National Teaching Committee Bulletins/1920/October 12/Text
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Copy of a letter from ivr. George Vail ‘illiams giving an account of
Jenabe Fazel's visit to Jonnstorn and Gloversville . i. 7
Gloversville N. ¥. Oct 12, 1920.
=. ae .
Lear Sister in El Abhe:
It is with pleasure and joy I take up my pen to give vou so:zre account of the visit of the Persian brothers to ovr benightec city. iy one fear is that l shall be unable to do justice to the theme, in fact I know that any human words must fall far short of the mark in any effort to cescribe the blessings of the brief stay of Jenabe Fazel and Ahmad Sohrab in our cities adjoining each other, ve usually speak of as “the Glove cities."
wirza Pazel, dirza Ahmad Sohrab, and bianoucher Khan arrived in Johnstovm at 5:19 P. wi. Oct. Sth. Great had been the anticipation of the believers in this vicinity, and with hearts full of love were they welcomred, The response was a perfect demonstration of the reality of the Bahai spirit in the world.
The brothers were conducted to the home of the tried and true sister, Margaret La Grange, who with the warm spirit of hospitality that has characterized her entire life in the Cause, had prepared a real Bahai dinner for, them and the friends as well. Our sister Margaret is one of the fevr who came into the | kingdom through the efforts of sister Brittingham about 17 years ago, ‘hile the little group of 13 believers grew less and less until but 4 remained she, #lla Cuant, Enily Gustin, and Grace Vosberg stood true and firm while opposition fell upon them and some deserted the Cause and some proved faithful unto death. All this time the clorious truth vas unknown to the writer, and as he pens these _ lines he realizes full well how inadequate are words to express the gratitude and admiration that fills his heart as he thinks of these noble, faithful souls. holding up the Light through all those storms that he might be guided to the feet of the Master. He realizes also that the debt can be paid only by doing the same service to others who are still in ignorance of the great glory of this Dispensation. The feast tras a feast indeed, and thovgh the food was so good and so skillfully prepared by such a faithful and loving hand, the spiritul repast that came with it from the hand of the Master was infinitely more,
ednesday afternoon at 4 ilirza Fazel gave a most scholarly lecture on "The wodern Education in Persia,” in the auditorium of the High School in | Gloversville. In the evening he spoke in The Jewish Community Center, end al- | though the audience was not large (owing to some misunderstanding among the people of the center) it was a highly intelligent and a deeply interested one,
On Thursday the Business ifen's Luncheon was served at the hotel where
the party were guests, and elthough the program was entirely taken up by an out
of town speaker, Mirza Fazel and Ahmad had the good fortune to find quite an‘
important audience of one in the person of the pastor of one of the churches of
the city. The delicacy and beauty of Jenabe Fazel's presentation of the truth
were wonderful, and the pastor on learning that the writer was a resident of
the city expressed a hope of seeing him in the future -- a hope which will certainly be fulfilled. At five o'clock the party arrived in Johnstown and were
envortained by sister Emily Custin who served a bountiful repest to the believers.
[Page 2]
F illiiee-seneci_calneentaneennee
The evening meeting was held in the Court House which was erected in 1774 and
has stood through the entire life of our Nation. Mirza Fazel discussed ‘the sociel side of the Revelation in a most able manner, explaining the philosophy of the raterial and spirituel evolution of human society, declaring that spiritual porer alone could save our boasted civilization from ruin, and that it would make the earth a terrestrial paradise. iis glowing words of wisdom interpreted by Ahmad Sohrab came in rich imagery, and almost poetic rythm thet fell like music on the eer and heert, and he held his hearers spell bound.
Friday eveninr the brothers held their meeting in All Souls Universalist Church before a large and deeply interested audience -- three or four of whom came from the village of Canajoharie about fifteen miles distant, and several from Johnstovm., In this lecture he discussed the development of the idea and conception of deity in the human consciousness, from fetichism through the enthropomorphic idea to the conception of God as the Absolute Being, and the Manifestation in a human temple in the time of need of the world, as at present in our Master Abdul Baha, Truly it was a time of refreshing for the believers and a time of discovery for others. ‘Saturday morning the writer bade the brothers a most reluctant adieu, and they departed Le bless other souls in Ithaca, St. Johns, siontreal,-- and so on their,~wav. In going they assured me that though their bodies would be distant that the soul, rising above the limitations of space, vould in reality be with us still,
Not only by their masterly discourses vill they diffuse the fragrences of the Kingdom. Their private interviews have done much good, yea, heir very presence has been a benediction upon these cities, nor is it strange that it should be so, when we remember that these consecrated souls are really apostles of this Dispensation fresh from the holy Threshold and
the vresence of the Blessed iiaster.
What a revelation it has all been to me. Perfect strangers--in the eorthly sense--from e foreign land engrafting themselves upon or within my heart's inner consciousness as dearer then any earthly kin, The younger member of the varty wanoucher Khan departed “‘ednesday evening to prepare
for the party in advance of their coming, but within the brief time he vas
with me he grew very near and dear to me, and I shall look forward to meet ing him again. I feel that the «ester has a mission for him to fulfill. it was my privilege to hear him give the message with the elocuence of an engel to one of my best friends.
Ye feel that the fragrance of the rose garden of Rizwan has come to our valleys, thet the splendor of the Divine Manifestation has advaneed to the foot hills of the Adirondacks; and we hope that the tent of the Beloved will soon cover these two cities like the Canopy of Heaven,
(Signed) George Vail Yilliams.
