September 9, 1912

Montreal--Toronto--Buffalo; truthfulness & trustworthiness; enthusiasm & ardor; sighs & sorrows

Mahmud writes: "In the morning the bill for $700 for the week's stay at the hotel was paid. As usual, `Abdu'l-Bahá directed me to take personal charge of His bags and move them myself. I fell short of my duty as the hotel stewards carried His bags with the other luggage. When He saw that His bags were not with me, He said: `In spite of these repeated reminders, you were neglectful. I would not have asked you to be so careful had it not contained valuable documents and writings which I wish to present to the libraries of London and Paris. Otherwise, material things are not important to me.'

All luggage sent through the railway station had to be examined by the Customs officers; but the chief officer at the Customs and his assistants passed our baggage, indicating that they were perfectly satisfied and had no reason to examine the effects of the Bahá'ís! When the Master was told this, His face opened up like a rose and He expounded on the stations of truthfulness and trustworthiness, which are the sources of the prosperity and assurance of the people of the world.

The enthusiasm and ardor of the friends knew no bounds. They surrounded `Abdu'l-Bahá like moths. Until the train pulled out of the station at nine o'clock, the friends continued to sigh and express their sorrow at His departure.

It is astonishing to see that `Abdu'l-Bahá does not want any comfort and will not take any rest, even while traveling on the train. When translations of the newspaper articles and letters from the friends were read to Him, He immediately answered and bestowed His bounties upon them. To some He wrote in His own hand. When He was tired of writing, the Master spoke about the coming of Christ from the heaven of holiness:

The Gospel expressly records that in His first coming, although Christ was born to Mary, He Himself said that He came from heaven. Thus, the meaning of `heaven' is the greatness of the Cause and eminence and might of the Manifestation of God Who spreads this divine Cause by His heavenly power and divine strength and not through material means.

Whenever His eyes fell on the luxuriant beauty of the lakes and rivers along the route He would remember the Blessed Perfection.

At noon He said to us: `You have lunch. I will not eat anything until I am hungry.'

The air in the coach was stifling and, owing to the speed of the train, even though the windows and doors were closed, the dust was heavy. `Abdu'l-Bahá felt tired. When the train reached Toronto to change tracks, He walked a little on the platform, saying that He was exhausted. `We have not gone far, He said, `yet we feel tired. How will the great distance to California be traversed? We have no choice, as in the path of God we must regard troubles as blessings and discomforts as greatest bounties.' We reached Buffalo late at night but, in obedience to His request, the friends were not informed."

The story about Mahmud's "neglecting" the luggage is very human--and what a wonderful end to the story, about the customs officer not inspecting the baggage!

We can imagine the ardor and sorrow, as the Master leaves His Canadian friends and ends His days in that country.  I am struck by how meaningful that nine-day sojourn was--and is!