profound and loving sympathy was sent by Martha Root to Princess Ileana,
and was gratefully acknowledged by her. Memorial gatherings were held in
the Queen's memory, at which a meed of honor was paid to her bold and
epochal confession of faith in the Fatherhood of Baha'u'llah, to her
recognition of the station of the Prophet of Islam and to the several
encomiums from her pen. On the first anniversary of her death the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States and Canada
demonstrated its grateful admiration and affection for the deceased Queen
by associating itself, through an imposing floral offering, with the
impressive memorial service, held in her honor, and arranged by the
Rumanian Minister, in Bethlehem Chapel, at the Cathedral of Washington,
D.C., at which the American delegation, headed by the Secretary of State
and including government officials and representatives of the Army and
Navy, the British, French and Italian Ambassadors, and representatives of
other European embassies and legations joined in a common tribute to one
who, apart from the imperishable renown achieved by her in the Kingdom of
Baha'u'llah, had earned, in this earthly life, the esteem and love of many
a soul living beyond the confines of her own country.

Queen Marie's acknowledgment of the Divine Message stands as the first
fruits of the vision which Baha'u'llah had seen long before in His
captivity, and had announced in His Kitab-i-Aqdas. "How great," He wrote,
"the blessedness that awaits the King who will arise to aid My Cause in My
Kingdom, who will detach himself from all else but Me!... All must glorify
his name, must reverence his station, and aid him to unlock the cities
with the keys of My Name, the Omnipotent Protector of all that inhabit the
visible and invisible kingdoms. Such a king is the very eye of mankind,
the luminous ornament on the brow of creation, the fountain-head of
blessings unto the whole world. Offer up, O people of Baha, your
substance, nay your very lives for his assistance."

The American Baha'i community, crowned with imperishable glory by these
signal international services of Martha Root, was destined, as the first
Baha'i century drew to a close, to distinguish itself, through the
concerted efforts of its members, both at home and abroad, by further
achievements of such scope and quality that no survey of the teaching
activities of the Faith in the course of that century can afford to ig