te in the eyes of a critical and sceptical age the supreme claim
of the Abha Revelation. One thing and only one thing will unfailingly and
alone secure the undoubted triumph of this sacred Cause, namely, the
extent to which our own inner life and private character mirror forth in
their manifold aspects the splendor of those eternal principles proclaimed
by Baha'u'llah.

Looking back upon those sullen days of my retirement, bitter with feelings
of anxiety and gloom, I can recall with appreciation and gratitude those
unmistakable evidences of your affection and steadfast zeal which I have
received from time to time, and which have served to relieve in no small
measure the burden that weighed so heavily upon my heart.

I can well imagine the degree of uneasiness, nay of affliction, that must
have agitated the mind and soul of every loving and loyal servant of the
Beloved during these long months of suspense and distressing silence. But
I assure you such remarkable solicitude as you have shown for the
protection of His Cause, such tenacity of faith and unceasing activity as
you have displayed for its promotion, cannot but in the end be abundantly
rewarded by 'Abdu'l-Baha, who from His station above is the sure witness
of all that you have endured and suffered for Him.

Dawn of a Brighter Day

And now as I look into the future, I hope to see the friends at all times,
in every land, and of every shade of thought and character, voluntarily
and joyously rallying round their local and in particular their national
centers of activity, upholding and promoting their interests with complete
unanimity and contentment, with perfect understanding, genuine enthusiasm,
and sustained vigor. This indeed is the one joy and yearning of my life,
for it is the fountainhead from which all future blessings will flow, the
broad foundation upon which the security of the Divine Edifice must
ultimately rest. May we not hope that now at last the dawn of a brighter
day is breaking upon our beloved Cause?

SHOGHI.

Haifa, Palestine.
September 24, 1924.

Letter of November 24th, 1924.

To my dearly-beloved brothers and sisters in 'Abdu'l-Baha: care of the
American National Spiritual Assembly.

Dearest friends:

The day is drawing near when, for the third time, we shall commemorate the
world over the passing of our well-beloved 'Abdu'l-Baha. May we not pause
for a moment, and gather our thoughts? How has it fared with us, His