Abdul Baha in London (1912)/Meeting of Farewell (Introduction)
FAREWELL RECEPTION: INTRODUCTION [edit]
ON the evening of St. Michael’s day, a large farewell reception was given to Abdul Baha in the hall of the Passmore Edwards Settlement, which was filled to its utmost capacity with representative people of every profession, some coming from great distances.
On the platform surrounding Abdul Baha were men of different shades of thought, met to express their sympathy with the work and mission of their great visitor. Professor Michael E. Sadler was in the chair.
The meeting began with the Lord’s prayer spoken by the entire assembly; this was followed by the prayer for Unity of Baha’u’llah and a prayer of the fifth Century, ascribed to Pope Gelasius. Professor Sadler then spoke in words that will never be forgotten by those who heard them; and in his address used a quotation from a Universal Prayer, which had been submitted by an earnest Bahai to Abdul Baha, the year before in Egypt and which had been completed by him and commended as one that could be used by peoples of all faiths in the East and West.
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The Chairman was followed by Sir Richard
Stapley, Mr. Eric Hammond, Mr. Claude
Montefiore, Mrs. Stannard from Egypt, and
others. As Abdul Baha left the Hall, the
poor people of the neighbourhood, crowded on
the pavement to see him and an eager-faced.
little lame girl in crutches was specially brought
to him.
