Oh 'Abdu'l-Baha!

All day long He has been making my eyes well with tears. Reading stories of His boundless love.  Utter self-forgetfulness.  Regard for the most marginalized in society.  His mercy!

"A man, ill with tuberculosis, was avoided by his friends—even his family was fearful and hardly dared enter his room. ['Abdu'l-Baha] needed only to hear of it and thereafter went daily to the sick man, took him delicacies, read and discoursed to him, and was alone with him when he died."

"When 'Abdu'l-Baha came to America in 1912 Fred Mortensen felt he was being urged by the Holy Spirit to make the journey to see Him.  He had to attend a printers' convention in Cleveland but felt increasingly restless and decided to leave, come what may.  He wrote: 'The night before leaving Cleveland I had a dream that I was 'Abdu'l-Baha's guest, that I sat at a long table, and many others were there, too, and of how he walked up and down telling stories, emphasizing with his hand.  This, later, was fulfilled and he looked just as I saw him in Cleveland.  As my finances were low I of necessity must hobo my way to Green Acre.  The Nickel Plate railway was my choice, for conveyance to Buffalo, New York.  From Buffalo again I rode the rods to Boston, a long ride from around midnight until nine next morning.  The Boston and Maine Railway was the last link between 'Abdu'l-Baha and the outside world, so it seemed to me, and when I crawled off the top of one of its passenger trains at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, I was exceedingly happy.  A boat ride, a street car ride, and there I was, at the gate of Paradise.  My heart beating double time, I stepped onto the soil of that to-be-famous center, tired, dirty, and wondering, but happy.'

He found that he was one of numerous people, all of whom wished also to see [Him]- and he was a late arrival.  Great was his astonishment the next day when he was told, 'Abdu'l-Baha wishes to see Mr. Mortensen.'  It had seemed that [his] first interview-- with a doctor-- had but begun.  He was unprepared and 'nearly wilted'.  He really somehow had expected to be called last. 

Mr. Mortensen recorded what happened next: 'He welcomed me with a smile and warm hand-clasp, telling me to be seated, He sitting before me.  His first words were, 'Welcome! Welcome! You are very welcome," and then, "Are you happy?"--which was repeated three times.'  Then came more queries, including one he had hoped to avoid. '"Did you have a pleasant journey?'"

'Of all the questions I wished to avoid this was the one!  I dropped my gaze to the floor--and again he put the question.  I lifted my eyes to his and his were as two black, sparkling jewels, which seeemd to look into my very depths.  I knew he knew and I must tell...I answered: "I did not come as people generally do, who come to see you."

'Question: "How did you come?"

'Answer: "Riding under and on top of the railway trains."

'Question: "Explain how."

'Now as I looked into the eyes of 'Abdu'l-Baha I saw they had changed and a wondrous light seemed to pour out.  It was the light of love and I felt relieved and very much happier.  I explained to him how I rode on the trains, after which he kissed both my cheeks, gave me much fruit, and kissed the dirty hat I wore, which had become soiled on my trip to see him.'"

[Vignettes]