The birth of Mary Sutherland Maxwell, on August 8th,
in the Hahnemann Hospital, later known as The Fifth Avenue Hospital, in New
York City, was the hottest news to hit the North American Baha'i community in
the summer of 1910.
Ever since May Bolles had accepted the Faith of Baha'u'llah,
she had been known and loved by all the early Baha'is as one of the foremost
disciples of 'Abdu'l-Baha; her husband, Sutherland Maxwell, was a distinguished
architect in Canada and their home in Montreal a place of culture and spiritual
vitality.
When the Baha'is read the announcement: "A little
daughter has come to bless the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Maxwell of Montreal.
Canada", in Vol. 1, issue 9 of the Star of the West on August 20th,
it must have caused many flutters of excited interest amongst them. There must
have been many who expressed their congratulations and sent their good wishes.
Seven months later May
received a Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Baha, the Center of the Covenant, in which He
said:
“In the garden of existence a rose hath bloomed with the utmost
freshness, fragrance and beauty. Educate her according to the divine teachings
so that she may grow up to be a real Baha’i and strive with all thy heart, that
she may receive the Holy Spirit.”
The circumstances of her little girl's birth, when May was 40 years old, were like a fairy tale and have been repeated, and frequently distorted, since they were recorded in the early years of this century. May Maxwell gives us the original version in a letter she wrote to Agnes Alexander [who later became a Hand of the Cause], on May 7, 1910:
My Dearest Agnes, All of your dear letters have been
received and . . . You must have wondered that I could remain so silent in
spite of all your love and kindness but you will understand when I tell you
that this winter has been one of great physical weakness and suffering for me,
so that I have been most of the time unable to write, or to make any effort.
A little more than a year ago when I was in Acca I was passing
one evening in the twilight in front of the Master's door. His daughter Rouha
was with me and in my arms I held her wee babe. I suddenly saw Our Beloved Lord
framed in the doorway gazing attentively upon me - then He said-"You love
that baby?"
"Oh! I love him," I replied-and after a pause Our
Lord said: "Come here, come in here," and I stood before Him in His
room, with the baby in my arms and Rouha by my side. Then the Blessed one sat
looking at us; and He said to me: "Would you like to have a baby?"
and I answered, "I should be so happy to have one-" and He said,
"Do you know why you never had one? It is because you were a chosen
maidservant of God - you were called for the service of God - you could not
have children because you had to devote your time to the service of the Cause.
This is the only reason; this is the only reason."
I stood with bowed head before Him and after a little silence
He said, "Speak, do you choose to have a child, you may choose!"
Then I looked at Him with all my heart and soul and adoration,
and I said, "I choose whatever God chooses - I have no choice but
His." Although those words were very simple - in them I renounced all hope
of Motherhood. Then 'Abdu'l-Baha arose quickly and came to me and clasped me in
His arms with the greatest love and joy, and He said: "That is the best
choice, the Will of God is the best choice", and walking up and down the
room He continued, "I will pray for you, that God will send you that which
is best for you. Be sure of this, that God will send you that which is best for
you-" and this He repeated several times.
Thus ended this never-to-be forgotten scene - but I cannot describe
its reality - the deep significance of those moments - the atmosphere of beauty
and sanctity which pervaded the little room - the surrender of a soul in the Presence
of the Lord - the quiet twilight on earth mingling with the effulgent purity
and peace of the Kingdom of God.
And regarding the Adored One Himself - what can we say? Such
love - such wondrous love - revealed in Face and Voice and Eyes and Touch! A
love so tender to understand, so strong to redeem! He desired for me as for
all, the highest and best - not the wayward mortal desiring not even the
natural human longings - not even the pure flower of Motherhood - but the
surrender of the soul to God by which alone it attains the apex of severance
and sanctity, and becomes enkindled with the Fire of Eternal Love.
And so I have told you, my Agnes -- of one scene of those
divine and perfect days in the Kingdom of God and in time I shall hope to tell
you all . . . For those days live forever, far above the world - and I long to
have you and all the dear ones share their sacred fruits. And now my lamb I am
going to confide to you a secret which is the sequel to what I have told you.
Our dear Lord has favored His maidservant past all her hope, and by the pure
showers of His Bounty has watered the seed of life, and is bringing forth a
child. In a few months Inchallah, the babe He is sending to my husband and me
will be born, and I beg for your prayers, both for the little one and for myself
- for I am not strong-nor young! and physically I am
passing through some trials-and this winter I had a fall which nearly proved fatal. I have not told the friends even the
most intimate - but I wanted you to know - and I know you will keep my
confidence.
May took her Lord's
injunctions to heart. She strove to educate her precious, God-given daughter
according to the divine teachings just as He had instructed her to do. She did
her utmost to ensure that her little Mary should grow up "to be a real
Baha'i" in order that she might indeed be able to "receive the Holy
Spirit" just as the Master promised.
(Adapted from ‘A Tribute to Amatu’l-Baha
Ruhiyyih Khanum’, by Violette Nakhjavani)
