1930 The Garden Of The Heart By Frances Esty Signed 1st Ed. Bahai Baha’i
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:7146509 | Binding: Hardcover |
| Special Attributes: 1st Edition, Illustrated, Luxury Edition, Signed |
The Garden of the Heart: From the Writings of Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha
Compiled by Frances Esty, 1930, first edition. From the library of Mirza Ahmad Sohrab with his bookplate inside the front cover. Signed by May Maxwell to Julie Chanler.
“At the gate of the garden,
some stand and... look within, but do not care to enter.
Others step inside, behold its beauty, but do not penetrate far.
Still others encircle this garden, inhaling the fragrance of the flowers;
and having enjoyed its full beauty, pass out again by the same gate.
But there are always some who enter,
and becoming intoxicated with the splendor of what they behold,
remain for life to tend the garden." - Abdu'l-Baha
A nice copy with some wear to the spine tips. There is some fading to the spine and edges of the cover. The original pink silk book marker is still present but not attached. As with any book published by Roycrofters this one is no different and it screams quality with, thicker stock pages, pictures tipped inside, the multi-color front cover and the Greatest Name in gilt.
Roycroft was a reformist community of craft workers and artists which formed part of the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States. Elbert Hubbard founded the community in 1895, in the village of East Aurora, New York, near Buffalo. Participants were known as Roycrofters. Frances Esty's husband was Hubbard's business partner.
It is not well known that May Maxwell played an important role in protection of the Baha’i Faith, dedicating herself to educating the believers, particularly the young believers, in the great forces flowing through the Covenant. In His Will and Testament, (page 11) Abdu’l-Baha had written that after Him the believers should “turn unto Shoghi Effendi -- the youthful branch branched from the two hallowed and sacred Lote-Trees”.
One of the Baha’is, Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, was intensely jealous of Shoghi Effendi, and sought to turn the believers to himself. Sohrab had enjoyed great blessings from the hand of Abdu’l-Baha. He had accompanied Him throughout America as one of His translators. A few years later, he was chosen as the secretary to whom Abdu’l-Baha revealed the Tablets of the Divine Plan. It was Sohrab who brought the original Tablets to America, and introduced the Baha’is to them.
After the Master’s passing, Sohrab worked against Shoghi Effendi, criticizing his decisions and his leadership, and refusing to accept the authority of the National Spiritual Assembly over him. As Mrs. Nakhjavani writes:
"May Maxwell was keenly aware of it. She was acutely conscious of any kind of criticism against the Guardian and well aware of how some old and well-established Baha’is might be seduced into limiting his rank and sphere of influence and even thinking themselves his equal, on the basis of his modesty. When she sensed the odor of intellectual arrogance, among the young Baha’is in particular, she was vigilant in her response.”
Ahmad Sohrab had duped a wealthy woman, Julie Chanler, who supported him financially. Shoghi Effendi wrote the following to Mrs. Maxwell:
“Regarding Ahmad, I feel that if the friends individually & collectively are not watchful, a gradual departure from the spirit & form of the Faith on his part, aided by the resources placed at his disposal by Mrs. Chanler, may soon bring about a state of grave confusion among the believers, & create a split in their ranks. We should be both firm and conciliatory. I look to you as a powerful instrument for the preservation of the unity & of the integrity of our beloved Faith, & will continue to pray for your high endeavour from the depths of my heart.”
Shoghi Effendi sent Mrs. Maxwell to meet with Mrs. Chanler, to try to extricate her from Sohrab’s influence. However, when it came to dealing directly with Sohrab, Shoghi Effendi wrote to Mrs. Maxwell:
“I look to you as a shining light, a pillar of faith and a tower of strength overshadowing all who falter and feel disheartened. I strongly feel that the best way to meet the situation is to ignore Ahmad entirely, neither to openly denounce him nor to financially assist him. Try however to win unreservedly to our beloved Cause that pure and tender hearted Mrs. Chanler, for whom I feel a great love and sympathy. Much love to Mary and her father. Shoghi.”
Compiled by Frances Esty, 1930, first edition. From the library of Mirza Ahmad Sohrab with his bookplate inside the front cover. Signed by May Maxwell to Julie Chanler.
“At the gate of the garden,
some stand and... look within, but do not care to enter.
Others step inside, behold its beauty, but do not penetrate far.
Still others encircle this garden, inhaling the fragrance of the flowers;
and having enjoyed its full beauty, pass out again by the same gate.
But there are always some who enter,
and becoming intoxicated with the splendor of what they behold,
remain for life to tend the garden." - Abdu'l-Baha
A nice copy with some wear to the spine tips. There is some fading to the spine and edges of the cover. The original pink silk book marker is still present but not attached. As with any book published by Roycrofters this one is no different and it screams quality with, thicker stock pages, pictures tipped inside, the multi-color front cover and the Greatest Name in gilt.
Roycroft was a reformist community of craft workers and artists which formed part of the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States. Elbert Hubbard founded the community in 1895, in the village of East Aurora, New York, near Buffalo. Participants were known as Roycrofters. Frances Esty's husband was Hubbard's business partner.
It is not well known that May Maxwell played an important role in protection of the Baha’i Faith, dedicating herself to educating the believers, particularly the young believers, in the great forces flowing through the Covenant. In His Will and Testament, (page 11) Abdu’l-Baha had written that after Him the believers should “turn unto Shoghi Effendi -- the youthful branch branched from the two hallowed and sacred Lote-Trees”.
One of the Baha’is, Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, was intensely jealous of Shoghi Effendi, and sought to turn the believers to himself. Sohrab had enjoyed great blessings from the hand of Abdu’l-Baha. He had accompanied Him throughout America as one of His translators. A few years later, he was chosen as the secretary to whom Abdu’l-Baha revealed the Tablets of the Divine Plan. It was Sohrab who brought the original Tablets to America, and introduced the Baha’is to them.
After the Master’s passing, Sohrab worked against Shoghi Effendi, criticizing his decisions and his leadership, and refusing to accept the authority of the National Spiritual Assembly over him. As Mrs. Nakhjavani writes:
"May Maxwell was keenly aware of it. She was acutely conscious of any kind of criticism against the Guardian and well aware of how some old and well-established Baha’is might be seduced into limiting his rank and sphere of influence and even thinking themselves his equal, on the basis of his modesty. When she sensed the odor of intellectual arrogance, among the young Baha’is in particular, she was vigilant in her response.”
Ahmad Sohrab had duped a wealthy woman, Julie Chanler, who supported him financially. Shoghi Effendi wrote the following to Mrs. Maxwell:
“Regarding Ahmad, I feel that if the friends individually & collectively are not watchful, a gradual departure from the spirit & form of the Faith on his part, aided by the resources placed at his disposal by Mrs. Chanler, may soon bring about a state of grave confusion among the believers, & create a split in their ranks. We should be both firm and conciliatory. I look to you as a powerful instrument for the preservation of the unity & of the integrity of our beloved Faith, & will continue to pray for your high endeavour from the depths of my heart.”
Shoghi Effendi sent Mrs. Maxwell to meet with Mrs. Chanler, to try to extricate her from Sohrab’s influence. However, when it came to dealing directly with Sohrab, Shoghi Effendi wrote to Mrs. Maxwell:
“I look to you as a shining light, a pillar of faith and a tower of strength overshadowing all who falter and feel disheartened. I strongly feel that the best way to meet the situation is to ignore Ahmad entirely, neither to openly denounce him nor to financially assist him. Try however to win unreservedly to our beloved Cause that pure and tender hearted Mrs. Chanler, for whom I feel a great love and sympathy. Much love to Mary and her father. Shoghi.”
