CONTENTS Preface and Acknowledgements
vii
Prologue 1. The First Pilgrimage 2. The Egg Merchant and His Brood 3. Louise Spreads Her Wings 4. With the Master in London and Paris 5. The Seed is Sown 6. The Seed Grows 7. ‘A Fortress for Well-being’ 8. ‘Two Birds of the Nest of Thy Love’ 9. ‘Diffuse the Divine Fragrances’ 10. The First Trip 11. ‘Spiritual Gladness’ 12. First Visit to the Balkans 13. Czechoslovakia to Bulgaria and Back Again 14. From Central Europe to the Holy Land 15. ‘Your Name Will Be Gratefully Remembered . . .’ 16. A Change of Plan 17. A Summer in Salzburg 18. Return to Belgrade 19. The Last Trip to Europe 20. A Trip Together – Haiti 21. ‘Your Manifold and Truly Historic Services’ 22. ‘Your Hearts Are Young’ Appendix: Louise’s Travels
1 3 15 24 36 50 62 76 88 98 110 122 136 146 155 167 180 192 198 206 213 219 231 240
Bibliography Notes and References Index About the Author
243 249 265 278
4
WITH THE MASTER IN LONDON AND PARIS Louise left no written record of her pilgrimage but Louis’s account alludes to her participation in their spiritual journey.1 After her pilgrimage in April 1911 she was transformed and rejuvenated both in body and in spirit. She now prepared to commit her life to service of the Faith and to humanity. She may have returned to Paris to share with the friends there her experiences on her pilgrimage and offer them the gems of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s wisdom that she had been privileged to hear. But, ever practical, she must have been eager to return to the project for helping poor children in England knowing that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had told her this was ‘a service to the Divine Kingdom’.2 It was on 11 August 1911 that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá departed Alexandria and sailed for Marseilles, France. He then spent some time in Thononles-Bains on Lake Geneva where He was visited by Juliet Thompson, the American Bahá’í and artist who later painted a portrait of Him and recorded her meetings with Him in her diary. Hippolyte and Laura Dreyfus-Barney were now married and stayed at the Hotel du Parc in Thonon and had the bounty of meetings with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Other visitors there were the American Horace Holley and his first wife, Bertha. Edith Sanderson, her mother and two friends were staying nearby and were visited by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and His party. After resting in Thonon-les-Bains ‘Abdu’l-Bahá set off on His travels and arrived in London on 4 September 1911. Although this was four days earlier than expected He was graciously received by Sara, Lady Blomfield who had His accommodation swiftly made ready at her apartment at 97 Cadogan Gardens where He was to spend most of His time during this His first visit to England. Lady Blomfield had become a Bahá’í in Paris in 1907 when she was introduced to the Faith 36
with the master in london and paris
by Miss Bertha Herbert, who later became Mrs Bertha Holley. Bertha was assisted in giving the message to Lady Blomfield by Ethel Rosenberg, one of the first British Bahá’ís, who had recently returned from her pilgrimage to meet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Holy Land. Lady Blomfield, who had been on a spiritual search for many years, realized that the Bahá’í Movement was the guidance she had been seeking and became one of the most steadfast pivots of the British Bahá’í community, so it was natural that her home should be chosen to be blessed by the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá while in London. Louise later recorded that she ‘met Him [‘Abdu’l-Bahá] in Egypt, London and Paris’3 so it is clear that she associated with the friends who gathered round ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, met with Him and attended His talks during His visits to both London and Paris. On Sunday 10 September ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave a talk from the pulpit of the City Temple in London to around 2,000 people during the evening service. This was His first public talk anywhere in the world,4 a remarkable achievement considering that He had been a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire for 40 years and He had no previous experience of public speaking. He had been invited to speak at the City Temple by the celebrated churchman the Reverend R. J. Campbell whom He had met shortly after His arrival in London. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke animatedly for nine minutes and then an English translation of His talk was read to the congregation by Wellesley Tudor Pole. His address included the theme of unity which was to be a subject He frequently returned to in many of His talks in the West: The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of mankind and of the fundamental oneness of religion. War shall cease between nations, and by the will of God the Most Great Peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers. In the days of old an instinct for warfare was developed in the struggle with wild animals; this is no longer necessary; nay, rather, co-operation and mutual understanding are seen to produce the greatest welfare of mankind. Enmity is now the result of prejudice only. In the Hidden Words Bahá’u’lláh says, ‘Justice is to be loved above all.’ Praise be to God, in this country the standard of justice has 37
a seed in your heart
been raised; a great effort is being made to give all souls an equal and a true place. This is the desire of all noble natures; this is today the teaching for the East and for the West; therefore the East and the West will understand each other and reverence each other, and embrace like long-parted lovers who have found each other.5
It seems likely that Louise was amongst the huge congregation in the City Temple on this remarkable occasion. A week later another London church was the location for a stirring address and benediction from the Master. He was invited to speak to the congregation at evening service at St John the Divine, Westminster by Archdeacon Wilberforce, grandson of the campaigner for the abolition of slavery, William Wilberforce. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was seated in the Bishop’s chair on the chancel steps and after His talk the Archdeacon himself read a translation of the speech. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave a blessing to the whole congregation, ‘his wonderful voice rising and falling in the silence with the power of his invocation’6 whereupon Archdeacon Wilberforce and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá walked hand in hand down the aisle of the church. The headquarters of the Theosophical Society was another venue for a spiritual discourse while ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was in London. He was invited to speak there on 30 September by the society’s president Annie Besant. Louise had been an adherent of Theosophy at one time, so it is likely that she was amongst the audience at this talk. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá here gave an exposition of some main principles of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings, introducing his main points with the words: It is the inherent nature of things on this earth to change, thus we see around us the change of the seasons. Every spring is followed by a summer and every autumn brings a winter – every day a night and every evening a morning. There is a sequence in all things. Thus when hatred and animosity, fighting, slaughtering, and great coldness of heart were governing this world, and darkness had overcome the nations, Bahá’u’lláh, like a bright star, rose from the horizon of Persia and shone with the great Light of Guidance, giving heavenly radiance and establishing the new Teaching. He declared the most human virtues; He manifested the Spiritual powers, and put them into practice in the world around Him.7 38
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