Minneapolis

‘Abdu’l-Bahá and His entourage traveled most of Wednesday, September 18, on the train toward Minnesota. “In these days,” Mahmud noted, “the Holy Being appeared to be sad and depressed. At one time He said, ‘…The Ark of the Cause is invested with tempests and storms from all sides. But the confirmations of the Pre-existent Beauty are with us.’”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá only planned to stay two days in Minneapolis. When the friends told Him of many speaking invitations, He replied, “Oh no, we cannot stay more than two days. We come to your city to put a fresh spiritual unction into it. We come to sow the seeds, to make the people awake, to deliver to them the greatest news and then to depart from the city. In this short space of time our work is to proclaim the Cause of God, and, Praise be to God, its results are becoming evident, and powerful confirmations are descending upon us day by day.”

The next day, Thursday, September 19, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke in the assembly hall of the hotel, at the Commercial Club, and later at the synagogue. The following morning He also visited the Walker Art Gallery. One of the things they viewed were ancient tear vials from Phoenicia.

All the major newspapers of Minneapolis carried articles about His activities. Concerning His traveling, the September 19 Minneapolis Tribune indicated that “Albert H. Hall received a telegram from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá last night [September 18, the night He arrived] announcing His coming.”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá left Minneapolis on Friday, September 20.