Compare versions: Roses for a Minister

The same event, told by different sources. The canonical version below is what we publish; the alternate accounts are preserved for scholarly comparison and for noticing where retellings differ.

Canonical version

Roses for a Minister

Secondary RetellingVarious · bahaistories.com archive

To a minister who came to call on the Master in the Maxwell Home in Montreal, “‘Abdu’l-Bahá presented an armful of gorgeous American Beauty roses, standing in a tall vase at His side, sending him away with amazement and awe at the regal manners and gentle courtesy of this Prisoner from the East.”

Source: Annamarie Honnold, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “Roses for a minister”, p. 98.

Collected from bahaistories.com.

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Alternate account · 90% similar

To a minister who came to call on the Master in the Maxwell Home in

Various · bahaistories.com archive

To a minister who came to call on the Master in the Maxwell Home in Montreal, ‘‘Abdu’l-Bahá presented an armful of gorgeous American Beauty roses, standing in a tall vase at His side, sending him away with amazement and awe at the regal manners and gentle courtesy of this Prisoner from the East.’

Source: Honnold, Annamarie, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 98

Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: generosity).

Read the original

Why are alternate accounts kept? Different retellings of the same event often vary in emphasis, detail, and tone. Scholars and devotional readers can notice these differences and trace the trustworthiness of each retelling.