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STAR OF THE WEST PUBLISHED NINETEEN TIMES A YEAR In the Interest of the BAHAT. MOVEMENT By the BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, 515 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, 111., U. S. A. Publishers.‘ ALBERT R. WINDUST—GERTRUDE BUIKEMA-DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI Entcred as second-class matter April 9, 1911, at the postofiice at Chicago, 111., under the Act of March 3, 1879. TERMS: $2.50 per year; 15 cents per copy Make Money Orders Payable to BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, 111., U. S. A. To personal checks please add sufficient to cover the bank exchange. Address all communications to BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A. WORDS OF ABDUL-BAHA “Great importance must be given to the development of the STAR or THE WEST. The circle of its discussion must be widened; in its columns must be published the essential problems pertaining to the Bahai life in all its phases. Its contents must be so universal that even the strangers may subscribe to it. Articles must be published, dealing with the universal principles of the Cause, the writers proving that this Cause takes a vital interest in all the social and religious movements of the age and is conducive to the progress of the world and its inhabitants. In short, the STAR or THE WEST must promote the aspirations and the ideals that will gather little by little around these general Tablets, bringing into the light of day all the historical, religious and racial knowledge which will be of the utmost value to the Bahai teachers all over the world." From of the Divine Plan. Vol. 10 CONTENTS No.19 PAGE P0rtrait0fTh0rnt0nChase............................................338 Photograph of grave of Thornton Chase................................339 Recent Tablets from Abdul-Baha to American Bahais....................339 Mr. and Mrs Beckett Edna Bellora Belmont Mrs. Rasmussen Mr. and Mrs. Gift Mr. and Mrs. Richter Flora Clark Obituary Mrs. Anna Euler Mrs. Sophie Scheflier Caroline Kruger Mrs. Sarah A. Sherman Mrs. A. M. Bryant Thomas MacMechan Thad Butler Mrs. Ida Brush and Mrs. Frances Roe Joseph H. Hannen Mrs. Fanny Boettle Mrs. Elizabeth Diggett Sanford Kinney \Vi1liam Ludwig Philip Burnett Francis C. Newton Mirza Haji Niaz Charles F. Haney Abdul-Hossein Djaffarofi Edit0ria1—Psychic Forces Indexf0rV01ume10............................;.....................351 IMPQRTANT — See Announcement on Last Page
(See Tablet on following page.)
STAR OF THE WEST “We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations; that all nations shall become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of afiection and unity between the sons of men shall be strengthened, that diversity of religion shall cease and difierences of race be annulled. So it shall be; these fruitless strifes; these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the ‘Most Great Peace’ shall come.”—BAHA'o’LLAH. Vol. 10 Ola 1, 75 (March 2, 1920) The grave of Thornton Chase, Inglewood Cemetery, Los Angeles. California Recent Tablets from Abdul-Baha to American Bahais ME. AND MRS. BECKETT 0 ye two faithful and assured souls! The letter was received. Praise be to God, it imparted good tidings. California is ready for the promulgation of the teachings of God. My hope is that ye may strive With heart and soul that the sweet scent may perfume the nostrils. Miss Anna Greig, Mrs. Alice Blackman, Mrs. Katherine Tizzard and Dr. Ruth Newland were blessed souls and, praise be to God, they passed away firm and steadfast. They flew away from a narrow and gloomy world to a spacious and illumined realm. They have been freed from every pain and aflitiotion and have attained unto everlasting joy and gladness. Convey on my behalf to Mrs. Chase respectful greeting and say: “Mr. Chase is in the horizon of Truth 3, twinkling star, but at present it is still behind the clouds; soon shall these be dissipated and the radiance of that star shall illumine the state of California. Appreciate thou this bounty that thou hast been his wife and companion in life.” In short, every year on the anniversary of the ascension‘‘'‘ of that blessed soul the friends must visit his tomb on behalf of Abdul-Baha and in the utmost lowliness and humility should with all respect lay on his grave Wreaths of flowers and spend all the day in quiet prayer, While turning the face toward the Kingdom of Signs and mentioning and praising the attributes of that illustrious person. Those souls who during the war have served the poor and have been in the
- Scptember 30, 1912.
Red Cross Mission Work, their services are accepted at -the Kingdom of God and are the cause‘ of their everlasting life. Convey to them this glad-tidings. Upon ye be greeting and praise! (Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS. (Translated by Shoghi Rabbani, Bahjeh, Acca, Palestine, July 23rd, 1919.) MRS. RASMUSSEN O thou beloved maid-servant of God! Although -the loss of a son is indeed heart-breaking and beyond the limits of human eduranee, yet the heedful and observing person is assured that the son has not been lost but, instead, has stepped from this World into another, and he Will find him in the Divine Realm. That meeting shall be eternal, Whereas in this World separation is inevitable, and this in its turn entails its consuming fire. Praise be unto God, thou hast faith, are turning thy face toward the everlasting Kingdom and believing in the existence of a heavenly World. Therefore, be thou not disoonsolate, do not languish, do not sigh, and refrain from wailing and bemoaning; for agitation and moaning deeply his soul in the divine realm. That beloved child addresses thee from the hidden World, thus: “O thou kind mother! Thank divine Providenee that I have been freed from the narrow and gloomy cage and, like unto the birds of the meadows, have soared to the divine world spacious, illumined, and ever gay and jubilant. Therefore, lament not, 0 mother, and be not grieved; I am not of the lost ones and have not been ex STAR OF THE WEST terminated and destroyed. I have shaken off the mortal form and have raised the banner in this spiritual world. Following this separation is everlasting association. Thou shalt find me in the heaven of the Lord, immersed in an ocean of light.” (Translated by Shoghi Rabbani, Haifa, Palestine, January 8, 1919.) MR. AND MRS. RICHTER To Mr. and Mrs. Charles Richter, Grand Haven, Michigan-Upon them be BAHA’0’LLAH E1-Abha! He Is God! 0 ye two patient souls! Your letter was received. From the death of that beloved youth and due to his separation from you, the utmost sorrow and grief have been occasioned; for l1e flew away in the flower of his age and the bloom of his youth to the heavenly nest. But -as he has been freed from this sorrow-stricken shelter and has turned his face toward the everlasting nest of the Kingdom and has been delivered from a dark and narrow World and has hastened to the sanctified realm of light therein lies the consolation of our hearts. The inscrutable divine wisdom underlies such heart-rending occurrences. It is as if a kind gardener transfers a. fresh and tender shrub from a. narrow place to a vast region. This transference is not the cause of the withering, the waning or the destruction of that shrub; nay rather, it makes it grow and thrive, acquire freshness and delicacy and attain verdure and fruition. This hidden secret is Well-known to the gardener While those souls who are unaware of this bounty suppose that the gardener in his anger and Wrath has uprooted the shrub. But to those who are aware, this concealed fact is manifest and this predestined decree is considered favor.
Do not feel grieved and disconsolate, therefore, because of the ascension of that bird of faithfulness; nay, under -all circumstances, pray and beg for that youth forgiveness and elevatlon of station. I hope that you will attain to the utmost patience, composure and resignation, and I supplicate and entreat at the Threshold of Oneness and beg pardon and forgiveness. My hope from the infinite bounties of God is that He may shelter and cause this dove of the garden of faith to abide on the branch of the Supreme Concourse, that it may sing in the best of melodies the praises and the exeelleneies of the Lord Of names and attributes. (-Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS. (Translated by Shoghi Rabbani, house of Abdul-Baha, Haifa Palestine, April 11, 1919.) EDNA BELLORA BELMONT O thou who art tested with calamities and ordealsl Verily, I became exceedingly saddened for thy sadness, because of the affliction with a calamity which thou art unable to bear. This is the condition of the World. Therefore, he thou not distressed, ‘neither be in'despair of the mercy of God, because in this suffering there is a great wisdom concealed from thee. Thou shalt learn of this wisdom when thou wilt look at their faces (the departed children) in the everlasting Kingdom. Then rest thou assured that, verily, thou hast not lost them and their death was only the departure from the restrictions of the nether World to the Supreme Heights. Thou shalt see their faces in the sublime heavens, for the Merciful Gardener, if He loves a young tree, takes it out from among the others and carries it from the restrictions of narrowness to a large farm and a beautiful, flourishing garden, in order that the young tree may develop, its branches grow high, its flowers open, its fruits appear and its shadow expand. But the rest of the trees do not know this, because this is a hidden mystery which becomes unfolded to us in the eternal Kingdom. O thou maid-servant of God! Grieve not and do not lament, consolation will come to thee from God. Have thou serene patience for therein is an abundant recompense. Think not that the girls have waded in the Waters of death, nay, rather, they have flown from the mortal world to the realm immortal. Thou shalt behold their faces in the S11preme Aviary. In regard to thy particular question: Whereas, the revered Mrs. Parsons desires that thou remainest with her as her companion, therefore, this is easier for thee than to be a. nurse enduring great hardships. Nevertheless, the good is in that which thou choosest for thyself; should the revered lady come to these regions thou mayest accompany her on the journey, so that thou mayest be honored by visiting the blessed and White spot and We see thee patient in calamity and thankful in diflieulties and sufferings. It behooveth one like unto thee to thank thy Lord while thou art submerged in the seas of anguish. This is the quality of every maid-servant who is meek and humble before God, and is desirous of the eternal life in the King dom of God. Upon thee be greeting and praise! (Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS. ('l‘ranslated by Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi, Chicago, 111., July 11th, 1919. Revealed May 21st, 1919.)
MR. AND MRS. GIFT O ye two guiding souls! Your letter was received. It was indicative of your being devoted in the path of the Kingdom and of your detachment and self-eifacement. Ye have no wish save the good pleasure of God, and entertain no hope except in divine Providence. Ye strive for the guidance of souls and become the cause of the illumination of hearts. This is a supreme bounty. Arise in gratitude to it for its consequences and advantages are innumerable. From among these is the establishment of one’s remembrance and the attainment unto supreme bounty in the Abha Kingdom. Convey on my behalf to the souls that have been attracted by the divine teach ings, Mrs. ———~—Miss —— Mr. — and Mrs. ———, greeting, love and kindness. Extend my greeting to Mrs. and say: “Be not grieved, be not disconsolate, be not depressed and do not lament, for this World is a mortal a.b0de and We shall all be transferred from this World to another. Thy dear daughter is accepted at the Threshold of the Almighty, is immersed in the ocean of pardon and forgiveness and is drowned in a sea of light in the world of mysteries.” STAR OF THE WEST (Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS. (Translated by Shoghi Rabbani, Acca, Palestine, July 26th, 1919.) FLORA CLARK To the maid-servant of God, Flora Clark, care of the maid-servant of God, Mrs. True—Up011 her be BAHA’0’LLAH E1-Abhal O thou dear maid-servant of God! Thy letter was received. From-its contents prayer and supplication to the Kingdom of God were noted. No matter how strenuously man may strive in this World, ultimately no result will be attained. Naked has he stepped into this World and naked shall he get out of it— except if he turns unto God, supplitzates to His Kingdom, strives in His path, serves the Almighty and acquires a pure heart, a. seeing eye, a responsive ear and a spirit that is gladdened by the gladtidings of God. This has a. result and gives forth good fruit. Otherwise man shall not gather any advantage from life. Praise thou God, that thou hast been confirmed by such a bounty and hast attained unto heavenly illumination. (Translated by Shoghi Efiendi, Haifa, Palestine, October 13th, 1919.) Obituary MRS. ANNA EULER On November 11, 1918, dear devoted Mrs. Anna Euler of Muskegon, Mich, passed away to a higher and happier life after a few days illness of influenza. She was a very faithful and humble servant to the Center of the Covenant, Abdul-Baha, and was always attracting souls to the Kingdom of Abha by her good deeds and by living the life as best as she could. Her loss is keenly felt by the Muskegon friends and by her family. Iva Smack. CAROLINE KRUGER Caroline Kruger of Trenton, N. J., passed from this dark world to the World of light, December 6, 1918, at
the age of 71. She accepted this blessed Message without a doubt in 1913, and since that time she has nourished her soul by the prayers from the Hidden Words. During the last days of her illness she asked that the prayers be read to her, as she was too weak to read. She firmly believed that Abdul-Baha was her Lord; his name was the healing of her soul and the Mashrekol-Azkar was the Door of Hope. Three days before she passed on she asked that .a contribution be sent to the Temple in her name, as the time was getting very short and she Wanted it to get there before she passed out. On the morning of the third day she was Very happy, saying, “I guess they have the money now.” She relaxed and rested and that night the spirit left her body. The family held the Bahai burial service on Sunday evening, December 8 and the next day she was laid away. Mrs. Kruger was the mother of Mrs. J. N. Ayers, of Trenton, N. J. J. Newell Ayres. MRS. A. M. BRYANT The passing of the maid-servant of God, Mrs. A. M. Bryant, removed one of the early servants of the Cause in America from faithful service on this mortal plane to the Paradise of E1-Abha. On April 18, 1919, at midnight, at her home in Denver, Colorado, she was released from physical distress and weak ness of several months duration, and We who had received spiritual instruction from her rejoiced at her precious freedom even while the pang of separation caused the tears to flow. Mrs. Bryant received the Message in 1900 from that brave herald of the Cause, Thornton Chase, and later received instruction from Mirza Abul Fazl and other Persian teachers sent to this country by Abdul-Baha. From that time, with an attracted heart, she ever served the Covenant. Mrs. Bryant received ten Tablets from Abdul-Baha, one received in 1903 making it incumbent upon her to establish a spiritual assembly in Denver, which she did, and afterward constantly served in this city as- long as health permitted. Her son, Mr. Leo C. Bryant, of Washington, D. (3., who had been with his mother for several Weeks prior to her passing, requested the friends to conduet a purely Bahai service, and a brief and impressive service Was read by the friends. The Center of the Covenant placed upon her head a glorious crown in the following short Tablet received by her in 1901: T0 the maid-servant of God Mrs. A. M. Brya11t—Up011 her be BAHA’0’LLAH E1-Abba! He Is God! 0 thou who art attracted by the fragrance of God! Beloved art thou, for thou hast lighted the lamp of the love of God in the glass of America, called out in His Name among the people, and guided them to the Kingdom of El-Abha. O maid~seI'Vant of God! Fly away with joy, for God hath strengthened thee in this great gift, which is a glorious crown, the gems of which are scintillating with the light of guidance. Blessed is thy head, for it is decorated with this crown. Verily, this is better for thee than the dominion of the World. Upon thee be greeting and praise! (Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS. (Translated at Chicago, by Mirza Ali Kuli Kahn, Dec. 24, 1901.) Denver Bahai Assembly. THAD BUTLER During the past year, Thad Butler, aged fifteen, Was aecidentaly killed at Huntington, Ind. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Butler and the grandson of Col. Fiske, one of the oldest Bahais in America. When Abdul-Baha was in Chicago, Mrs. Butler, with great difliculty, took all of the children to see him. Gertrude Haw‘-is.
STAR OF THE WEST TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHA O thou STAR OF THE Wxasr! Be thou happy! Be thou happy! Shouldst thou continue to remain firm and eternal, ere long thou shalt become the Star of the East and shalt spread in every country and clime. Thou art the first paper of the Bahais which is organized in the country of America. Although for the present thy subscribers are limited, thy form is small and thy voice weak, yet shouldst thou stand unshakable, become the objec_t of the attention of the friends and the center of the generosity of.the leaders of the faith who are firm in the Covenant, in the future thy subscribers will become hosts after hosts like unto the waves of the sea; thy volume will increase, thy arena will become vast and spacious and thv voice and fame will be raised and become world-wide—and at last thou shalt become the first paper of the world of human TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHA 0 ye apostles of my life be a ransom to you! Similarly, the Magazine, the STAR or THE WEST, must be edited in the utmost (Signed) Annm.-BAHA ABBAS. Vol. 10 Ola 1, 75 (March 2, 1920) Cablegram from Abdul-Baha WILHELMITE, NEVV YORK HOVV ARE FRIENDS‘? (Received February 27, 1920) N0. 19 HAIFA. CONVEY MY GREETINGS ABBAS. Editorial-Psychic Forces I have met so many people who are interested in the psychic and have been taught, along with the Revelation, that Abdul-Baha sanctioned it, that I have kept a copy of his Words which are in direct opposition to the Whole thing. I really felt inspired to Write you and ask for this privilege. The STAR OF THE VVEsT has such a Wide circulation that I am sure it would be of inestimable value. I am a believer in spirituality and believe that many things will be shown us as we grow along those lines, but I am not a. sympathizer with those who are trying to look beyond. If God had intended that, We should not be shut away from it, as no one is able to tell one thing that has any significance or value relative to the other side of the veil. The following is a copy of a Tafilet Written by Abdul-Baha 011 “Psychic Forces”: “To tamper with the psychic forces While in this World interferes With the condition of the soul in the World to come. These forces are real, but are not be active upon this plane.” “The child in the Womb has its eyes, ears, hands, feet, etc., but these ‘powers are not in activity. The whole purpose of the Womb life is the coming forth into this world. So the Whole purpose of this matrix world life is the coming forth into the World of Reality, Where all these forces Will be active. They belong to that World.” I don think anything could be clearer than that. I trust this will meet with your approval. I should love to know that those Words were being driven home into the hearts of the people who are in doubt as to their attitude toward this Movement. Anna Mason Hoar.
O bi t u a r y (Continued from page 343) JOSEPH H. HANNEN A great calamity has befallen the Washington (D. C.) friends, or to better express it has befallen the Cause in general, through the sudden departure from this world of our good spiritual brother, Joseph Hannen, on January 27th, 1920. We are quite heart-broken over our loss, and we are so shocked and stunned over the abruptness of it all that We scarcely realize that he is no longer with us in this material realm. In crossing a street he was struck by an auto car which knocked him down and passed over his body. He was hurried in an ambulance to a hospital and later taken to his home. The best possible medical advice was obtained and the friends supplicated and prayed unceasingly upon his behalf. He seemed quite unconcerned over his condition, and those who conversed with him could not discern that he realized he was dying. A few minutes after 9 in the morning of the fifth day after the accident his spirit took flight from this phenomenal world and ascended to the realm of the eternal reality beyond. Upon the third day after Brother J0seph’s departure the friends gathered at the Hannen home for the reading of the burial service. Both colored and White Were there. They brought ers until not only was the bier hidden from View by these floral offerings, but the chimney piece and various articles of furniture in- the room were likewise smothered with blossoms, while the entire house Was filled with fragrance thereof. The ceremony was quite sim~ ple. It consisted of the reading of a commune followed by the Bahai burial service with its choral responsive prayers and was concluded by the reading of several selections from the Words of BAHA’o’LLAH and Abdul-Baha upon this subject of the immortality of the soul and of its continuance and perpetuity in the Worlds beyond. At the conclusion of the reading seven of the men Bahais bore the body from the house. The interment was in the family burial plot in Prospect Hill Cemetery Within the city, not very far distent‘ from the Hannen home. Mrs. Kn0b10eh’s mortal remains also rest in this plot. At the grave nine utterances from the Hidden Words from the Arabic were read, the friends then chanted in the Persian language in chorus three times the prayer, “The Bemover of Difficulties” and a short oommune was read, after which the family east sprays of roses into the open grave and We all returned to our respective homes saddened by this distressing tragedy. It was during the time of Mirza Abul Faz1’s Bahai ministrations in \Vashi11gton that Mr. and Mrs. Hannen and the Knobloch family (Mrs. Hannen’s mother and sisters) came into the knowledge of the Covenant. Since then up until the Very moment when Brother
Joseph was stricken he was ever active and serving in the Cause. The last material service which he did for the friends was to go to the postoflice to get the mail to be forwarded to our traveling Bahai teachers, Messrs. Gregory, Roy Williams and Mirza Ahmad Sohrab. After the fatal accident the family gave me the letters which he had had upon his person to be forwarded to these friends. Upon examining the envelopes I found them to be stained and bespattered with Brother -J0seph’s blood, which Was a symbolic testimony of his last service to the friends. During these years of Mr. Hannen’s labors he carried many burdens of service to the Cause. He was the standby in the \Vashingt0n assembly—the one upon whom every one depended. He was always in the meetings and gatherings of the friends, and when anyone wanted anything done quickly and Without delay he was the one to whom they turned, knowing that on him they could depend with certainty. Moreover, Brother Joseph was always cheerful and happy in his service, and his firmness in the Covenant was a fortress and protection to all who knew him. He made great sacrifices in the path of AbdulBaha, the fruits of which many of the friends have already witnessed, while those who knew him are ccnvinced that in time the far-reaching effects of his Bahai work will become more generally and widely recognized and acknowledged than it is at present. Joseph Hannen served alike the white and the colored friends. At the request of his family both colored and white united in carrying his remains to the grave. He was ever striving to create unity and good fellowship between the two races. The friends in all parts of America have telegraphed and Written beautiful messages of sympathy and love to the Hannen family. W/Vhile Mr. Hannen’s mother, wife, sons and other relatives are sufiering most intensely because of this separation, they are, however, com STAR OF THE WEST pletely resigned to the Will of God and are happy and tranquil in their souls because of God’s bounty bestowed upon them and upon their departed loved one in his accepted services to the Center of the Covenant of God. Charles Mason Remey. MRS. ELIZABETH DIGGETT Mother was born and reared in South Carolina. She received the message in August, 190-1, and ever since that time had been a devoted -believer and Worker in the Cause. She taught from Coast to Coast and from the Gulf to the Great Lakes. She was especially gifted in attracting new believers. Mother personally served Abdul-Baha at the table during his sojourn in Chicago. He rewarded her with several roses. She died May 7th, 1919, saying the Greatest Name, age 51 years. She was buried in Oakwoods Cemetery, Chicago. I have brought her Bahai books and literature in anticipation of opening a memorial room to her in Atlanta, (Georgia). We are looking for the proper location now. Madie Minge. VVILLIAM LUDWIG William Ludwig died at Chicago, in August, 1919. The family requested Bahai services.
FRANCIS C. NEWTON On May 29th, 1919, at Brooklyn, N. Y., Francis C. Newton passed on at the age of 34 years. He met Abdul-Baha in 1912. His last words Were, “Ya--Bahael-Abha I CHARLES F. HANEY On the morning‘ of July 22nd, 1919, with spiritual armor burnished and bright, there soared from the prison of this earthly w0rld——this World which is “the shadow of a shade”-—into the realm of light and spiritual victory, a. loyal servant of the holy threshold and of the Center of the Covenant, our dear brother Charles F. Haney. For many years his bodily existence had been one of unending martyrdom, but this offering in an ever unfolding flame of evanescence was laid in love and service at the feet of his Beloved. Out of this school of Wonderful preparation came the crown of triumph begemmed with “death in God.” Thus, unencumbered, his conquering spirit has been promoted to a larger arena of service in that bright home and its atmosphere of the fire of the love of God, which now he comprehends to a degree impossible for those yet limited to this finite world to comprehend and remain longer here, however glorifying are our many spiritual experiences in partaking of this table from Which we derive our heavenly sustenance for each day. If I might be permitted to add a brief personal Word, I would love to refer to the last three, of many beautiful, contacts throughout the years With our brother When, in 1917, I unexpectedly met him in Los Angeles, Calif, Portland, Ore., and Salt Lake City during a, business trip which he was making through the far Western states. In the last mentioned city, Where his engagements detained him for a Week after my arrival, we found ourselves located at the same hotel and in the wonderful occasional spiritual hours which We enjoyed together, reading and eommuning upon the holy utterances of God, there was unveiled in this dear brother a spirit so rarely matured, so replete with realization of the heights of consecration, of the deeds which alone count, so clear a vision of divine happiness and great peace under constant physical pain, that the actual remembrance of those hours is like that of a full-blown rose of the Abha Kingdom! The key to all of this summit of attainment was steadfastness in the Covenant and Testament of God, which the beloved of our hearts has defined as “love and obedience to the commands of Abdul-Baha. The extent of his devoted services to the Cause, and especially to that divine edifice, the Mashrekol-Azkar, are only known to God. But his place is empty! A close spiritual tie, covering a number of years, between this spiritual brother, his blessed Wife and myself, has vonehsafed to me the privilege of expressing this imperfect tribute. Well may We smile With that dear Wife and
child, knowing how Well he had recognized “the caress of favor in the dart of tests.” Concerning him, among other precious Words, Abdul-Baha said, that “he was one of those nearest to God, not one of those far from Him.” In the holy name of BAHA’0’LLAH and His glorious Center, Isabella D. B raittingham. Tablet from Abdul-B-aha to Charles F. Haney, May, 1911: Thou art not and shalt never be forgotten. Be thou strong and firm. Be thou resolute and steadfast. When the tree is firmly rooted, it will bear fruit. Therefore, it is not permitted to be agitated by any test. Be thou not disheartened. Be thou not discouraged. The trials of God are many, but if man remains firm and steadfast, test itself is a stepping stone for the progress of humanity. I hope that thou mayest show such firmness in the Cause of the Kingdom that all may remain astonished. ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS. (Translated by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab.) MRS. SOPHIE SCHEFFLER On July 29, 1919, one of the pioneers of the Bahai Cause in America, Who was much loved by believers in all parts of the country, was called to the Kingdom. The passing of Mrs. Sophie Scheffler of Chicago, the mother of Mrs. Loeding and Carl Sc-hefiler has filled all hearts with grief. The vacancy she leaves in the assembly will be felt by those who are ill and in need, as she found opportunity for service even in her advanced years through visiting the sick and needy. She was born in Germany in 1843 and came to this country at the age of 13. She became a believer more than twenty-one years ago and has been constant in her devotion to Abdul-Baha. Her spare moments were spent in reading and studying the Holy Utterances and translating them into the German language. To give the Message Was her STAR OF THE WEST greatest joy, and the end of a life that saw many hardships, struggles and deprivations was blessed at its close with the g1'eat.est bounty, the knowledge of the Blessed Perfection and devotion to the Glorious Cause. MRS. SHERMAN Mrs. Sarah A. Sherman of Menasha, Wis., passed away August 20, 1919. THOMAS MACMECHAN Thomas Mao1\/Iechan, a devoted Bahai and beloved follower of the Center of the Covenant, was summoned to the Kingdom of eternal service November 7th, 1919'. He was born April 6th, 1862, in Dumfrieshire, Scotland, and had lived thirty-six years in the United States. For twenty years previous to his aeceptance of the Bahai message of glad tidings, he Was a Christadelphian. The pure heart of this beloved brother reflected the Abba. glory and his face shone with Winsome and unmistakable light of the holy spirit of sanctity. Throughout his Bahai life he manifested invincible steadfastness in the Cause of God, spoke the heavenly message to many souls, and ascended to the S11preme Concourse in the ineffable beauty of the glory of God. The theme of his
Words and teachings often set forth the divine responsibility and priceless privilege of living in this day of days and ultimate cycle to which prophets, seers and saints have looked forward in prayer and vision. He spoke continually and With confident certainty of the life beyond, manifested the reality of love for all -‘mankind, and after a long illness joyfully ascended to the station prepared for those who serve the Cause of the most high God in Words and Works. Often he told of Abdul-Bahafs love for in June, 1912, during the stay of the Center of the Covenant in New York, that Wonderful being him in his arms, saying: “You are my friend! You are my friend! You are my friend and will ever be my friend!” Over his devoted head we read the verses of joy and exaltation, “Blessed are they who die in the Lord!” “Blessed are those who understand!” “Peace be upon those who follow guidance.” Haward MacNutt. MRS. IDA BRUSH A_ND MRS. FRANCES ROE Word of the passing away of two maid-servants well-known to the early Bahais of Chicago has been received. Mrs. Ida Brush died November 22, 1919, at Sturgeon Bay, Wis., and Mrs. Francis M. Roe died November 23rd, at Chicago. MRS. BOETTLE A very dear Bahai sister, Mrs. Fanny Boettle of Philadelphia, ascended to her heavenly home in February of this year: Mother was her last visitor and her last words to mother Were “Allaho’Abha.” J essie Revell. SANFORD KINNEY While I Was in Boston a great sorrow befell the friends of- that entire assembly in -the departure from this mortal World of Sanford Kinney. The Kinneys are most dearly beloved by all of 'the Bahais. Their firmness in the Govenant and their assurance in the Kingdom is so strong and fragrant as to bring joy and happiness to many souls. In whatsoever condition they may be or wherever they dwell their home is always a center Where the breezes of the Covenant of God blow and where the Message of the Kingdom is voiced. When I first knew this family they were living in in New York City. Their door was always open and every one was received and large meetings were held for the glory of E1-Baha. Then trials and tribulations visited them and they moved to New England and while there various other tests and trials came to them. At one time they were very poor and lived in a very small cabin at Green Acre. Nevertheless, under these conditions the same spiritual fragrance surrounded them. Their hospitality was the same and their home was a center of spiritual aetivities——thus the people all love them very much. On my arrival in Boston I learned that “Sandy” was very ill, so I Went to their home in the suburbs of the city. There I found a number of the friends gathered in service and in prayer. So strong was the union between these friends that everyone felt as if it Were his own blood brother who was ill. Doctors and nurses were in attendance and every physical help was at hand, while the friends ofiered their prayers in behalf of the sick one. The family was in the greatest state of resignation and not once did the sick boy desire for anything save that the will of God should be accomplished. Thus several days and nights passed. The night that Sandy passed out of this realm several of us, including Mr. and Mrs. Ober and two‘ nurses, remained almost the entire night at his bedside in prayer. It was a spiritual experience that moved me very deeply, for above and beyond all the physical dis
tress and pain of the illness, there was a spirit of acquiescence and sacrifice of personal desire which made a deep impression upon one ’s soul. Upon the third day after the departure, almost the entire assembly from Boston, with representatives from New York, gathered at the Kinney home at Massachusetts. Prayers. and Tablets were read and the holy 'W0rds chanted. During the ceremony a short bit of candle burned in the room. This had been brought many years before from the Holy Tomb of BAHA’o’LL-AH. It had illuminated the room nineteen years before at the time of Sandy’s birth. There was just enough wax left to burn during the ceremony. At the close of the prayers, when the burial ring had been placed upon the boy ’s ger, the candle burned up high, then flickered and Went out. The interment Was in the village cemetery at Quincy, a short distance from the Kinney home. There, more Tablets and Holy Words Were read and, as the body was lowered into the ground, the friends chanted in the Persian tongue the prayer for the “removal of ties.” Many flowers were cast into the grave by loving hands and, when the earth had been filled in, there Was yet a quantity of flowers suffieient to entirely cover the mound. It was a perfect morning—not a cloud in the sky. All of the hearts Were pained and distressed from the human standpoint, yet all realized that a spirtual benediction was present as each wended his way to his respective home. Charles Mason Remey. Extract from recent Tablet from Abdul-Ba-ha to Charles Mason Remey: “I have been greatly aifected by the death of Mr. Sandy Kinney. What a lovely child he Was. On my behalf tell Mr. and Mrs. Kinney: ‘Do not grieve and do not lament. That tender and lovely shrub has been transferred from STAR OF THE’ WEST this World to the rose garden of the ningdom, and that longing dove has flown to the divine nest. That candle has been extinguished in this nether world that it may be rekindled in the Supreme Concourse. Ye shall assuredly meet him face to face in the world of mysteries at the Assemblage of Light.’ Recent Tablet rev-eated by AbdulBaha for Abdul-Ali Sanford Kinney after his departure.‘ 0 Thou divine Providence! Sanford was a child of the Kingdom and, like unto a tender shrub, was in the utmost freshness and grace in the Abha Paradise. He has ascended to the world of the Kingdom, that in the everlasting rose-garden he may grow and thrive on the banks of the river of Everlasting Life and may blossom and attain fruition. 0 Thou divine Providence! Rear him by the outpouring of the cloud of mercy and nourish him through the heat of the sun of pardon and of forgiveness. Stir him by the breeze of bounty and bestow patience and forbearance upon his kind father and mother, that they may not deplore his separation, and may rest assured in meeting their son in the everlasting kingdom. Thou art the Forgiver and the Compassionate! (Signed) (Haifa, Palestine, November 23, 1919. ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS. PHILIP BURNETT At the request of his wife, We are sending you news of the passing away of Philip Burnett, December 26th, 1919, at Philadelphia. Jessie Revell.
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