The Haney Baby and the Master
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When in Bahá'í history
Washington, D.C. (today: Washington, D.C., USA)
Agnes Parsons recorded in her diary for April 25, 1912:
Mr. and Mrs. Charles and Mariam Haney and the baby drove with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the morning. At the children’s meetings the baby [he was the future Hand of the Cause Mr. Paul Haney] had screamed when he saw ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and I thought at the time, that the child had probably been overwhelmed by seeing a greater spirituality in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá than many saw. Before they went to drive, I spoke of this to Mr. and Mrs. Haney, for the latter had shown such distress when it occurred. I believe Mr. Haney agreed with me. He said: “Three months before the child was born we were in Acca.” Afterward, when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá returned from the drive, I said to Him: “How was it with the baby?” “Everything was quite right” was His reply. I told Him I thought the baby had been conscious of more than we were, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s answer was, “You have much insight.”
Source: Agnes Parsons' Diary, April 25, 1912 ('Abdu'l-Bahá in America: Agnes Parsons' Diary, ed. Richard Hollinger).
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: hands-cause).
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