Meher Baba copyright 1987 Charlie Mills

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31071952 TRIP TO THE WEST1952

The first day, Baba arrived at 6:00 A.M. It was the middle of summer and the heat was stifling in the non-airconditioned apartment. Baba was very tired, as he had not slept for many nights, and was most uncomfortable in his leg cast. But after the first few interviews he looked transformed and beamed as he said, "You see, so much love has revived me."

Kenneth Ross, his wife Josephine and their three daughters traveled from New Jersey, and arrived at 7:00 A.M. They were the first to meet Baba, who was receiving visitors in a large bedroom of Ivy's apartment.  Kenneth broke down sobbing when he saw Baba's leg in a cast. The family knelt in front of Baba and Baba placed his hand on their heads. Marion Florsheim was another of those who met Baba during this visit to America. Since she would always say, "I wish you would use my energy, Baba," he nicknamed her Energy.

Baba asked for a bowl of fruit which he placed beside his couch. He dispensed a grape or cherry as prasad to people who came. John Bass sat near him. People had been instructed not to ask questions, but in some cases Baba permitted it.

Baba received people until 11:00 A.M. and then asked all to leave and return at 1:00 P.M. Ivy recalled:

It was a wondrous sight to see people come — from all sorts of places and all walks of life — for their two or three minutes with Baba. It seemed as if some were almost dead, but they would walk out transfigured and newly alive. Some smiled, some wept heartbreakingly. It was a three-day love-feast.

The first afternoon, Baba spelled on the board to Ivy, "You know, John [Bass] has been saying for some time, 'When are we going to have tea?' "

Ivy offered Baba a bottle of 7-Up and he held up his good arm over his head and quipped, "I'm seven-up already!" 

Baba returned to Scarsdale at 6:00 P.M.

Margaret arrived in Scarsdale on the 18th and rode in the car with Baba to Ivy's the next day, 19 July, where Sarosh and Meherjee were waiting. Carolyn Frey saw Baba then, also. Donald Eugene Stevens, 33, one of Ivy's mureeds and her chief helper in those days, arrived in the afternoon. When Rabia Martin had told her group in San Francisco about Baba, Don had had reservations; he was devoted to Inayat Khan and was skeptical of another Master. But after a meeting with Martin he decided to set aside his reservations and follow her under Meher Baba's guidance.

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