ever was said to them, but these Jews never listened. One day I related the talk that I delivered in the synagogue of the Jews in America to a Rabbi in Tiberias. When I looked into his face, I saw no sign of intelligence. What a difference among the souls who comprehend and those who are utterly deprived of the bestowals of God!"

His honor Dr. Ardasheer, one of the Zoroastrian Bahais of India, went to visit Abdul-Baha before leaving the Orient for America. Abdul-Baha said, "Perchance, God willing, a new spirituality, a beautiful fragrance, zeal and stirring enthusiasm may become manifest in India. India is exceedingly ready, but the appearance of these is dependent upon the attraction and the enkindlement of the friends. In this day, the confirmation of God will reach everyone who arises to teach. Many instances of this are happening continuously. Indeed, the confirmation surrounding him will amaze man himself.

"The light of the love of God must be ignited in the hearts of the children, during their childhood. When a child is reared in the shadow of divine education, truth is mentioned to him day by day. The Blessed Beauty, the teachings, the history of this Cause and of the divine prophets are taught him and then faith finds its place in his heart. Therefore, from this moment you must bring your brother under the system of the divine education. Speak to him of the love and the knowledge of God. Should a child be left without training and remain in his original state, he becomes like unto an animal and is a slave of nature."

Abdul-Baha, welcoming Shah'o'llah Khan, who came from Afghanistan, said, "In ancient history, they have praised and lauded the city of Samarkand. It is the city of Priuce Taymoor. But at present, it is entirely changed and transformed.... . . . . '. This blessed Cause has such power and penetration

that it will spread into all parts of the world. I am hopeful that in Afghanistan it will be of great effect. The gentlemen of Afghanistan are active. They are warm blooded. In their blood, there is power and heat. Therefore, you see that although the Mohammedan governments are in a state of chaos, Afghanistan is protecting itself as much as possible."

When someone mentioned the name of the late Hadji Mirza Hassan Khorassani of Cairo, Egypt, Abdul-Baha said, "In justice to him, he served the Cause very much. He helped the friends everywhere. He had zeal and enthusiasm. He assisted everybody."

On the subject of consultation, Abdul-Baha said, "Man must consult with a trustworthy and wise person. His Holiness the Messenger (Mohammed) says, "The consulted is trusted.' Therefore, if man does not consult with a trustworthy, wise person, his own mind becomes confused. When man's thoughts are scattered, he falls into many troubles. But if he concentrates on one point, then he is relieved on all sides."

June 17, 1914.

A group of believers were strolling in the blessed garden. Abdul-Baha sent for them and when they came, he seated Mollah Abu Taleb, who was very advanced in years, in a chair close to him and said: "Father, how good it is for a man to be bent, to have bedimmed eyes and decrepit bones in the divine Cause." Then Abdul-Baha turned his face toward Agha Gholam 'o'llah Ahamadoff, formerly from the city of Meelan, Russia, and said, "The friends in Meelan were self-sacrificing from the beginning of the Cause. They have always endured calamities and hardships in the divine path. They were always firm and steadfast. They were always the cause of the glory of the Cause of God. Never has anything that might cause harm in the Cause, appeared from them." After

a while, Abdul-Baha said: "We are continually working hard, writing and writing, encouraging and urging so that the fire of the love of God may be ignited in the hearts. Then suddenly you see one come and put it out."

On the subject of the Covenant,. Abdul-Baha said: "Endeavor ye night and day that the banner of the Covenant may wave as it should, in those regions. For in this day, the souls reverberate by the power of the Covenant. They become enlivened by the spirt of the Covenant. They move by the call of the Covenant, otherwise they become depressed and inactive as a body without a soul, a lamp without a light."

June 18, 1914.

The following is a tablet revealed by Abdul-Baha today, to the friends in Boston:

"If the tablets of the Blessed Beauty (BAHA'O'LLAH) such as the Hidden Words, Ishrakat, Tajelleyat, Glad Tidings, Tarazat and the Words are read and one of the divine exhortations lived

up to man attains to the degree of per

fection. He becomes the center of merciful susceptibilities, the source of human. perfection and the lights of the Kingdom will shine from his face and character."

Then Abdul-Baha walked in his room and looking from the window, said, 'During the days of youth, man sees the pictures of life in all things wherever he looks, but, as his age advances, he sees the picture of death in everything and that all things have an end. When he looks at the trees he sees that in the end they will dry up. When he looks at the buildings, he sees that finally they too, will be destroyed. If he sees a thickly populated place, he remembers that a time will come when it will be devastated. Briefly, all things inform man of an end."

Afterwards, Abdul-Baha spoke of the king-of-the-martyrs. He praised him very much and said, "During the life

time of the king-of-the-martyrs, the heart of the Blessed Beauty was in tranquillity for Isfahan (a city in Persia)." Then he related a story, which briefly was this, "One day, one of the opposers hit a dog with a stone, cursed him and called him names, hoping that by so doing, he might bring sorrow to the heart of the king-of-the-martyrs. 'Write down in thy memorandum that half a mann (mann, in Persian weight, is seven and one-quarter pounds) must be sent daily to this dog, because he was hit by a stone and cursed for our sake,' commanded the king-of-the-martyrs to his servant. These are the souls who 'do not speak before He speaks and who do according to His commands.'"

Then Abdul-Baha summoned the pilgrims and spoke in detail about assemblies and gatherings in London and Paris. He said: "There was a great commotion in the souls upon hearing my addresses. A seed was sown. God shall make it grow. Undoubtedly, He will make it grow. After 300 years, the seed that was sown by the disciples (of Christ) brought forth its fruit. But, in this day

the seeds that the friends of God plant, grow in a short time. This is because of the power of the Cause."

That afternoon, a feast was held at the home of Abdul-Baha for the marriage of Mirza Mooneer Zein with Essmat, daughter of Ebrahim Mashadi Fattah. These were all of the old believers in Acca. Abdul-Baha came in and after sitting in silence for a few minutes, he said: "It is one month and a half since I was in the assembly of the friends. Now, things are so arranged that I find myself again. in the gathering of the friends. Praise be to God! In this day a double happiness is obtained for the friends of God. The first is that this meeting is held near the Supreme Threshold (at the tomb of the Bab) at the foot of Mt. Carmel, in the utmost joy and fragrance. Such a gathering, at such a place, in the neighborhood of the Supreme

Threshold is a great bounty and the cause of great joy. Our hope is this, that from the favors of the Blessed Beauty, we may walk in His path and become confirmed in whatever the duty of servitude in the Holy Threshold might be. Although it is impossible for us to arise in servitude as we should— as the poet says, 'How can I raise my head for shame that I cannot serve the Beloved in a fitting manner?'-and although we cannot attain it in full degree, yet we should strive. Our hope is this, that although the whole ocean fail to confirm us, we may, through His confirmation, assistance, favor and bounty, be confirmed with one drop. The second joy is this, that this is the wedding of Mirza Mooneer. Praise be to God, this feast was prepared in the utmost joy, under the shadow of the bounties of the Blessed One. I beg of God that a blessed family may be established which will become hospitable and famous throughout centuries and ages, in servitude to the Holy Threshold. This is the fruit of existence. If the fruit of the existence of man is not the servitude of the Divine Threshold, by God-save whom there is no God!-life is death, existence is nonexistence, happiness is ennui, joy is sorrow and regret is the end. If man will only lay his time at His Threshold, then whatsoever is befitting and worthy of this Threshold, will become evident and manifest. This is the fruit of life. This is the result of existence. This is the illumination of the human world. This is the eternal life. This is the everlasting exaltation. This is the heavenly glory."

June 20, 1914.

Whenever news of teaching and spreading the Cause comes from various regions to Abdul-Baha, he becomes exceedingly happy. Today, after receiving good news from America, he revealed and sent the following tablet: "Thy letter was received. From its contents, it

became evident that, Praise be to God! the lights of the Kingdom are spreading and the souls are listening to the Word. The heedless are being awakened and the blind are seeing. This news became the cause of happiness. In this day, the power of the Kingdom is assisting those who are standing forth in service. and who are the cause of guiding the people. A person who is a herald of the Kingdom of Abha is like unto a lamp and the souls who possess high or lofty ideals are like unto butterflies. When the light is shining, undoubtedly the butterflies gather around it. Therefore, as many of ye as can, call ye to the Kingdom of Abha so that ye may become near to the Threshold of His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH and so that the heavenly hosts may assist ye. In this day, the power of the Covenant is the magnetic power in the apex of the horizon. This is the power that moves the world of humanity. This is the power that causes the penetration of the words. in the hearts. This is the power that ignites the fire of the love of God. This is the power that brings joy and cheer to the souls."

When Dr. Ardasheer was in the holy presence, Abdul-Baha said jokingly to Mirza Haydar Aly: "Dr. Ardasheer has learned osteopathy very well. He desires to give you a massage. Are you willing to have him give you a treatment? He claims that if a person is feeling ill, he will make him well; the powerless become powerful and the old will become young!"

Abdul-Baha praised the people of America because they are worshippers of reality. He said, "They investigate every question. They do not quarrel and dispute. They think mostly of the investigation of truth or reality. America needs teachers who know languages. If there were severed and attracted souls who know the English language and who were skilled in ethics, great results would have been brought about. Like

wise, the teacher should know how to adjust his speech according to the exigency of the time and place. Now, if a person goes to Europe and someone asks him, 'What proofs have you concerning the prophethood of His Holiness the Messenger (Mohammed)?' and he replies, 'The Koran,' none would accept it. All the regions in the East and in the West are ready, but extraordinary souls who are highly developed in spirituality and refinement, are needed. If my health were good at present, I would not wait one day longer. I would go not only to America but to all parts of the world to cry and call out. Had I been free during the forty years of my imprisonment in Acca, I would have traveled to the East, West, North and South of the world. I would not have kept still for one minute and I would have illumined the horizons with the light of the Sun of Reality. And then you would have seen what great results had been obtained.

"There were three islands near the equator in the Indian (Pacific) Ocean. The weather there is very hot. The number of inhabitants was 4,000,000, all of whom were idolators, worshiping the sun and stars. In the ninth century of Islam, one blessed soul went there to serve God and God alone. He was alone and lonely. They inflicted upon him severe injuries, calamities and persecution, but he never ceased in his efforts until he had converted all the inhabitants of those three islands to Islam. Now if such souls could be found, in a short time all those regions (America) would become illumined."

The North Shore Review, dated May 2, 1914, reached Haifa and the friends rejoiced in reading the eloquent article on the Mashrekol-azkar written by the sincere maid-servant of God, Mrs. Isabel Fraser. In the morning Abdul-Baha spoke about the wicked nakezeen (vio

lators of the Covenant). He said: "They go to self-interested strangers. They show unto them love and friendship; but they do not understand that these souls are the enemies of the Blessed Beauty. They go and show their love to the one who is an enemy to the Blessed Beauty. What ignorance! The Blessed Beauty said the following about such people, 'In every minute the wound of atheism and the arrows of infidelity come to me from them.' Also, He said, 'O Thou spirit of God, descend and see that my humiliation is more than Thy grandeur.'

Then Abdul-Baha wrote the following tablet for a martyr from Ardakan, Persia:

HE IS GOD!

"Verily, those who quaffed the cup of the great martyrdom in the path of God, are favored from the bounty of Thy Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate. They are the ones whose hearts God has chosen for His love. Their faces are shining with the light of God in the paradise of the rose-garden. The angels of mercy receive them and announce to them the glad tidings of holy resting places and of the canopy of sincerity in the Kingdom of their generous Lord. Their enemies will be repulsed and degraded to the lowest of the lowest as thou hast seen others in manifest loss. Verily, there is in this an example for those who are mindful. God shall do away with the helpers of the unjust.

"O my Lord, confirm the relatives of these martyrs in serving Thy Cause, elevating Thy Word, spreading Thy Religion, igniting Thy Love in the hearts of Thy servants and guide those who are lost in the wilderness of error. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Dear, the Exalted!"

(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.

Vol. IX

No. 11

N the evening Abdul-Baha spoke the following to the friends: "There were blessed souls during the early days of the Cause in the city of Narak, Persia, such as Hadji Kamal-el-Din and his brother Mirza Mahmood. They were the nephews of Hadji Mullah Mohammed Mujtahed (a Mohammedan high priest). Although their uncle was very influential and the Mujtahed of Kashan and although he was very bitter in his enmity and hatred, all of his efforts to drive them away from the Cause 'only increased their faith.

"Hadji Kamal-el-Din, a great personage, was severed, trusting and free from all imitations. He was the nephew of Mullah Ahmad Naraki and he was respected and esteemed in the city of Narak. Immediately after he became a believer, the enemies arose against him until he was compelled to leave Narak and go to Bagdad. Here at the edge of the bridge, where pilgrims pass, he opened a grocery store. He was so severed that he did not even give attention to the pilgrims who were going or coming from Kashan. He never gave thought to this idea, 'I am the nephew of Mullah Ahmad Naraki. I was honored, respected and dignified. It is not becoming that these people should see me now in the grocery business.' Nay, rather he was

in the utmost joy. Later on the members of his household became very successful.

"When he heard that the Blessed Beauty (BAHA'O'LLAH) had gone from Bagdad to Kazmin, although the distance was great, he traveled it on foot because he could not afford to pay the route-fare of a half abbasi (about half a cent). But his face was aglow with joy and happiness. He was indeed of the essence of existence. Such souls possess freedom and live in another world and condition. Their lives were not even for a moment in safety. Yet they lived in loving assurance. That is, although they expected any minute to be killed, they never thought of any fear. The majority of the friends in those days were waiting for martyrdom. They never thought of rest. They waited anxiously for the day when they could clasp the intoxicating cup of the wine of great martyrdom and for the hour when they would step forth into the arena of sacrifice, to lay their lives on the altar of love."

June 21, 1914.

The students of Beirut College, some of whom were graduates of the medical college and some from the high school, arrived in Haifa to spend their