Swami Vivekananda at Green Acre

From left to right: Swami Vivekananda, Sarah J. Farmer, M. H. Gulesian, and Dr. Edward Everett Hale. In New Discoveries a reference is made to another photo that Cora Stockham took at Green Acre. “From the Portsmouth Daily Chronicle of August 9 one learns that Miss Stockham took another group picture (yet to be unearthed) in which Swamiji was present. This time it was in the Tent following a lecture given by Dr. Edward Everett Hale on Thursday, August 2. The pertinent passage reads in part: . . . Swami Vivekananda, as a representative of the far east, sat upon the platform, gorgeous in his scarlet and gold. At the close of the lecture he and Dr. Hale, Mr. Gulesian [a native of Armenia] and Miss Farmer were photographed in a group by Miss Stockham of Chicago.” This photo from the Baha’i Archives certainly seems to be the picture that was lying “unearthed” until now. ❊ ❊ ❊ There is a mass of thought which is at the present time struggling to get expression. It teaches us that higher direction and not destruction is the law. It teaches us that it is not a world of bad and good, but good and better— and still better. It stops short of nothing but acceptance. It teaches that no situation is hopeless, and as such accepts every form of mental, moral or spiritual thought where it already stands, and without a word of condemnation tells it that so far it has done good, now it is time to do better. . . . It above all teaches that the kingdom of heaven is already in existence if we will have it, that perfection is already in man if he will see it. (ND [1984] 2:158)