and gave the teachings of God with such force and clarity to many a weary traveler on the path. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has designated him as the greatest religious teacher of his time, and those who realized his station and capacity felt that it was a privilege to be taught by him. He loved all, and served all alike. What a bounty he was! And how he enjoyed walking to the pines, there to give his illumined talks to the eager groups who gathered around him! Thereafter the pines became known as the “Persian Pines,” and though it was in the summer of 1904 that our revered teacher visited Green Acre, yet those radiant services of his are ever fresh and fair in the memory. His season at Green Acre was one of particular charm and spiritual growth. Blessed Mirza Abul Fazl! The writers of the future ages will record the real story in detail of his sanctified life of severance and service!
But nothing of course can be compared to the season of 1912 when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá himself visited Green Acre for one week. “Blessed is the ground which has been pressed by his feet.” From that time Green Acre has been considered by some as holy ground, not in the fanatical sense, but because the Light of spirituality burned brightly there, because the Light of the World shed a radiance beyond the description of any words, and because the hearts of all who contacted with this Divine Servant of God were quickened with such happiness and love of the Kingdom, and were so spiritually confirmed that they were ready to give up all in service to humanity. He was the Divine Exemplar who was himself treading the path of servitude and holiness, and being Perfect he could direct others to the Perfect Way. He summoned all to devote their time to the spirtual reality of religion, and said: “In Green Acre you must concentrate your forces around the one all-important fact, the investigation of reality. Expend all your efforts on this, that the union of opinions and expressions may be obtained."
From that time down through these succeding years, many an advanced soul has at times scaled the spiritual heights in contemplation of the precious hours spent with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Green Acre; they have seen once again his majestic figure, and heard his peerless voice ringing out the Words of God, teaching the children of men how to attain spiritual maturity, how to live the sanctified life.
The old order passed, and the foundation of the new life became apparent to all. Thereafter the Green Acre conferences were to revolve around teaching the reality of the Word of God.
About the year 1912 Miss Farmer became too ill to serve as the head and moving spirit of Green Acre, and soon thereafter it passed into the possession and under the control of the Green Acre Fellowship, with Mr. and Mrs. Wm. H. Randall of Boston contributing largely of their resources in every way to furthering the great plan of this beautiful center, and they built wisely and well around the Principle of the Investigation of Reality.
This period covering some ten or twelve years, has often passed through severe storms and stress, after which would come invariably the “clearing.” The “Gales of the Infinite” dissipated the debris of man’s ideas as the winds gather up and scatter far and wide the sands of the roads. No one save the Lord himself is able to measure the mighty works that have been wrought during these years. Many and varied are the stories that could be written of the