Listen to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Parasian Philosopher Addresses 200 Disciples at a Studio.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá Abbas, the Persian philosopher and teacher who arrived here on Wednesday for a four months preaching tour, gave a short talk last night to 200 disciples at the studio of Miss Harriet S. Phillips, 39 West Sixty-seventh street. Fatigued from his travelling, the venerable priest did not speak long. He had spoken in the afternoon at the residence of Howard McNutt, 935 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá was accompanied by Dr. Ameen U. Fareed, his physician; Mirza Mohammed, Mirza Ahmad Sahrah and Said Assadullad. He does not speak English, but his sayings and parables were told to the audience through Dr. Fareed, who will accompany the priest in this country. The substance of his talk was universal love and peace, and he said that there is good in everything if only we put ourselves about to see it.

“It is perfect happiness,” the sage said, “to be with you. There is no joy except when friends meet face to face. You know the first teaching of God is love, and serving humanity is the same as serving God.”

Stopping a minute while his eyes rested on the electric lights in the ceiling, he continued:

“May love radiate from you like the light from these electric lights, like the stars in the heavens.” He said that this is the century of blessed perfection; it is the cycle of light, it is the period prophesied by all prophets.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá is also a man of wit. In his talk in Brooklyn in the afternoon he said that the streets of New York were like theatres. Therefore he could not see the reason why we have so many theatres.

“The English language,” he said later, “seems to consist of one word — ‘allright.’”