Tending the Garden/Introduction

INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW EDITION

“To every generation of young believers comes an opportunity to make a contribution to the fortunes of humanity, unique to

their time of life.”

One day in the spring of 1926, a youth noticed an ad in a newspaper. A few months later, a young woman saw a sign on a downtown building. ‘Thus began the adventures of Emeric Sala, of Jewish background, born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Rosemary Gillies, of Scots-Presbyterian heritage. Both were attracted by words to a new faith which they investigated and soon joined. This book attempts to show how these two members of an earlier generation, during the days of the Great Depression, and during the turmoil of World War II, took every possible opportunity to contribute to the fortunes of humanity. And how they would continue to do so for the rest of their lives.

The Bahai Faith, when this chronicle begins, was barely known in Canada with some 60 Baha’is” scattered between Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. This newest of world religions had been founded by Bah@w'llah in Persia in the middle of the 19th century. He brought new teachings all revolving around the essential principle of the oneness of humanity. (At the end of the book you will find an appendix which outlines some specific teachings and a glossary of Bahai terms.)

In this new faith there is no clergy. All Bah@is are “teachers”, sharing their beliefs with anyone who is interested, in a spirit that encourages questions and independent search. Baha’is in the 20th century struggled to inform people of the Faith’s existence and, through a unique administrative system, to put its principles into practice. These were the dramatic days of the first Bah@i speaker in province or state, the first Baha’ to settle in a country or territory. Emeric and Rosemary tore up roots, traveled and moved to what seemed outlandish places. [Page x]My father Paul was Emeric’s younger brother. As a child I saw my aunt and uncle often, especially during summers when they spent time at their cottage adjoining our farm in Riviére Beaudette, not far from Montreal. Rosemary would sit with me under a willow tree by the lake, as she told stories of ‘Abdw1Baha. Once, she copied some of these stories into a small red notebook which she gave me as a birthday present. When they moved to Africa, letters between us began to cross oceans, and this correspondence would continue until their deaths. In spite of my own moves and dislocations, | managed to keep most of their letters.

Words had led both Rosemary and Emeric to the Faith. Letters, articles, notes, a book, provided channels of expression throughout their lives. One day I found myself in their last home in Mexico, surrounded by boxes overflowing with letters and notebooks. Rosemary had recently died and Emeric urged me: “Go through the boxes and take what you want.” I found copies of letters from Shoghi Effendi, others from Ruthiyyih Khanum, and the Maxwells; notebooks filled with stories of early believers and correspondence with Bah@i friends.

Emeric died ten years later. Again there were boxes to go through. | found another treasure trove of articles, reports, letters and a book manuscript. As I pored through these fascinating documents, the desire grew to share their words.

In their marriage, Rosemary and Emeric brought two strong personalities and very different backgrounds together with a pair of distinct literary “voices”. Yet the words of one seemed to complement the words of the other. Always they were a team. In Tending the Garden, I have “teamed” their words, using extracts and linking them together with short, explanatory notes. Emeric’s writing has an analytic tone, tempered with humour. His informal autobiography provides much information, especially at the beginning of the book. In succeeding chapters, their experiences and impressions are woven together through selections from letters, reports, interviews and articles. Rosemary’s “storyteller voice” comes from the notebooks of stories she used for her talks and from passages of many letters. I used their original words, unedited, sometimes with minor corrections of grammar and spelling to ease the flow. [Page xi]Xi

Omissions are indicated by ellipses ... and explanatory additions by square brackets [ ]. It should be noted that the primary source material, currently in my personal collection, will be donated to the Canadian National Archives.

Among their contributions these are highlights: While World War II raged, Emeric wrote about the unifying vision of Baha@w lah. The resulting book, This Earth One Country, served for many years as an introduction to the Faith. Later in South Africa, Rosemary set up a project that would closely link her with many African people; this, during the time when the country was shrouded by the racist system of apartheid.

Tending the Garden was first published in 1998. Even before that time, my daughter Elin kept saying, “You must cite your sources!” As a result, a few years ago | began going over the book and my files with a fine-tooth comb hunting for references. In the process, I found precious material to add. In this edition there are nine excerpts of letters from the Guardian, five from Ruhiyyih Khanum, five from May Maxwell, and three from Sutherland Maxwell. Furthermore, since the first edition the age of the internet has arrived, with emails rapidly replacing letter-writing. There were now emails to include, such as those from Robert Mazibuko. Robert was working on his own book and generously shared stories of his experiences with the Salas in South Africa. ‘Two additional sources of new material were Will van den Hoonaard’s Origins of the Baha’t Community of Canada, 1898-1948, published in 1996, and A Ten Year Crusade Diary for Southern Africa, issued in 2002.

Years have passed since an ad in a newspaper and a sign on a door drew Emeric and Rosemary to the Baha'i Faith. This newest of world faiths has grown to become the second most-widespread religion and among the fastest growing, with members found in every country and territory on earth. Activities to which all are welcome, center now in neighborhoods all over the world. Just as Rosemary and Emeric did years ago, young men and women are breaking new ground, nurturing sapling souls. Taking what opportunities they can to “make a contribution to the fortunes of humanity, unique to their time of life.”