Guarding His Father on the Road

Bahíyyih Khánum, the daughter of Bahá’u’lláh, recalled her brother Abbas Effendi—‘Abdu’l-Bahá—on the four-month journey of the exiles from Baghdád to Constantinople in 1863:

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> From the time when the declaration was made to Him at Baghdad Abbas Effendi seemed to constitute Himself the special attendant, servant, and body-guard of His father. He guarded Him day and night on this journey, riding by His waggon and watching near His tent. He thus had little sleep, and, being young, became extremely weary.

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His horse was Arab and very fine, and so wild and spirited that no other man could mount him, but under my brother’s hand as gentle and docile as a lamb. In order to get a little rest, He adopted the plan of riding swiftly a considerable distance ahead of the caravan, when, dismounting and causing His horse to lie down, He would throw Himself on the ground and place His head on His horse’s neck.

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So He would sleep until the cavalcade came up, when His horse would awake Him by a kick and He would remount.

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