Arohanui: Letters from Shoghi Effendi to New Zealand | Page 3

your letter of 28th April, but we were very sorry to hear you have been ill and hope your health will soon be completely restored.[+E3] It was nice that you saw Shoghi's sister and Soheil's brother in London.
I forget whether I gave you the address of Mr and Mrs King, c/o Messrs Hayman and King, 202 Old Christchurch Rd. Bournemouth. They are very kind-hearted Bahá'ís and will be delighted to see any of you if you call. Both of them work in the business and you are most likely to see them if you call there. They live above the shop.
I gave you Sister Challis's address at West Moors (Ferndown Lodge). You can get there by 'bus from Bournemouth Sq. or Lansdowne, which will drop you right at Sister Challis's door (She keeps a nursing home) or you can go by train from West Bournemouth to West Moors station which is within 5 minutes' walk of Ferndown Lodge. I hope you will be able to see her.
As I write, the Greatest Holy Leaf is on a visit to the Shrine of the Master. It is over a year, I think, since she has been able to visit the shrine and until now she has not seen the new Gardens, in the laying out of which Shoghi Effendi has taken such a deep interest. The Gardens are looking lovely now and it is easy to imagine how delighted she will be. One day during the feast of Ridván she and the Holy Mother were able to visit Bahjí and the Garden of Ridván.
I have quite recovered from my pleurisy now and am steadily regaining my strength.
Shoghi Effendi is still tired. I hope he will soon be able to take a rest.
All the friends here join in loving greetings and best wishes to yourself, your son and daughter, Miss Stevenson and Effie Baker.[+E4] With warmest greetings.
Your brother in the service of the Beloved, J. E. Esslemont
[From the Guardian:]
My dear precious sister in 'Abdu'l-Bahá:
I was so glad to hear from you directly and learn of your improved health and meeting with the English Bahá'ís. I need not assure you of my ardent prayers for your happiness, good health and continued success in the service of the Cause. I hope and pray you will be enabled by the guiding spirit of the Master not only to stimulate the interest of your friends and relations in this Cause but to make of some of them earnest and whole-hearted believers and supporters of the Faith.
Shoghi

(3) May 9th, 1925
Alláh-u-abhá
Dear Bahá'í Sister,
The Greatest Holy Leaf and Shoghi Effendi have asked me to answer on their behalf your kind letters of Apr. 2nd from Port Said and April 14th from London.
We were sorry to hear that Mrs Blundell got a chill on the steamer and was laid up for a few days after her arrival in London. We hope that by this time she is all right again. We had a note from her from Bournemouth.
You will be glad to hear that the Greatest Holy Leaf and the Holy Mother were able to motor to Bahjí and Ridván one day during the Feast of Ridván, and that yesterday the Greatest Holy Leaf motored to the Shrine of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and saw the new Gardens in which Shoghi Effendi has been taking so much interest.
Yesterday a Dutchman arrived here from Port Said, the first Dutch Bahá'í, so far as we know. He has been a sincere and earnest truth-seeker for years. About 9 months ago he left his home at the Hague and walked on foot through Belgium, France and Italy. Then he felt some inward urge to go to Egypt, and travelled thither by a Dutch Cargo Steamer. When the steamer arrived at Port Said Mahmood Effendi, one of the Port Said Bahá'ís came on board and was introduced to Mesdag (the Dutchman). They struck up a friendship at once and after 2 days Mesdag went to live in Mahmood's house. There he met Martha Root, Mr Schopflocher and various other Bahá'ís, read my book and became thoroughly interested and seems now already a firm believer. He has already, since his arrival yesterday morning, translated our 8-page folder into Dutch and we hope he will be able to do much to make the Cause known in Holland and win adherents there.
I have quite recovered from my pleurisy now and am feeling almost as vigorous as before the attack. Azizullah Bahadur is now in Stuttgart. There is as yet no improvement in his hand, but he is having skilled treatment now and we hope it will be successful. He seems to be having a very happy time with the German friends.
Shoghi Effendi is much in need of rest, but fairly well. He and all the members of the Holy Family join