%images;]> magbell-03900811 Letter from Mabel Hubbard Bell to Alexander Graham Bell, March 8, 1896, with transcript: a machine-readable transcription. The Alexander Graham Bell Collection. Selected and converted. American Memory, Library of Congress.

Washington, DC, 1998.

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The Alexander Graham Bell Family Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress. Copyright status not determined; refer to accompanying matter.

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1998/12/21 0004

Letter from Mrs Alexander Graham Bell to Dr Alexander Graham Bell. 1331 Connecticut Ave., Washington, D. C. Sunday, March 8th., 1896. My darling:

I was so glad to receive your letter yesterday and hear from you that you were better. I am glad that you have abandoned that mad program of Mr. Spenser's. I should have objected to it more strongly but that I thought it was for such a short time. One can I think more safely do a great deal in a rush for a short time and then rest than work hard every day ofor a long time without rest.

Now I am wondering what you will do. If you don't get back by the middle of March what is the use of your going to Baddeck at all until after the meeting of the Academy here?

Mamma is going to have her other eye operated on as soon as she can make arrangements and of course I want to stay until she is safely through the siege. After that, and she is once more in Twin Oaks I shall have nothing to keep me here.

I think it was awfully mean in you to excite my curiosity to such a pitch and then tell me only about Mr. Ring. I thought at the very least it was an engagement of some one I knew.

I do not see any object in your making enemies of of Mr Ragensburg and Mr. Ring as you certainly would do if you led them on to make you a proposition in writing and then turned around and lectured them. It would certainly do no good and do the cause a great deal of harm because the personal element of hatred of you would be added to their previous general objection to oralism and they would certainly think you had not been honorable in drawing them on.

My lunch party now includes twenty persons and I think I will write two or three more so as to have six at one table. I will have 0005 2 five small tables in the diningroom and different colored candles, and flowers. I have asked Mr and Mrs Kennan to spend Friday evening here and receive a few friends informally. I don't think it will do the Cause any harm if society people here come to think that I can do something and I think I might as well cultivate some people for my own sake as well as Elsie's. Don't you? Please say that you like to have me have people here.

I wish you would telegraph me as soon as you know your plans so that I may know where to write.

I must go now so Goodbye. Why don't you telephone Mamma? You can with your pass, it would be such a satisfaction to me. Won't you call on Willie and Aunt Fanny.

Lovingly ever yours, Mabel. You had a letter from Miss Brown saying that Dr. Gallaudet's pamphlet combined System etc. was doing great damage and saying your presence was really necessary. I can't find the letter now, but this is all she says.