the desire of all is unity and agreement it is certain that this meeting will be
> productive of great results. It will be the cause of attracting a new bounty, for we are turning
> to the Kingdom of Abhá seeking the infinite bestowals of the Lord. This is a new Day and
> this hour is a new Hour in which we have come together. Surely the Sun of Reality with its
> full effulgence will illumine us and the darkness of disagreements will disappear. The
> utmost love and unity will result, the favors of God will encompass us, the pathway of the
> Kingdom will be made easy. Like candles these souls will become ignited and made radiant
> through the lights of supreme guidance. Such gatherings as this have no equal or likeness in
> the world of mankind where people are drawn together by physical motives or in
> furtherance of material interests, for this meeting is a prototype of that inner and complete
> spiritual association in the eternal world of being.
> 
> True Bahá'í meetings are the mirrors of the Kingdom wherein images of the Supreme
> Concourse are reflected. In them the lights of the most great guidance are visible. They
> voice the summons of the heavenly Kingdom and echo the call of the angelic hosts to every
> listening ear. The efficacy of such meetings as these is permanent throughout the ages. This
> assembly has a name and significance which will last forever. Hundreds of thousands of
> meetings shall be held to commemorate this occasion and the very words I speak to you
> today shall be repeated in them for ages to come. Therefore be ye rejoiced for ye are
> sheltered beneath the providence of God. Be happy and joyous because the bestowals of God
> are intended for you and the life of the Holy Spirit is breathing upon you.
> 
> Rejoice, for the heavenly table is prepared for you.
> 
> Rejoice, for the angels of heaven are your assistants and helpers.
> 
> Rejoice, for the glance of the Blessed Beauty Bahá'u'lláh is directed upon you.
> 
> Rejoice, for Bahá'u'lláh is your protector.
> 
> Rejoice, for the glory everlasting is destined for you.
> 
> Rejoice, for the life eternal is awaiting you.
> 
> How many blessed souls have longed for this radiant century, their utmost hopes and
> desires centered upon the happiness and joy of one such day as this. Many the nights they
> passed sleepless and lamenting until the very morn in longing anticipation of this age,
> yearning to realize even an hour of this time. God has favored you in this century and has
> specialized you for the realization of its blessings. Therefore you must praise and thank God
> with heart and soul in appreciation of this great opportunity and the attainment of this
> infinite bestowal; that such doors have been opened before your faces, such abundance is
> pouring down from the cloud of mercy and that these refreshing breezes from the paradise
> of Abhá are resuscitating you. You must become of one heart, one spirit and one
> susceptibility. May you become as the waves of one sea, stars of the same heaven, fruits
> adorning the same tree, roses of one garden; in order that through you the oneness of
> humanity may establish its temple in the world of mankind, for you are the ones who are
> called to uplift the cause of unity among the nations of the earth.
> 
> First, you must become united and agreed among yourselves. You must be exceedingly kind
> and loving toward each other, willing to forfeit life in the pathway of another's happiness.
> You must be ready to sacrifice your possessions in another's behalf. The rich among you
> must show compassion toward the poor, and the well-to-do must look after those in
> distress. In Persia the friends offer their lives for each other, striving to assist and advance
> the interests and welfare of all the rest. They live in a perfect state of unity and agreement.
> Like the Persian friends you must be perfectly agreed and united to the extent and limit of
> sacrificing life. Your utmost desire must be to confer happiness upon each other. Each one
> must be the servant of the others, thoughtful of their comfort and welfare. In the path of
> God one must forget himself entirely. He must not consider his own pleasure but seek the
> pleasure of others. He must not desire glory nor gifts of bounty for himself but seek these
> gifts and blessings for his brothers and sisters. It is my hope that you may become like this;
> that you may attain to the supreme bestowal and be imbued with such spiritual qualities as
> to forget yourselves entirely and with heart and soul offer yourselves as sacrifices for the
> Blessed Perfection. You should have neither will nor desire of your own but seek everything
> for the beloved of God and live together in complete love and fellowship. May the favors of
> Bahá'u'lláh surround you from all directions. This is the greatest bestowal and supreme
> bounty. These are the infinite favors of God.
> 
> RELIGION & SCIENCE
> 
> Address of 'Abd'ul-Bahá at Earl Hall, Columbia University, New York, Friday, April 19, 1912.
> 
> If an observing man looks around him in the world of creation, he will find that created
> things are divisible into three classes. First: created things of the mineral type; that is to
> says, matter or substance which has taken various forms and shapes. The second kind of
> created phenomena are the plants or vegetable kingdom. The vegetable possesses the
> virtues of the mineral plus the power or virtue of change; that is to say, the power of growth.
> Hence plant life is a step further and more specialized than the mineral. The third created
> object is the animal. The animal possesses the virtues of the mineral and the virtues of the
> vegetable, but above that, it is endowed with sensation. It has the sense of sight, hearing,
> taste, smell and touch. Therefore the animal is possessed of the virtues of the mineral, the
> vegetable and in addition is endowed with peculiar qualities of sensitiveness. But man who
> is the most specialized form of creation embodies all the virtues of the mineral, vegetable
> and animal, plus an ideal power which is not to be found in the others, which is absolutely
> absent in the others. This can be said to be the power of intellect. The outcome of this
> intellectual power is science, which is especially characteristic of man. This is the power of
> external investigation, the discoverer of the mysteries of outer phenomena. This scientific
> power comprehends all created objects. This power verily can discover the hidden and
> mysterious things of the earth. In man alone this is noticeable. The most noble virtue, the
> most praiseworthy accomplishment of man therefore is scientific attainment. Science may
> be likened to a mirror wherein are reflected the images of these mysteries of outer
> phenomena. Science is powerful enough to bring before us the ages of the past and link the
> past to the present. It is science which can bring forth and exhibit to us, as it were, in the
> arena of knowledge all that has been latent or hidden in the past. The philosophical
> conclusions of by-gone centuries, the wisdom of former sages, science can reproduce for us
> in the form of an epitome. Science can review for us the teachings of all the prophets and
> wise men. Science is therefore the discoverer of the past. Basing itself upon the premises of
> the past and present, science can deduce conclusions as to what shall be in the future.
> Science is the governor of nature, - the governor of the mysteries of nature, - the one agency
> which can explore the institutions of nature. All created things are captives of nature.
> Science is the "breaker" as it were of the laws of nature. All created objects that we see are
> under natural law. They cannot trespass the laws of nature in one detail or particular. All
> the infinite starry worlds and planets are the subjects or captives of nature. All the
> belongings of this earth, all created things upon this globe are captives of nature. All
> minerals, vegetables and animals are captives of nature. But man through his scientific
> power can change this; can modify and change the laws of nature.
> 
> Consider for example, man, according to natural law, must dwell upon the earth. But
> breaking this law he can sail in vessels over the ocean, fly in the atmosphere in airships or
> advance through the depths of the sea in submarines. This is against the law of nature; this
> breaks the sovereignty of nature. According to nature's laws and methods all the science we
> have, all the inventions and discoveries we have should be hidden. According to nature they
> should not be open and known, they should be mysteries. But man through the power of
> science takes them out of the plane of the invisible and unknown, breaks the very laws of
> nature, draws them into the plane of the visible, exposes and explains them. For instance
> one of the mysteries of nature is electricity. According to nature this force, this energy
> should be latent and hidden, but man through his scientific power breaks the laws of nature,
> arrests it and even imprisons it for his use.
> 
> In short, man through this scientific power is the most noble of creation, the governor of
> nature. He takes the sword from nature's hand and uses it on nature's head. According to
> nature the night is to be dark and gloomy but man takes his sword of electricity, this electric
> sword, kills the darkness and dispels the gloom. Man is progressive, nature is not; man has
> memory, nature has not. Man is a sensitive being, nature is minus. Man is nobler than
> nature. There are certain powers in man which are absent in nature. If it be claimed that
> these powers which are present in man are from nature itself, that man is a part of nature, in
> response to this we will say that if nature is the whole and man is part of that whole, the
> question arises is it possible for a part to possess virtues which are absent in the whole? No,
> undoubtedly the part must be endowed with the same qualities and properties as the whole.
> For example, the hair is a part of this human anatomy. It cannot contain elements which are
> absent in other parts of the body, for in all cases the elements composing the body are the
> same. Therefore it becomes evident and manifest that man although in body a part of
> nature, nevertheless in spirit possesses a power which is beyond nature; because were he
> simply a part of nature he could possess only the things which nature possesses. God has
> conferred upon and added to man this distinctive power, this power of intellect, this power
> or faculty of knowledge; and its greatest virtue is scientific enlightenment.
> 
> Inasmuch as this is an endowment for the acquisition of knowledge it is therefore the most
> praiseworthy power of all, for by it and through its attainments the betterment of the human
> race is accomplished, the development of human virtues is made possible and the spirit and
> mysteries of God become manifest. Therefore I am very pleased with my visit to this place.
> Praise be to God, that this country abounds in such institutions of learning where all the
> sciences and arts may easily be acquired. Just as material and physical sciences may be
> acquired here and are constantly unfolding, I am hopeful that spiritual development also
> may keep pace with these outer advantages. As material knowledge is illuminating those
> within the walls of this university so also may the light of the spirit, the inner and spiritual
> light of the real philosophy illuminate this institution. The most important principle of
> divine philosophy is the oneness of the world of humanity, the unity of mankind, the bond
> which will conjoin the East and the West, the tie of love which should bind the hearts of
> men.
> 
> Therefore it is our duty to put forth our greatest efforts and summon our energies from all
> directions in order that the bonds of unity and accord may be established among mankind.
> For six thousand years we have had bloodshed and strife. It is enough; it is sufficient. Now
> is the time to associate together in love and harmony. For six thousand years we have tried
> the sword and warfare; let mankind for a time at least live in peace. Review history and
> consider how much savagery, how much bloodshed and warfare the world has witnessed. It
> has been either religious warfare, political warfare or some clash of human interests. The
> world of humanity has not enjoyed peace even for a single day. Year by year the implements
> of warfare have been increased and perfected. Consider the past ages; when war took place
> only ten, fifteen, or twenty thousand at the most were killed, but now it is possible to kill one
> hundred thousand in a single day. Then warfare was carried on with the sword; today it is
> the smokeless gun. Formerly battleships consisted of sailing vessels; today there are
> dreadnoughts. Consider the increase and improvement in the implements of warfare. God
> has created us all human, and all countries of the earth are parts of the same globe. We are
> all servants of Him. He is kind and just to all. Why should we be unkind and unjust to each
> other? He provides for all. Why should we deprive one another? He protects and preserves
> all. Why should we kill our fellow-creatures? If this warfare and strife be for the sake of
> religion, religion has no part in it. All the Divine Manifestations have promulgated the
> Oneness of God and the unity of Mankind. They have taught that men should love and
> mutually help each other in order that they might progress. Now if this conception of
> religion be true, its essential principle is the oneness of humanity. The fundamental truth of
> the Manifestations is peace. If not they are false and will fail. But as a matter of fact this
> fundamental truth underlies all religion, all justice. The Divine purpose is that men should
> live in unity, concord and agreement and should love one another. Consider the virtues of
> the human world and realize that the oneness of humanity is the primary foundation of
> them all. Read the Gospel and the other Holy Books. You will find their fundamentals are
> one and the same. Therefore unity is the essential truth of Religion, and when so
> understood embraces all the virtues of the human world. Praise be to God, this knowledge
> has been spread, eyes have been opened and ears have become attentive. Therefore we must
> endeavor to promulgate and practice the Religion of God which has been founded by all the
> Prophets. And the Religion of God in short is absolute love and unity. I hope that at some
> future time I may elaborate upon this theme.
> 
> FIRST ADDRESS ON RACE UNITY
> 
> Talk Given by 'Abdul-Bahá at 780 West End Avenue, New York City (Home of Mr. and Mrs. E.
> B. Kinney), April 17, 1912.
> 
> In the Holy Books it is recorded that when the Sun of Truth dawns it will appear in the East
> and its Light will be reflected in the West. Already its dawning has taken place in the East
> and its signs are appearing in the West. Its illumination shall spread rapidly and widely in
> the Occident. That Sun of Truth has risen in Persia and its effulgence is now manifest here
> in America. This is the greatest proof of its appearance in the horizon of the world, as
> recorded in the Heavenly Books. Praise be to God! that which is prophesied in the Holy
> Books has been fulfilled.
> 
> On Sunday last, at Carnegie Hall, the revered soul who introduced 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave voice to
> the statement that according to tradition demons would appear from the land of the sunrising,
> but now we find angels appearing instead. At the time this statement was made a
> reply was not possible but today we will speak of it. The great Spiritual Lights have
> appeared only in the East. The Blessed Perfection Bahá'u'lláh appeared in the East. His
> Holiness Jesus Christ dawned on the horizon of the East. Moses, Aaron, Joseph and all the
> Israelite prophets such as Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah and others, appeared from the Orient.
> The Lights of Mohammed and the Báb shone from the East. The Eastern horizon has been
> flooded with the effulgence of these great lights, and only from the East have they risen to
> shine upon the West. Now, praise be to God! you are living in the dawn of a cycle when the
> Sun of Truth is again shining forth from the East, illumining all regions.
> 
> The world has become a new world. The darkness of night which has enveloped humanity is
> passing. A new day has dawned. Divine susceptibilities and heavenly capacities are
> developing in human souls under the training of the Sun of Truth. The capacities of souls
> are different. Their conditions are various. For example, certain minerals come from the
> stony regions of the earth. All are minerals; all are produced by the same sun, but one
> remains a stone while another develops the capacity of a glittering gem or jewel. From one
> plot of land tulips and hyacinths grow; from another, thorns and thistles. Each plot receives
> the bounty of the sunshine, but the capacity to receive it is not the same. Therefore it is
> requisite that we must develop capacity and Divine susceptibility in order that the merciful
> Bounty of the Sun of Truth intended for this age and time in which we are living, may reflect
> from us as light from pure crystals.
> 
> The Bounties of the Blessed Perfection are infinite. We must endeavor to increase our
> capacity daily, to strengthen and enlarge our capabilities for receiving them; become as
> perfect mirrors. The more polished and clean the mirror, the more effulgent is its reflection
> of the Lights of the Sun of Truth. Be like a well cultivated garden wherein the roses and
> variegated flowers of heaven are growing in fragrance and beauty. It is my hope that your
> hearts may become as ready ground, carefully tilled and prepared, upon which the Divine
> showers of the Bounties of the Blessed Perfection may descend and the zephyrs of this
> Divine springtime may blow with quickening breath. Then will the garden of your hearts
> bring forth its flowers of delightful fragrance to refresh the nostril of the Heavenly Gardener.
> Let your hearts reflect the glories of the Sun of Truth in their many colors to gladden the eye
> of the Divine Cultivator who has nourished them. Day by day become more closely attracted
> in order that the Love of God may illumine all those with whom you come in contact. Be as
> one spirit, one soul, leaves of one tree, flowers of one garden, waves of one ocean.
> 
> As difference in degree of capacity exists among human souls; as difference in capability is
> found, therefore individuals will differ one from another. But in reality this is a cause of
> unity and not of discord and enmity. If the flowers of a garden were all of one color, the
> effect would be monotonous to the eye; but if the colors are variegated, it is most pleasing
> and wonderful. The difference in adornment of color and capacity of reflection among the
> flowers gives the garden its beauty and charm. Therefore, although we are of different
> individualities, different in ideas, and of various fragrances, let us strive like flowers of the
> same Divine garden to live together in harmony. Even though each soul has its own
> individual perfume and color, all are reflecting the same Light, all contributing fragrance to
> the same breeze which blows through the garden, all continuing to grow in complete
> harmony and accord. Become as waves of one sea; trees of one forest, growing in the utmost
> love, agreement and unity.
> 
> If you attain to such a capacity of love and unity, the Blessed Perfection will shower infinite
> graces of the Spiritual Kingdom upon you, guide, protect and preserve you under the
> shadow of His Word, increase your happiness in this world and uphold you through all
> difficulties. Therefore it is my hope that day by day you will become more and more
> effulgent in the horizon of Heaven, advance nearer and nearer toward the Kingdom of El-
> Abhá, attain greater and greater bounties of the Blessed Perfection. I am joyful, for I
> perceive the evidences of great love among you. I go to Chicago, and when I return I hope
> that love will have become infinite. Then will it be an eternal joy to me and the friends in
> the Orient.
> 
> THE TABLET OF THE BRANCH
> 
> This Tablet of Bahá'u'lláh, referring to 'Abdu'l-Bahá as His successor, was first translated into
> English under the Master's direction on the Day of the Covenant in New York City and
> published December 2, 1912- three days before 'Abdu'l-Bahá's departure from America.
> 
> This has been revealed in Adrianople for Mirza Ali Riza in order that he may be nourished
> by the Favors of God.
> 
> He is Eternal in His Abhá Horizon!
> 
> Verily the Cause of God hath come upon the Clouds of Utterances and the polytheists are in
> this day in great torment. Verily the hosts of revelation have descended with banners of
> inspiration from the Heaven of the Tablet in the name of God, the Powerful, the Mighty. At
> this time the monotheists all rejoice in the victory of God and His dominion and the deniers
> will then be in manifest perplexity.
> 
> O ye people! Do ye flee from the mercy of God after it has encompassed the existent things
> created between the heavens and earth? Beware lest ye prefer your own selves before the
> mercy of God, and deprive not yourselves thereof. Verily whosoever turneth away therefrom
> will be in great loss. Verily mercy is like unto verses which have descended from the one
> heaven and from them the monotheists drink the choice wine of Life, whilst the polytheists
> drink the fiery water (Hameen); and when the verses of God are read unto them, the fire of
> hatred is enkindled within their breasts. Thus have they preferred their own selves before
> the mercy of God, and are of those who are heedless.
> 
> Enter, O people, beneath the shelter of the Word, then drink therefrom the choice wine of
> Inner Significances and Utterances; for therein is hidden the Kawther of the Glorious Oneand
> it hath appeared from the horizon of the will of your Lord, the merciful, with wonderful
> lights.
> 
> Say: Verily the ocean of pre-existence hath branched forth from this most great ocean.
> Blessed therefore is he who abides upon its shores, and is of those who are established
> thereon. Verily this most sacred temple of Abhá the Branch of Holiness-hath branched forth
> from the Sadratu'l-Muntaha. Blessed is whosoever hath sought shelter beneath it and is of
> those who rest therein.
> 
> Say: Verily the Branch of Command hath sprung forth from this root which God hath firmly
> planted in the ground of the will, the limb of which has been elevated to a station which
> encompasses all existence. Therefore exalted be he for this Creation, the Lofty, the Blessed,
> the Inaccessible, the Mighty!
> 
> O ye, people! draw nigh unto it (the Branch is referred to in this Tablet both as "It" and "His")
> and taste the fruits of its knowledge and wisdom on the part of the Mighty, the Knowing
> One. Whosoever will not taste thereof shall be deprived of the bounty, even though he has
> partaken of all that is in the earth - were ye of those who know.
> 
> Say: Verily a word hath gone forth from the Most Great Tablet and God hath adorned it with
> the mantle of Himself and made it sovereign over all on the earth and a sign of His grandeur
> and omnipotence among the creatures; in order that, through it, the people shall praise their
> Lord the mighty, the powerful, the wise; and that, through it, they shall glorify their Creator
> and sanctify the self of God which standeth within all things. Verily this is naught but a
> revelation upon the part of the Wise, the Ancient One! Say: O people, praise ye God for its
> manifestation (the Branch), for verily it (the Branch) is the most great favor upon you and
> the most perfect blessing upon you; and through Him every mouldering bone is quickened.
> Whosoever turns to Him hath surely turned unto God and whosoever turneth away from
> Him hath turned away from my beauty, denied my proof , and is of those who transgress.
> Verily, He is the remembrance of God amongst you and His trust within you and His
> manifestation unto you and His appearance among the servants who are nigh. Thus have I
> been commanded to convey to you the message of God, your Creator; and I have delivered to
> you that of which I was commanded. Whereupon, thereunto testifieth God, then His angels,
> then His messengers, and then His holy servants.
> 
> Inhale the fragrances of the Ridván from His roses and be not of those who are deprived.
> Appreciate the bounty of God upon you and be not veiled therefrom - and verily we have
> sent Him forth in the temple of man. Thus praise ye the Lord, the Originator of whatsoever
> He willeth through His wise and inviolable command!
> 
> Verily, those who withhold themselves from the Shelter of the Branch are indeed lost in the
> wilderness of perplexity - and are consumed by the heat of self-desire - and are of those who
> perish.
> 
> Hasten, O people, unto the Shelter of God, in order that He may protect you from the heat of
> the day whereon none shall find for himself any refuge or shelter except beneath the shelter
> of His Name, the clement, the forgiving. Clothe yourselves, O people, with the garment of
> assurance, in order that He may protect you from the darts of doubts and superstitions, and
> that ye may be of those who are assured in those days wherein none shall ever be assured
> and none shall be firmly established in the Cause except by severing himself from all that is
> possessed by the people and turning unto the holy and radiant outlook.
> 
> O ye people! Do ye take unto yourselves the Jebt (an idol) as a helper other than God, and do
> ye seek the Taghoot (an idol) as a Lord besides your Lord the Almighty, the Omnipotent?
> Forsake, O people, their mention, then hold the Chalice of Life in the name of your Lord the
> Merciful. Verily by God, the existent world is quickened through a drop thereof, were ye of
> those who know.
> 
> Say: In that day there is no refuge for any one save the command of God, and no salvation
> for any soul but God. Verily this is the truth and there is naught after truth but manifest
> error.
> 
> Verily God hath made it incumbent upon every soul to deliver His Cause (the Message)
> according to his ability. Thus hath the command been recorded by the finger of might and
> power upon the Tablet of majesty and greatness.
> 
> Whosoever quickens one soul in this Cause is like unto one quickening all the servants and
> the Lord shall bring him forth in the Day of Resurrection into the Ridván of Oneness,
> adorned with the mantle of Himself, the Protector, the Mighty, the Generous. Thus will ye
> assist your Lord, and naught else save this shall ever be mentioned in this day before God
> your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.
> 
> As to thee, O servant: hearken unto the admonition given unto thee in the Tablet; then seek
> the grace of thy Lord at all times. Then spread the Tablet among those who believe in God
> and in His verses; so that they may follow that which is contained therein, and be of those
> who are praiseworthy.
> 
> Say: O people, cause no corruption in the earth and dispute not with men; for verily this is
> not worthy of those who have chosen in the shelter of their Lord a station which shall indeed
> remain secure.
> 
> If ye find one athirst, give him to drink from the Chalice of Kawtha and Tasneen; and if ye
> find one endowed with an attentive ear, read unto him the verses of God, the Mighty, the
> Merciful, the Compassionate. Unloose the tongue with excellent utterance, then admonish
> the people if ye find them advancing unto the sanctuary of God, otherwise abandon them
> unto themselves and forsake them in the abyss of hell. Beware lest ye scatter the pearls of
> Inner Significance before every barren, dumb one. Verily the blind are deprived of
> witnessing the Lights and are unable to distinguish between the stone and the holy, precious
> pearl.
> 
> Verily, wert thou to read the most mighty, wonderful verses to the stone for a thousand
> years, will it understand, or will they take any effect therein? No! by thy Lord the Merciful,
> the Clement! If thou readest all the verses of God unto the deaf, will he hear a single letter?
> No! Verily by the Beauty, the Mighty, the Ancient!
> 
> Thus have we delivered unto thee some of the jewels of Wisdom and Utterance, in order that
> thou mayest gaze unto the direction of thy Lord and be served from all the creatures. May
> the Spirit and Glory rest upon thee, and upon those who dwell upon the plain of holiness
> and who remain in the cause of their Lord in manifest steadfastness!
> 
> APPENDIX 2
> 
> The Ring, the Pin and the Photographs
> 
> In January 1976, Marie and I were working on a Bahá'í exhibit depicting Progressive
> Revelation to be installed in our neighborhood Public Library and we needed pictures of
> ancient temples. Chris Filstrup, a Bahá'í friend, was head of the Oriental Dept. of The New
> York Public Library and was to introduce us to the Ancient Photographs Dept.
> 
> The Oriental Dept. has in its collection unique original 19th cent. Bahá'í books, and on
> appointment day, January 2, Chris said to have just received some Bahá'í books he didn't
> have time to check yet. While he went with Marie to the photographs room, I looked at the
> books.
> 
> Three of them dated @ 1930 were not significant. But there was beautiful leather bound
> Arabic edition @1898. I opened it, snapshots and letters were inserted between pages. These
> pictures had informally caught 'Abdu'l-Bahá in various attitudes and walking in Haifa. The
> letters were dated 1909/1910, one of them seemed to contain something. I opened delicately
> and there was a rose, still fresh of colors, pink and green and faintly smelling. The letter
> said: "Dear Asa, I picked up this rose this morning in the garden of 'Abdu'l-Bahá after the
> Master inhaled its perfume." Hooo! I was ready to put the whole thing in my purse!… Chris
> said this was "personal property," the Library would keep the book but he had to send the
> rest to our National Archives in Wilmette. The book was a gift to Asa Cochran, New York
> 1910.
> 
> The name rang a bell. The first Bahá'í book given to me when I first met Bahá'ís in
> Tacoma, Wash., in 1962, was Not Every Sea Hath Pearls by Loulie Mathews. In the first
> chapter called "The Photograph," the author relates being a student of Asa Cochran in 1914,
> when one day she was told to wait in a small room sparsely furnished with chairs around the
> photograph of an old gentleman whose stare overpowered her soul.
> 
> The following month, our Spiritual Assembly asked us to check weekly on a Bahá'í exhibit
> celebrating the American Bicentennial installed by the National Spiritual Assembly in the
> rotunda of Penn Station. On the last Sunday, Michel, Marie's son, then 12 years old, was with
> us as we planned to visit an antique show on the second floor. Marie went to antique shows
> searching for old Bahá'í books and Michel was looking for old comics. This was a
> "bicentennial" show of not much interest to us.
> 
> Looking at the last exhibit of jewelry, Michel who was around the display case said: "Hey!
> There is a Bahá'í ring!" We could not see it and had to bend toward Michel's height to see a
> tiny gold ring with a brown stone: sure it was!… I asked for the price, crossing my fingers
> that I could afford it… The lady dealer said that this was a 200 years old ring. "It cannot be,
> this is a Bahá'í ring and the Faith started in 1844." "Are you Bahá'í? The stone may be Bahá'í,
> but the setting is older with that carving- one owl on each side, wings spread out toward the
> stone. The owl is an Indian symbol of wisdom in Washington State and this ring belonged to
> the Cochran family." We were stunned!
> 
> Mrs. Reiner, explained the mystery. The Cochrans were part of the American lore in
> Washington State where they made their fortune. They moved to New York circa 1896 and
> Mrs. Cochran traveled around the world with their two young daughters who gave concerts
> as "musical prodigies". They lost their fortune during the Depression. The younger
> daughter, Olea, had died penniless this past December. The City of New York auctioned her
> house and estate. Books went to the Main Public Library, where we found their Bahá'í books,
> and antic dealers bought the rest by lots.
> 
> Mrs. Reiner had bought boxes of letters bearing the name "Abd… Abd…," "'Abdu'l-
> Bahá?" "Yes." As a Jewish person, she had been interested to read some of these letters from
> the Holy Land and she had kept one box with photographs that she would be glad to give to
> us as Bahá'ís, we would only pay a nominal price for the frames. She sold me the ring "at a
> discount" and gave us her New Jersey address.
> 
> This was a very moving encounter. The photographs in that box were taken during
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visit to New York in 1912. One of them, an original had the Master's signature
> and another was the work of renowned Gertrude Käsebier with a full sentence in Persian
> written by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. There was also a radiant gold pin which Marie could buy. It was
> engraved with the Greatest Name and a Persian writing on the back. The box contained
> some letters, translations of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's tablets. Three of them, dated 1909, were
> addressed to Mrs. Cochran asking her to travel to India for the Faith.
> 
> Our Bahá'í friends were all excited by this amazing treasure-trove. We learned the
> translation of the Master's handwriting on the photograph: "O Lord, this handmaiden is
> working in Thy service, make her victorious." This was probably addressed to Mrs. Cochran
> who had traveled for the Faith. The engraving on the back of the pin: "Khátam Awliya"
> means "Symbol of the Saints," and may be associated with the name "Olea".
> 
> When living in Los Angeles, in 1965, at a time of trial, after praying 'Abdu'l-Bahá for
> guidance, I had a dream in which a veiled Being, surrounded by light, was giving me this
> tiny brown ring. But, now we were not sure we should keep these precious objects.
> 
> We showed the whole treasure to Hand of the Cause Mr. Khádem, who was very moved.
> He raised the ring, the pin and the photographs to his brow, praying. He confirmed that the
> small brown stone was one of the cornelians 'Abdu'l-Bahá had engraved to His
> specifications to give to friends for their services to the Faith. The inscriptions on the pin
> were also from the Master. We were deeply grateful for these gifts from beyond the grave,
> but what shall we do now? Mr. Khádem assured us: "You found them, 'Abdu'l-Bahá wanted
> you to have them for some reason, they are yours to keep."
> 
> We thought that it was tragic we never learned of the plight of this family. Yet, our
> "finding" of these precious heirlooms may mean that these friends found peace and reward
> in the Abhá Kingdom.
> 
> The photograph commented upon in Mrs. Mathews' book was of Juliet Thompson's
> portrait of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. We have it now, in its ebony frame, as shown in the picture of a
> makeshift altar as described in the book.
> 
> Since 1972, when I first read the typescript of Juliet Thompson's diaries, I was making
> researches and gathering material on 'Abdu'l-Bahá's 1912 visit to New York for teaching
> purpose. The finding of this treasure, confirmed my resolve to write a book. These 1912
> photographs are now in this book, perhaps the reason we found them was for us to give
> them back to the community of the City of the Covenant.
> 
> Eliane Lacroix-Hopson, with her
> 
> daughter, Marie-Danielle Samuel,
> 
> and her grandson, Michel G. Samuel.
> 
> METADATA
> 
> Views52319 views since posted 2000; last edit 2022-03-20 19:11 UTC;
> 
> previous at archive.org.../hopson_abdul-baha_new_york;
> URLs changed in 2010, see archive.org.../bahai-library.org
> ISBN
> 0-87961-255-X
> Language
> English
> Permission
> author and publisher
> History
> Formatted 2005-02-10 by Brett Zamir.
> Share
> 
> Shortlink: bahai-library.com/2662
> Citation: ris/2662
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> — *Abdu'l-Baha in New York: The City of the Covenant (Used by permission of the curator)*