Agnes: May 8 – ‘Abdu’l-Bahá returns to Washington

After leaving Chicago, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited Cleveland and Pittsburgh, returning to Washington on the evening of May 8th. Before going to the Station, I took vases and flowers to the apartment at which He expected to stop: also chocolate nougats, of which He is fond. He promised to spend the days at my house, but thought best that the entire party should go to the 1336 Harvard Street N.W. apartment that had been chosen. [This was the apartment of the William P. Ripley family, who temporarily vacated it for the use of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and his entourage]

I went to the station to meet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá — found Mirza and Mme Khan, Mr. and Mrs. Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney, Mirza Sohrab, and Mr. and Mrs. Hannen. (Mrs. Dreyfus remained in her motor). We saw ‘Abdu’l-Bahá before the train stopped and greeted Him from the window. The motor of Mme. Dreyfus and my carriage brought some of the party (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Dr. Fareed, Saied Assad’ullah) to my house to tea. Mr. and Mrs. Dreyfus could not stay. Mr. Parsons who had been having a little dinner, came down shortly and greeted ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on his way out to a business meeting.

After ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had gone, Mirza Sohrab and a few others stopped at my house, but left finding that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was not here.