piness of the believers, annually bringing Divine glad tidings to the
cities and villages of Persia. He was close to the heart of Baha'u'llah,
Who looked upon him with especial favor and grace. Among the Holy
Scriptures, there are Tablets revealed in his name.

After the ascension of Baha'u'llah, Salman remained faithful to the
Covenant, serving the Cause with all his powers. Then, as before, he would
come to the Most Great Prison every year, delivering mail from the
believers, and returning with the answers to Persia. At last, in _Sh_iraz,
he winged his way to the Kingdom of glory.

From the dawn of history until the present day, there has never been a
messenger so worthy of trust; there has never been a courier to compare
with Salman. He has left respected survivors in Isfahan who, because of
the troubles in Persia, are presently in distress. It is certain that the
friends will see to their needs. Upon him be the glory of God, the
All-Glorious; unto him be salutations and praise.

MIRZA MUHAMMAD-'ALI, THE AFNAN

In the days of Baha'u'llah, during the worst times in the Most Great
Prison, they would not permit any of the friends either to leave the
Fortress or to come in from the outside. "Skew-Cap"(8) and the Siyyid(9)
lived by the second gate of the city, and watched there at all times, day
and night. Whenever they spied a Baha'i traveler they would hurry away to
the Governor and tell him that the traveler was bringing in letters and
would carry the answers back. The Governor would then arrest the traveler,
seize his papers, jail him, and drive him out. This became an established
custom with the authorities and went on for a long time--indeed, for nine
years until, little by little, the practice was abandoned.

It was at such a period that the Afnan, Haji Mirza Muhammad-'Ali--that
great bough of the Holy Tree(10)--journeyed to Akka, coming from India to
Egypt, and from Egypt to Marseilles. One day I was up on the roof of the
caravanserai. Some of the friends were with me and I was walking up and
down. It was sunset. At that moment, glancing at the distant seashore, I
observed that a carriage was approaching. "Gentlemen," I said, "I feel
that a holy being is in that carriage." It was still far away, hardly
within sight.

"Let us go to the gate," I told them. "Although they will not allow us to
pass through, we can stand there till he comes." I took one or two people
with me and we left.

At the city g