May 10, 1912 Floating in a sea of happiness

"Floating in a sea of happiness" 

`Abdu'l-Bahá is still in Washington, D.C., on His second visit there. 

Mahmud writes:  "Several distinguished people came to visit `Abdu'l-Bahá in the morning. After a private interview involving lengthy questions and answers, He spoke in detail on the preeminence and progress of this century and the decline of the dogmatic formalism of the nations.

In the afternoon `Abdu'l-Bahá spoke to a gathering of distinguished women on the rights and education of women. Later, after a drive in the park, He visited a home for the poor which had been established through the efforts of Mrs. [Alice Barney-] Hemmick. In the evening, He spoke about the influence of the Cause of God, the spiritual power of Bahá'u'lláh, ending His talk with loving exhortations to the Bahá'ís.

The Master dined at the home of Mrs Hemmick and Mme Dreyfus-Barney. Everyone was delighted to be in His presence and floated in a sea of happiness until late at night listening to His loving admonitions and exhortations." 

ah, for more details! Luckily, Agnes Parsons and others provide them.  Agnes writes that she sent her carriage to the apartment; `Abdu'l-Bahá and others drove to the office of the "Orient-Occident Unity." Before this, Mr. Theodore Spicer Simon [sic: Spicer-Simpson], medalist, had called at her house to see `Abdu'l-Bahá but not finding Him went to the apartment where `Abdu'l-Bahá gave him a half-hour sitting. She notes that Simon made an excellent likeness from these. [He's a prominent English sculptor who lived in DC for awhile.]

Agnes then describes how she met the party at the Orient-Occident Unity office, where she found the Khans with their two older children, the Hannens, the Belmonts, Mrs. Struven, and others. `Abdu'l-Bahá  spoke of the importance on consultation in all the work done by the Baha'is. `Abdu'l-Bahá had a cup of coffee, after which Agnes, Dr. Zia Baghdadi (who came from Chicago), and Dr. Fareed drove with `Abdu'l-Bahá to the Capitol. The Master expressed a wish to go inside, "where He examined the statuary and the paintings," then they walked on the grounds and sat for a time near a large tree. They also drove to the Washington Monument and went up to the top in the elevator. "`Abdu'l-Bahá looked with great interest out of each window."

After lunch and a rest, `Abdu'l-Bahá had a 4:00 meeting. Then, He motored with Laura Dreyfus-Barney (who later recorded Some Answered Questions) and was then taken to Studio Hall, where He spoke (again, not to be confused with Studio House, the art gallery and studio of Alice Pike Barney now Hemmick. But He did have dinner at 10:00 with Alice, presumably at Studio House. Agnes reports that she returned home to see Him there, speaking with her husband. He said goodnight, leaving her a draft (check?) to be sent to the Temple fund, in care of Corinne True. 

Alice, self portrait

What I NEED are memoirs of the Barney women. In Alice Pike Barney: Her Life and Art, the author reports that she had met `Abdu'l-Bahá in the Middle East in 1905 and honored Him with a luncheon and two evening receptions [in 1912]. "Since all three events were sedate affairs, The Club-Fellow and Washington Mirror was forced to put a different spin on its coverage of Studio House happenings in order to titillate its readers." (230) They did so by announcing that Alice's husband, Christian, had renounced Catholicism to become a Baha'i because rumor had it that he now "sat on the floor and ate oriental suppers while wearing loose flowing Eastern robes instead of a dinner coat." (230)  It is not even clear whether Alice is officially a Baha'i, though her values tended to resonate with the Faith, especially regarding the equality of gender. Both daughters spend most of their lives in Paris; Natalie, her older daughter, is known for her "wild" life--literary soirees and lesbian love affairs.  Laura, of course, has married the first French Baha'i and become steeped in the Faith.  In 1910 it was announced in the papers that the sisters "agreed to disagree and live separate and apart." As they aged, they had little to do with each other, for "neither sister accepted the direction the other's life had taken." (APB 230)

Hippolyte

Laura and Hippolyte, apparently, had come to Washington in May perhaps especially to see `Abdu'l-Bahá, though Alice's biographer mentions they came in June and went to Bar Harbor with the newlyweds, Alice and Christian.  (Alice was 56 I believe and Christian much younger.)

I want to BE in the presence of Alice and Laura today in 1912, to dine in Studio House and see how the Master responds to these unique, gifted, eccentric women. How will it be possible to get closer to this history???? I need to be a time traveler in a way that transcends the words on pages of various accounts. I need to see it through the eyes of those who met the Master, feel their pulses quickening, hear His words to them. . . . Unfair that I was born too late! 

I can only go back to the Tablet of Visitation, hoping to meet Him "face to face." 

Meanwhile, here's an interesting story about Laura: In 1902 " . . . Alice was treated to a rude shock as she leafed through the latest issue of the Washington Mirror.  The object of its ridicule was once more Laura and the Baha'is.  The article was not only patronizing, it confused the Bahai faith with occult practices by painting a lurid scene of Laura as a medium leading incense-filled sceances to contact Bahaullah. She was pictured as 'etherealized in the receptive trance, while the exclusive few . . . listen in awe-stricken suspense, while Bab "babbled."' At the end it printed the address of the Bahai meeting place, which caused crowds to gather to gawk and laugh at those who came to hear the teachings of the venerable Fazl." [Mirza Abul Fazl was in Washington at the time, attracting some of the most "prominent and wealthy churchgoers"--to the dismay of "many prominent clergy." (170–71)

Natalie's portrait, by Alice

Laura's portrait, by Alice

One can only imagine the ripples in the Washington society as the Barney women and others drove around with and hosted the Master while He was there! 

When we shot video footage at Studio House, Mona Khademi (currently writing a book about Laura), Margaret Mattinson, and I pretended to be Laura, Agnes, and Alice. What imposters! 

Across from Studio House

"Laura," "Agnes," and "Alice"

 at Studio House

I am pretending to be Alice . . .