Transcript of: Talking with William Sears and Edna True about visit with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in ‘Akká in 1907
Corinne True
circa/1951
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[0:00] The first time I went to Haifa in 1907, and that was in the early spring of 1907, and I sailed from Boston. And I was secretary of [?] committee working for the temple here in Chicago, you know, it was in the early days. And so working for that, I thought... when I engaged my passage on a steamer, Anna my daughter was going with me When I engaged passage, I found out that Mr. and Mrs. [?] also had engaged passage on the same steamer, not knowing that I had any intention of going off. And when we went to Boston, who expected to meet him there, and I pad a little I we took full scrap paper, you know, possible scalp with the lines on it. And at the heading with little suffocation. Asked that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Baha'i Baháʼí if he would bless us in this effort, you know, to raise. And I sent it always then no, uh, very many centers in America. Damn it. I sent it to us as university as I could in the United States, and I had well, almost 1000. I know 900 names. You know, each wrote it with only in their own handwriting each person that they would come to your center, each one. And then my husband took all of these that I had connected from the different cops Can't California alone around. And he took one for the caption. You know, they say application on it. I'm in Haiti. Yeah, he made it like a screw taking this after the certification off, having hit and together till I had a long screw. And when I got to Boston, the word came, that missed. Agnes is a boy. Come down, Scott. I couldn't go. Doesn't my baggage on the steamer? I was going to give it up. Guys, we're going on the same team e. I understand you made it. My husband had fixed it in a nice you know, Carrie and I was going to give it to us trying to take. And when I got off, it's very dangerous. Landing at hot in those days, they a little and they were suspecting out ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Baha'i building a clock. They thought that this original shrine of the bar, But he's They said he was building a full walls are very thick. Not surprising. But this was before 19. This about 1977 101 100. And so it was my So I took it with me when I went from way Landed that way. Had to be taken off in their rowboat. They couldn't couldn't go toe. They haven't had to get off your, you know, bodies of those killed just like rowboat. Yes, way got through. Customs had trouble getting through because that's what I like. Danger had ever opened that. That's what I was thinking was rolled up. You see the music music And then when we first out there Well, well, I had cooks, man, take me to a little hotel kept by a German. Abbas Oh, so simple. You know, they had much peeing in nice and everything and way sent word upto the house that I was home at the time. His family when he was still in the city. But his family with wood went up to see them. And then they said, come up and on and his women of households to entertain us with a nose and they took us in. He have it old Democrat, you know his comment, his carriage, But itwas like a Democrat. And they drove us up to the shrine that out of the house, then building, you know, And, uh, a very funny A back of a shrine that was a donkey tied around the trees on That was their market. Where exacerbating the market boy down into the German house where the stores and provisions. My daughter, she was so intrigued that donkey and she said I wouldn't if I can ride the donkey Dom if you ride in the carriage, mother. And so they are, after all, a little dog. I'm gonna wrote it all down the hell really back. And I will ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Baha'i send troops to stay in until word comes from me. She can come too. Well, I think it was a second day that any word came early in the morning. I came. That monster had friendly that missus. True. Should engage cooks wagon of a wagon from cook to take us around and get pictures. Hang out and wait. Uh, engaged the wagon very early in the morning. Then we started out in Cook's wagon and he drove rush around way over there yet Time, love I think that's very nice. That was painted at that time. Well, I put him on the friends found I was going, If you could see you over what you have from from American Way on and baby pictures and asking ‘Abdu’l-Bahá name the baby's back names. Baby, you were custodian of all these on. So we drove around the band are on, uh, wake up to the master's house Human. Then he haven't been outside against Tanaka before. Yes. You see, the enemies have been doing something very bad on they. Relatives were bad, you know. They weren't allowed to go out. And so Abbas didn't go. You didn't really have to, but he thought it was for four years. He didn't go outside and wait over on dhe. Then they cooked. Exactly. Someone told me that a lot of young man working for cook by saying anything about Wade drove into a big car. Yeah, you knew and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá came out and took our baggage into this up by the steps on the practice of seeing those steps ago. Andre were taken to a men's quarters, was down below and you got this long. Many don't save time very old and we were taken up and take a second, and I then way first got there. Most of the daughters came into and what they could do to make us comfort. And then they said, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá will come and see you later. So after we washed our hands and cleaned up from the journey, uh, waiting on the floor and you could hear one coming alone in college and we move was coming. And as he came in that morning, a gardener from one of the how lost God one of the 1st 1 he had a garden full of flowers on that morning at the first half have been on this gardener had come in very early to see the monster and brought violence on. So I've ever had. I mean, that they have. And he brought them. And the master came in with these lovely half in his hand. And he was dividing number three of my daughter. Pilgrim had outside. She went on with that picture, and so he came in, uh, dividing them into three parts to know anything. Now, how about you? Well, and what? You just couldn't just walking in. That's what it seemed as near as I could picture at that time. It just seemed exactly just in that body and came into the room. Mom. And then after we had that run in for a visit with him. And then we had lunch with him and he asked questions in the paper. And I began to realize a power ‘Abdu’l-Bahá because he said missus, too. How are you, Akka all love it. Look at me, I e way have lunch with him and then he then he said, And they women in the household in to see you on the greatest least Come and see you. And then that was Gracie Believe told us when when they were banished to Akka and put up in the old awful prison, you know, and how they didn't give the water no food and it was terrible. It got them, but running around, you know, between them, with Windows sales, something like that. It hasn't been knocked back quite a vile alongside steps in. And there's Kabul in everything even think of they have no food. Uh, candy clothing So cold there, nearly freezing the worst conditions. Possibly imagine comforted tall not even drinking water. But when they keep you locked up in that prison and the, uh, Iran realized that they were not going to be separated from how it was going to have a journalist and Bahá’u’lláh , he said that please do not because they were chanting, surely. Oh, yeah. Not that didn't matter. Nothing else just to be in the presence on Duh. Hey, send word he said Don't so loud because of the guard keepers of the person they hear you chanting and you've been sent here. We've been living in honest here is crazy fanatics and be sure So they had even chanting I didn't make anything came in the afternoon, you know? And you think Well, uh, after dinner that night, I asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá hostile, so it'd be interesting for me. I asked her I said, a mama Khanum, Uh, we have a number of things letters and little things that have been given us to bring two ‘Abdu’l-Bahá . And will you take them to him and a Mamba Khanum that no, he should bring yourself. And he will send for you when he wants you to come to him. So the next morning she came and racked up a lot of And she said, Mrs True Ah, Lord wishes you didn't love you Come to him in a room I didn't know. And so, Mama, comin with me and took me to this room and Abbas and I said, Well, and something like this in rules, I I selected that the president's protection. I was taking other babies. Fruit gate, go Shane Mack getting them already. I'm already about, Among other things, I put the scroll the role of names. I put it back on me like this I thought, Well, I got through messages. If you think that, then I would take this out of explaining to them. Well, listen, toe for a little while I gave him, and then he got out. Well, what about me and which behind me took a whole lot of it. Must be the last car and here and he said the very best thing you could do with truth, you know? And then then he talked to me about the work and you here. Now, I, um Then he told me that you want to show you that I was and he went out and brought back a drawing which someone had made of the ground floor. But I'm having news. We found your brother drawing that someone had made. And he said that it should be that way. There has made it before. Oh, do you remember what it was buying Americans? Maybe. I don't know whether brother Mr get signatures. Admitted who? You didn't tell me who admitted he had it way it should be. Mrs. Yes, you were bringing something new with this scroll of names that he was waiting really drawing. I was, I was told, uh afterwards whether they said different ones had to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá about a temple in America and he would say it is not time to defend it. And he came in in the morning when the women of the household only in the morning and had a cup of team with the most. And he didn't come in that morning, but she defended. Probably came in and he said, Oh, I have something to tell you He said, You know, business loans have replicated toe ‘Abdu’l-Bahá about this, and he would say it is not the time. And he said this money I took dictation a tablet to Mrs Karim. True, No talk. And it's up there on that and that far out that window with No, now is the time and make a beginning and all will come and waste a day. We said. I think we left on the sixth day. We had 60 days, we were there and we went in the main terribly. We've been thinking she hasn't been out of the scythe backup. And so they lived in the house, take us out to see the garden of the wrist and over to the shrine of the line. And then they doctors took on Italy. Mohammed lost in the morning. We had great times and he would give us talks at the table and one when moving in tow. Have lunch. Hey, said that I have a guest today, So this is to Shoghi Effendi yesterday on, and I have have another intending to come and have lunch. And then ‘Abdu’l-Bahá children spending which one you like about parking. But then when I came home and I was ready to go, uh, he always had the gift. Just guess always come to work for a private interview to ask him any questions. And so he sent me to come to Mama. Vaughan was waiting for me in the room and I asked him as long as he had. It's the best. We've got people living alone. And I asked them, looked at what he wished me to do. And he said I was to live in Chicago. We should work with the monster. And if you do it for the monster Colossus Khanum 22 years, I never get to the one step inside. And he took home with this hand and I could feel like a great power from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá . You feel it going truly. It was a most unusual. And I met at at some side and came up on a boat with us. And she was going back. And so he said, you came with Madame Carlucci. You yet you came with when she goes, if you would go Oh, I would've stayed thio difficult for him to be very dangerous for humans for that Did you know, Mr Chase? Mr. Agnew and Mr came a month later and, uh, they almost rotten. It was such an enemy. They had to leave. They said there was a a very sweet story. You told me at the convention last year about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá saying people were like letters. Do you remember his words on that? That you shouldn't pay attention to the outside of the letter? Oh, here's what he way. We're all saying goodbye to him, you know, way left in the morning and and way had to drive back from Akka to have nine miles our national way to go. And when we're getting ready to leave cares you couldn't rolling back on the family. I the pilgrims, they all tell me you'll just think that had we known each other all our lives and so and I was. But I went over abroad, you know, on a neighbor I didn't dare to get off the boat. I was so afraid because those were early days. The boat Didn't you have to get out and the world to show our and they totally sets off tales about Italian bad word. If you crossed, they asked a certain price. Cut your throat. I didn't know that. Then when we got to, uh, got to Alexandria where we have to leave, the Arabs came climbing all over that boat I was frightened, but that was the first contact I made Family goddammit. Founding with only until believers. And that's about the father. I'm a family of this Oriental believable lives in Berkeley and married an American girl. I was a little bi What? What the matter was my first contact with. But that's go. It wasn't because of the roughness of these people that you asked of you ‘Abdu’l-Bahá . But then he mentioned this about the letter is that would lead him to make that letter e He knew he knew that I was afraid to get off. Really? But they know better than you know. There's something about these these profit man my dad over this treat. It's a real live A really, really. They know that past from the present and they all run to, and so do you. Hey, mister. You see, I had been sold and so he took my hand and he had my true. When you go back, I want you to look at every human being and say to yourself, You are a little from my beloved and I must love you. They cause of the beloved that wrote to you. But He said the letter might be Thorne. It might be blue in every way, but the fact that day is a beloved wrote the letter. You must love it for that. Love is important. I think I told you that. Okay. These have been the memories of Mrs Corrin. True of Wilmette, Illinois, one of the earliest pioneers of the Baháʼí world. Faith in America.
