Letter from Mrs. Alexander Graham Bell to Dr. Alexander Graham Bell. Paris, France. 10 rue Nitot. June 18, (1895.) My dear Alec:

This morning before I was dressed came your welcome cablegram. “Have picture, singing, well”. As you know after all I did take the responsibility about Elsie's singing, but the picture was beyond me. I haven't been to the Salons very much as it is so stupid going alone and I did not feel sure about your consent, but I started out this morning after breakfast to the Champs de Wars and went through it pretty thoroughly. There were no portraits there that were thoroughly satisfactory in all respects, either the coloring was bad or the paint hard or the position ungraceful or the paint thin, etc. One was very soft and sweet and expressive, but the coloring was almost deathlike. But I saw one crayon portrait which I liked very much in every way except that it was crayon and I want an oil painting. This afternoon I am going to do the Salon and then I will consult Mr. Pollok after I have decided which of the artists I like better.

I sent you this morning a cablegram saying “Grace might accept invitation to Point now. Well”. I don't want you to invite her if you don't want her, but if you do I think it would be the nicest thing for her. She goes to Beach Bluffs today, Mamma says, and I know she hates it and Charlie doesn't like it either. He wants to go to Baddeck, but g G race thinks it will be very stupid there without me. But if she were at the Point with or without you 0005 2 would have a good time, she would have all our horses and boats and the woods and garden. I think you would enjoy having her and the children, they would not interfere with you and you would have the children in the evenings. The place must be so solitary for you now, it would be so nice for you to have a lady and children about and I am sure Grace would be very nice and she would have so much better a time than anywhere else. I will not say anything to her or Mamma about it myself because I want you to do just as you wish yourself. But I hope you will ask Grace and that she will come. You need not increase your establishment because Grace will bring two maids and they will do everything she requires.

I have not heard from you for a long time, but it is a comfort to know that you were well no longer ago than yesterday. Please cable me every week, it does not cost so much for a short cable, little more than you often spend on long telegrams and it will mean so much to me.

After a month of cold weather Paris seems to be trying what it can do in the way of warm days. So far it has not succeeded very well. Yesterday the sun was quite hot, but in the shade the thermometer was 46 Fahr. Today it is moist and hot-housey warm. Elsie is having her singing lesson now and afterwards both children are going out with the teacher and her sister. Neither can speak English and I am hoping great things from the children's listening to and joining in their conversation. Mademoiselle says Daisy expresses herself well. Both children seem acquiring ease in speaking. I think they are doing fairly well. They are good little girls and so very childlike. I want you 0006 3 to give yourself entirely to them when you come over and I want you to come over because at home you never will give yourself entirely to them.

Now I must go to the Salon. I love you.