he Fortress
and went in, but he was exhausted, spent. He remained for some days, and
came into the presence of Baha'u'llah, after which he was directed to look
for a lodging in Haifa. He got himself to Haifa, but he found no haven
there, no nest or hole, no water, no grain of corn. Finally he made his
home in a cave outside the town. He acquired a little tray and on this he
set out rings of earthenware, and some thimbles, pins and other trinkets.
Every day, from morning till noon, he peddled these, wandering about. Some
days his earnings would amount to twenty paras,(14) some days thirty; and
forty on his best days. Then he would go home to the cave and content
himself with a piece of bread. He was always voicing his thanks, always
saying, "Praise be to God that I have attained such favor and grace; that
I have been separated from friend and stranger alike, and have taken
refuge in this cave. Now I am of those who gave their all, to buy the
Divine Joseph in the market place. What bounty could be any greater than
this!"

Such was his condition, when he died. Many and many a time, Baha'u'llah
was heard to express His satisfaction with Ustad Isma'il. Blessings hemmed
him round, and the eye of God was on him. Salutations be unto him, and
praise. Upon him be the glory of the All-Glorious.

NABIL-I-ZARANDI

Still another of those who emigrated from their native land to be near
Baha'u'llah was the great Nabil.(15) In the flower of youth he bade
farewell to his family in Zarand and with Divine aid began to teach the
Faith. He became a chief of the army of lovers, and on his quest he left
Persian 'Iraq for Mesopotamia, but could not find the One he sought. For
the Well-Beloved was then in Kurdistan, living in a cave at Sar-Galu; and
there, entirely alone in that wasteland, with no companion, no friend, no
listening soul, He was communing with the beauty that dwelt in His own
heart. All news of Him was completely cut off; 'Iraq was eclipsed, and in
mourning.

When Nabil discovered that the flame which had once been kindled and
tended there was almost out, that the believers were few, that Yahya(16)
had crawled into a secret hole where he lay torpid and inert, and that a
wintry cold had taken over--he found himself obliged to leave, bitterly
grieving, for Karbila. There he stayed until the Blessed Beauty returned
from Kurdistan, making His way to Ba_gh_dad. At that time there was
boundless joy; every believer in the