the
Manifest Light.

As to thee, convey unto the maid-servants of the Merciful that they must
be firm in the love of El-Baha at the time of the severe trials and tests;
forasmuch as the storms and winds occur during the winter seasons; then
comes the spring with the wonderful scenery and it adorns the hills and
plains with flowers and beautiful birds sing the melodies of joy on the
branches of the trees and warble beautiful tunes on the roofs of bowers,
in wonderful melodies. Soon shalt thou see that the lights have shone
forth, the banners of the Kingdom have been raised, the fragrances of God
diffused, the hosts of the Kingdom descending, the angels of heaven
confirmed and the Holy Spirit breathed into those horizons (regions). Then
shalt thou see the waverers frightened and at loss. This is a complete
matter on the part of the Lord of Signs.

Blessed art thou for keeping firm in the Cause of God. I pray God to give
thee a divine spirit, spiritual blood and to make thee a growing and
thriving leaf on the Tree of Life, so that thou mayest serve the
maid-servants of God in fragrance and spirituality.

Thy generous Lord will confirm thee in serving in His great vineyard and
will make thee an instrument for spreading the spirit of concord and union
among the maid-servants of the Merciful, will open thine insight by the
light of knowledge and forgive thee thy sins and change them to good
deeds.

Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful and Possessor of Great
Bounty!

"O maid-servant of God who art swayed like a strong..."

O maid-servant of God who art swayed like a strong branch by the breeze of
God!

I have read thy letter which evinces the abundance of thy love and the
warmth of thy devotion and thy zeal in acknowledging God.

Commit thyself to God; give up thy will and choose that of God; abandon
thy desire and lay hold on that of God; that thou mayest be a holy,
spiritual and heavenly example among the maid-servants of God.

O maid-servant of God! Know thou that in the sight of God, the conduct of
women is the same as that of men. All are the creatures of God and He has
created them after His form and likeness; that is to say, after the form
and likeness of the Manifestations of His names and His attributes. From
the spiritual point of view, therefore, there is no difference between
women and men. "The nearer we draw to God, the nearer He comes to us"
without regard to whether the person be a