National Teaching Committee Bulletins/1921/November 7/Text
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A TEACHING TOUR THROUGH TEXAS AND MEXICO
As soma of the friends hevs be2n asking about "Martha's" travels of late, and as Martha is alweys immensely slive and full of the joy of s3rvice; nlweys about the business of the Kingdom -- namsly, sowing ths seeds in the so41 of he-rts -- we ars most happy to shar: hcsr2awith the following account whioh brings to your attention 2 record of some splendid work =ccomplishsd in ths Southwest. We do not know of any other friends or teachars who have travelled through ths Republic of Mexico with ths exception of the blessed servers, Mr. end Mrs. A. J. Frenkland of C2=liforni2, who visited Mexico in 1909.
"Therefore, the believers of GOD throughout 211 the Republics of Amsrica, through the Divine Powsar, must become the causes of the promotion of Heavenly Teachings 2nd ths establishment of the oneness of humanity.....-.--. Regarding ths teaching of the inhzbitants of those countriss, the believers mst strengthen ths tic of friendahis....... " Abdul Baha.
Marthe Root of Cambridge Springs, Penns. left her homs October 25, 1921, for a short teaching trip in Mexico. Shs eams to Washingt, first, for har passport. Qvits romerkably she received it within twenty-four hours. Mrs. Parsons and Mariam H=ney entertained her; Mason Remsy helpsd at the passport offices. Mrs. Ledyard pl-esd her car ct Miss Root's dispos-l and went witn har s3vserel plrces. Mary Little also assisted.
| The first stop wes at Atlanta, Ge. Miss Root writss "mong other facts: "JT had 2 most havpy little visit with Mr. Engens V. Debs aut at the Federal Prison. I promissd the suthoriti2s I would not write snything anent my interview, but suffices it to sry we talked of the Realities. Mr. Debs is on= of the great souls I havs met. For nsarly a year I have written him e7ceh w32k oni sant many of the Bahai books. He has rend them e-r2fully 2nd has = very comprshensive gresp of these vitel, Bahai Principles. My hope is thet avery Bahei will LOVE Mr. Debs and axtend to him every courtesy ------ poeple believe in the Bahszi Couse through dseds, not words. Mr. Debs is giving his life for the onsness of humanity. Lineoin could not have been more sincere, mors thoughtful, mors kind, more strong than is this besutiful soul. I love his chareactar and look upon him es ons of my de-rast brothers. (Everything I write you about the Cause, I write hin.) If socizlism will embrice the Spirit of the Bahai Caus:, Bahn=i-Socialism can be one of the mightiest influeness to uplift ths masses. Please, LOVE Mr. Debs; I feel Abul Bahs is writing him a Tablet.
a "The n3xt afternoon, October 30, I addressed the Behsais of Atisnta and their friends in ths breakfast room of one of the hotsls. Dr. J. C. Oakshstts, 405 Grend Building, Atlanta, Ga., has bsen doing frithful work thers for meny years. Any Tablets or other precious Craative Word you hsv2 would be dseply appreciated in these southern centers, and they would be passed on. Not so many Bahais travel south and they do not havs the wesith of news many of yo ars privileged to enjoy. If each one who reads this would ssnd one Teblet or ons book south, it would be like a spiritual spring shower to thirsty, beautiful souls. Abdul Baha hes expressed the desire for teachzrs to go south. Hse also says, "Correspondence is equal to half-meeting."
Leaving thet same efternocn, Miss Root spent one dey snd avsning in Memphis, Tenn. She thus met Prof. Georgs ™. Hsnierson (color:d) hsad of ths Henderson Business Collsge which through its Corraspondencs School 2lme h2s greduated one million students. Hs is young, 2 devoted Bahsi, wide-cwaks, fluent speaker, musicien and holds the record of ths fastest combined typist and short hend writer in ths United States. He has written for severzl a32ding megazines.
Abdul Baha, in a very recent Tablet says: "Prof. George W. Henderson has establishsd a Bahai Collegs---... that college has developed and the studmts are studying the Divins Teachings and also the naceasary scisness and arts. That reversd Professor has been and will always be favored. The mestings which are formed at that college are bestowed upon with an emanatim from ths meetings of
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the Supreme Concourse." He has also sent a wonderful Tabist to the instructors and students of the college.
A big meeting held at 10:30 A.M. that day in the school and about 50 seniors and instructors from Howe Institute were also guests. A talk was given in the evening to the night students. Teachers, friends, people in the boarding houses all seemed attracted and afire with the beauty and the importance of the Bahai Cause.
This school has a fine mimeograph. I am sure they will gladly co-operate : in helping to send out the Creative Word, if you write them your suggestions. They love music, any Bahai songs sent them will be learnsd and passed on. Any books to their library will be widely loaned. The address is: Prof. George VW. Henderson, Henderson Business College, Memphis, Tenn.
Miss Root left the same ewening for decsea. Texas. She gave the Message. to a San Antonian traveling companion en route. Miss Anna Reinke, 4410 Avenue @, Hyde Park, Austin, Texas, heard of the Bahai Cause eleven years ago. The results of the six days' wondeeta? work in Austin are the fruits of nine years of "getting ready". Miss Reinke, a perfect Bahai, is as sweet and smiling and lovely as the great blue morning-gloris s and the Queen's Crown delicate pink flowers adorning her unique bungalow. She was child of the Texas Mountains and heard of this Cause while there. She had bsen.a shepherdess of a thousand sheep and lambs. Now she is an _exeellent dressmaker, sewing in the wealthiest homes in Austin. For nine years ‘living here she has told the people of this Bahai Cause------- ~and for nine years she has sung it through the melodies of her smil:s and deeds. She had. met two Bahais, her sister, Mrs. Fosselman of Washington, D. C., who came to the mountains ‘to tell her,and Mr. Louis Gregory whose Pemneae ee faithful work throughout the South is beyond all words to describe.
_ Anna Reink2? was one of the first in the United States to write inviting Jenabs Fazel to visit Austin. “He could not coms, but the thousand blue booklets and other books she prepared for his visit were ready for this six day Bahai whirl.
Miss Root arrived late Tuesday night. Miss Reinke had already arranged for a talk before the Texas State School for the Blind at 8.30 o'clock Wednesday morning. Two hundred and fifty young men and women applauded the Bahai Principles and were greatly interested. If any of the friends have any Tablets about ths blind or any information that would help this school please sent it to Miss Reinke and she will see it is distributed. This advanced school fits pupils for ths ‘Texas University. It is a seed well worth watering.
Wednesday evening an address was given before the Hyde Park Christian Church which was well filled. Meantime the two had arranged ani Miss Root spoke before the Anderson High School (250 students) where Mr. Gregory had once spoken. The principal gave an after talk very sympathetic to the Cause. From 11 to 12 the same morning Miss Root spoke before Sam Houston College, 250 students. The President had met Roy Williams in Louisiana and for three years had treasurei his blue booklet. In his summing up talk after the lecture h2 said to the students: vif you do not believes in Bahaism, learn to challenge it. Learn your Christianity as ‘thoroughly as she has learned Bahaism. Take your Christianity around the world just as she is taking Bahaism." Then he spoke of the many points in Bahaism which he did believe.
Miss Reinke placed Mason Remey's book in this college library. Any books will be gladly placed in this library if you send them to Rev. Dr. Randolph, President of Sam Houston College, Austin, Texas.
Thursday evening a lecture was given by the Bahai in the Hyde Park Methodist church. The pastor invited her to explain the Bahai Cause in full. The Church was filled for this lecture had been well announced in the papers. | Friday morning the two Bahais went to Tillotson College (colored) founded by. the American Missionary Association, Miss Root was given permission to speak on the Bahai Principles for one hour. The young men and women were enthusiastic
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end asked for literature----the thousand booklets melted in the week, The President, Mr. Fletcher, and his wife, New Englanders, took the two Bahais over to the University of Texas. Here Miss Root made arrangements to speak before the Spanish
- department on "Opportunities in South America" but the theme was the Principles of Baha'o'llah and Abdul Baha and how these were received in Soth America. After
the talk, the head of the World Politics department invited Miss Root to remain until Monday and address his department in the University (this seemed the most important engagement in Austin, |
Swinging down to the Texas Capital from the university, the two Bahais next placed two boos in the Texas State library. The books were Mr. Dreyfus' book on Bahaism and "Mystsrious Forces of Civilization". The Librarian had heard of the Cause while in Washington, D. C., and said during her work in San Antonio, Texas, she had had many calls for Bahai books. (Query: who wishes to send books to ths San Antonio city library in San Antonio, Texas, so people asking will not go away lisappointed')
After lunch two feature stories were written for the Sunday papers anda . squib for. the daily "Texan". Both stories carried a short account of the Temple. Saturday was spent in writing. and in visiting the State Confederate Old Ladies' Hoz2 where a short talk was given----- and now we ars just starting to speak at a dance out in the Texas Mountains where Ama was a shepherjess, more anon. | The cowboys in Bse Cave, in the Texas Momtains, 25 mil2s from Austin, were given the Bahai Message at their dance on Saturday evening. The ranchmen had phoned all around that a Bahai was coming to the dance and about one hundred were present. At 10.30 o'clock after the Texas jigs ani a rousing good time, everybody sat down and Miss Root gave the history of the Bahai Cause andi all the vital Principles. Miss Reinke passed around the blue booklets. The cowboys were INTERESTED and showed their appreciation. A lecture had never before been given in those regions, except once in a while a candidate passes through. (Then the dance continued till one o'clock.) This was the ranch district where Anna Reinke was born and reared. The boys said: "A: good farmer was lost to Texas when Anna became a dressmaker." They also said: “She has more friends than anybody else in Texas. She is always going around happy; rain or shine," She answered them: "It's ny religion, boys." | coe | | ,
Texas cow boys ought to get the Bahai Message for nothing would SCARE them in going around to promote the Cause in the roughest western trails. The road to Bee Cave, that night, was scattered over with Gibraltar rocks as comron as cedar brush. The patu was like going up to the top of the world and coasting down, The party from Austin went in a motor truck nicely padded with hay. The men pushed the truck where it couldn't go it alone and’several times Amma ordered every one off to walk up the ‘accident!’ bends. Everything is BIG in Texas and the dangers, when there are any, are BIG too.
Sunday morning the Theosophists had a good attendance when Miss Root spoke for one hour on the Bahai Principles. It was a union meeting of Theosophical Societies of Austin. Their faces were full of light and they seemed so near the Truth that the veil between Theosophy and Bahai Cause was as gossamer. So 2ager were they to hear more that they arranged a Forum talk for Miss Root to address them in the evening; questions followed for half an hour. The President of the Society is one of the prominent educators of Austin. Any books for this socisty-and it would be a wonderful investment spiritually to send something, for these souls are HEADY -- is the Theosophical Socisty of Austin, care of Dr. W. D. Gorton, 111 West Eighth Street, Austin, Texas. .
Precesding the evening talk in Theosophical Hall, Miss Root spoke before the Fred Allen Memorial Church Epworth League in South Austin, 250 boys and girls.
The Sunday ..papers had carried good articles explaining the Bahai Principles and the Temple and amnouncing the twelve lectures in Austin.
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The most important lecture, possibly, was the ene Monday morning before the
World Politics Department of the University of Texas. This is the leading wmiversity in America in its work in Latin-American history, government relations, business administration, Spanish language and library. Many students come from Latin-American countries and this school is supplementary to other universities in the United States in thsir further research work. This World Politics department which is on> of the finest in the world, was greatly interested in Baha'o'llah's Principles and these are the young men and women who will go forth as pioneers in work for justice. The university has four thousand students but only the members of this department could gst into the hall, it was filled. Anything on the econanic
problems, universal peace, or any of thess Principles, please send it to Prof. C. P. Patterson, "World Politics" Department, University of Texas, Austin, Tex. .
| Right after the lecture Miss Root started on to Mexico City, Mexico. She said: "Austin is open to more Light. Mise Reinke will welcome any Bahai who can visit here, Work is plentiful, if any Bahai could coms and settle. Other engage‘ments came, the Bahai Cause became popular, and sverywhere they invited me to come soon again and speak. The trail of Bahai Light that comet-liks, swept Austin as its goal, was the fulfillment of the Confirmations of Baha'o!liah and Abdul Baha and the Assistance of the Holy Spirit -- ani another cause was the NINE YEARS of beautiful, Bahai "Living the life" which Anna Reinks has done.
Sent out November 7, 1921 from ths railway station, Austin, Tex., U. S. A.
(signed) MARTHA ROOT,
