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Alec distressed over missing notebooks

In our world of electronic and digital communications, one wonders what evidence of our day-to-day lives will exist for our descendants in the next century. Modern technology has given us the ability to be in almost constant touch with one another. But, will our emails and texts still exist a hundred years from now? For decades, letter writing was often an everyday occurrence for most people. Keeping in touch meant sitting down with pen and paper. Receiving a letter was often an exciting event, especially from someone miles away. And, for many, including Alexander Graham Bell and his family, these letters were something to be kept, not simply discarded once read. The Bells were profuse writers and as a result, their story can be told today through thousands of letters.

Born in Scotland in 1847, Alexander Graham Bell lived a unique life. Influenced by his father, Melville, a professor of elocution, and his deaf mother, Eliza; the loss of his brothers, Melville and Edward, to Consumption; and marriage to his deaf pupil, Mabel Hubbard, Bell left a legacy to the world that few could imagine living without. How this came to pass is best revealed through the letters between these individuals. Here, we present those letters to you.

Alec distressed over missing notebooks Back to video

Alec continues to express his concern for Mabel and urging her to rest until his return later that week. He is distressed over missing experimental notebooks essential for his testimony and plans a final search. Despite feeling ill, he outlines logistics for moving to Cambridge and sends love to their family.

Mrs. Bell 1509 R.I. Ave Washington

Lifts House, Buffalo Saturday, May ? 1879

…Dear Mabel if you love me don’t go and tire yourself out any more but rest till I return which will probably be on Thursday or Friday. There is another thing too I do not want to leave the house without a personal final search for the missing experimental books. My testimony cannot be given until these books are found. I thought your Uncle Eustis had them safely in his possession and now it almost maddens me to think they may have gone astray.

Please excuse this hasty scraw. I am tired out sick and headachy and not fit to write a proper letter at all. I shall lie down and rest till it is time to start again. I shall leave Canada in time to be in Philadelphia when Mr. Pollok wants me I have asked him to telegraph the day and I hope to be back on Thursday or Friday. Rest till then. We can then together superintend the packing and removal and have the house put in thoroughly good order before the new tenants come in. I think it might be well to let them know we can arrange for them to come into the house in a fortnight by which time we will be safely in Cambridge. My darling good night love to Papa and Mama to Sister and Berta and to my daughter (doesn’t it seem strange to have a daughter ).

Your loving husband Alec.

The Bell Letters are annotated by the Bell Homestead National Historic Site

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