buries his face in the flowers. It is like the effort of the ear to hear a
beautiful harmony, a concentrated attention!"--A Brief Account of My Visit
to 'Akka, pp. 25-26.

He loved to present beautiful and sweet-smelling flowers to His numerous
visitors.

Mr. Thornton Chase sums up his impression of the prison life at Akka as
follows:--

Five days we remained within those walls, prisoners with Him who
dwells in that "Greatest Prison." It is a prison of peace, of love
and service. No wish, no desire is there save the good of mankind,
the peace of the world, the acknowledgement of the Fatherhood of
God and the mutual rights of men as His creatures, His children.
Indeed, the real prison, the suffocating atmosphere, the
separation from all true heart desires, the bond of world
conditions, is outside of those stone walls, while within them is
the freedom and pure aura of the Spirit of God. All troubles,
tumults, worries or anxieties for worldly things are barred out
there.--In Galilee, p. 24.

To most people the hardships of prison life would appear as grievous
calamities, but for 'Abdu'l-Baha they had no terrors. When in prison He
wrote:--

Grieve not because of my imprisonment and calamity; for this
prison is my beautiful garden, my mansioned paradise and my throne
of dominion among mankind. My calamity in my prison is a crown to
me in which I glory among the righteous.

Anyone can be happy in the state of comfort, ease, health,
success, pleasure and joy; but if one be happy and contented in
the time of trouble, hardship and prevailing disease, that is the
proof of nobility.

Turkish Commissions of Investigation

In 1904 and 1907 commissions were appointed by the Turkish Government to
inquire into the charges against 'Abdu'l-Baha, and lying witnesses gave
evidence against Him. 'Abdu'l-Baha, while refuting the charges, expressed
His entire readiness to submit to any sentence the tribunal chose to
impose. He declared that if they should throw Him into jail, drag Him
through the streets, curse Him, spit upon Him, stone Him, heap upon Him
all sort of ignominy, hang Him or shoot Him, He would still be happy.

Between the sittings of the Commissions of Investigation He pursued His
ordinary life with the utmost serenity, planting fruit trees in a garden
and presiding at a marriage feast with the dignity and radiance of
spiritua