%images;]> magbell-03910203 Letter from Mabel Hubbard Bell to Alexander Graham Bell, June 28, 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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1998/12/21 0007

Letter from Mrs. Alexander Graham Bell to Dr. Alexander Graham Bell. Beinn Bhreagh, Victoria County, Cape Breton, N. S. June 28th 1896. My darling Alec:

How I wish that you were here to enjoy everything with me. I just hate to think of you in the stifling hot city when your own home is at the very height of its beauty. Why did you have to leave it. I try to think of the good that you are accomplishing, but it does seem to me that you are sacrificing and suffering a great deal, and are the results commensurate? You must work for the cause so near your heart, I know, but consider the question. Can you advance it as much in other ways without such a strain on your strength and health? For instance could you not accomplish as much by visiting some of the schools in the winter. I hate to have you leave me at any time, but it seems to me now that I could better bear to have you leave me in the winter when travelling is no harder for you than any other man, to going to hot places in the summer-time. Couldn't you arrange to have the next summer meeting here in Baddeck? Why not, once you come to think of it. The journey up here by water is very cheap, all the teachers are looking for cool places, they would find all they want here. Just propose it to them and see what they say. I am sure you could better afford to donate the cost of your journey down towards defraying the expenses of some of the furthest off schools in coming here, than going down. And you know a dollar with them would go twice as far as with you. Think of all we could do for them. I hadn't thought of this scheme before sitting down to write you, now I am so much in love with it that I want next summer 0008 2 to come to carry it out. Do please, please just canvas the question among the teachers. Of course they will think it impossible at first, but once the idea is started they may see why it is possible. People from points near Chicago could come down the St. Lawrence very cheaply and have the delights of shooting the rapids into the bargain. Arrange for the meeting to be a little later than usual so that the people can come up leisurely stopping on the way. I am sure they could get board here more cheaply than elsewhere.

Mr. McCurdy and George, Daisy and I went out to camp Wednesday and returned Friday evening. Everything was most lovely, and we found that having the horses to ride and the boat in Snare Cat Lake made the way much easier. There were such quantities of beautiful wild flowers and shrubs, some of which I did not suppose could grow so far north and so well. I brought some home and have planted them in the shrubbery, but do not know if they have enough roof to live. There were beautiful orchids also. There were plenty of small black flies and mosquitoes in the woods, but they did not bother us in the cabin.

I wonder what you will decide to do about Elsie. I don't want her to stay and be in your way, and I would be very glad to have her home, but I don't want her to come feeling that she had to come when she might have staid and had a good time with you. I hope anyway she will come with Grace unless you come first. Lina McCurdy writes me she is coming in the steamer you proposed Elsie's coming in. I have asked her to come here for a few days.

It is perfectly beautiful here, the rhododendrone are magnificent and the spirea are perfect masses of white. I do wish I could have a good landscape gardener here to tell me what to do 0009 3 to beautify the place. I want all these flowers and flowering shrubs, but I don't know how to place them to advantage, and I am by no means satisfied with the present arrangement of my shrubs and flower beds, but don't know how to improve on it.

But are you not too busy to care for all these home news? I have not heard from you since your Grand Narrows letter, although Professor Langley found time to send me a very nice little note telling of your receiving the degree. Please remember me to all friends, and give my little girl my love if she is with you.

Ever and ever yours, I have written your mother urging her acceptance of the gardener's cottage. If she is at all like me she is more likely to be happy in a home of her own than in any one else's, and therefore more likely to think favorably of coming up for all summer.