Rúhíyyih Khánum

On another occasion, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was resting and May emphatically told Mary, "Don't you disturb the Master. He is very, very tired, and don't you make any noise." But the moment her mother's back was turned, she shot into the room. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá himself recounted what happened next: "Today I was resting on the chaise lounge in my bedroom and the door opened. The little girl, Mary Maxwell, came into me and pushed up my eyelids with her small fingers and said "Wake up, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá!" I took her in my arms and placed her head on my chest we both had a good sleep." Rúhíyyih Khánum said "I was so attracted to Him that it was hard to keep me away from Him at all. Mary would commonly sit on ‘Abdu’l-Bahás Lap while He would stroke her curly hair and say, "She is precious! She is precious!"

The Maxwells daughter Mary was very spirited, which He loved. When interviewed at the Maxwell home in 1975, Amatu'l Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum related that, "small, strong, chubby and highly independent, she was Not fond of being touched at that young age. When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá came one day into the drawing room and swooped her up to give her a kiss, two-year-old Mary Maxwell responded with a mighty slap that sent his turban flying off his head! Mother May witnessed this horrible breach of behavior and said to the Master, "Oh ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, she is very naughty! What shall I do to punish her?" ‘Abdu’l-Bahá responded, "Leave her alone, she is the essence of sweetness." Rúhíyyih Khánum said that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá then chased her energetically around the room until He caught her. Wrapping little Mary in His arms, He gave her a kiss.