You May Leave Paris
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When in Bahá'í history
Paris (today: Paris, France)
One of the most beautiful stories we have is the one of May Maxwell (the mother of Rúḥíyyih Khánum) and Thomas Breakwell. This was in the very early days, in 1901, when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was still a prisoner in Acca and May Maxwell was a young woman. The story was told to me by my father and by May Maxwell herself, but in this account, I am paraphrasing May Maxwell's own words to be found in the Star of the West. She herself is not certain of the exact date though she will never forget the details.
It happened in the Spring when May's mother and brother were planning to leave Paris for Brittany and of course they wished May to accompany them. But ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had requested that she remain in Paris so her mother wrote to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asking His permission for May to leave. This was refused. He wished her to remain in Paris. So, finally May's mother and brother left without her and she went to stay with a friend.
It was not long after this that a Mrs. Milner, who had just arrived from America, brought a young man whom she had met on shipboard to meet May. In May's own words: "I shall never forget opening the door and seeing him standing there. It was like looking at a veiled light. I saw at once his pure heart, his burning spirit, his thirsty soul, and over all was cast the veil which is over every soul until it is rent asunder by the power of God in this day."
Mrs. Milner introduced him as a young man interested in spiritual things, who was at the moment a Theosophist. They stayed only a short time, but as he was leaving, he said that Mrs. Milner had mentioned some teaching that May was interested in and might he call again to hear about it? He returned the next morning and May, realizing his great capacity, gave him the full Message—which he accepted completely within three days.
On the third day he wrote to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá saying with great simplicity, "My Lord! I believe; forgive me. Thy servant, Thomas Breakwell."
"That evening", writes May, "I went to the Rue du Bac to get my mail and found a cablegram which had just arrived saying, 'You may leave Paris.' and signed Abbas."
Source: Reginald Grant Barrow, Mother's Stories: Stories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Early Believers told by Muriel Ives Barrow Newhall to her son, p. 29. May Maxwell's own account (letter of 3 December 1913) is in Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 19 (1915), pp. 297–298.
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: teaching).
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This story shares quotes with 1 other story
“My Lord, I believe, forgive me, Thy servant Thomas Breakwell.”
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- Thomas Breakwell Meets the Faith in Paris— Bahá'í Chronicles editors, Bahá'í Chronicles
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