Mabel Welcomes Alec's Cousin for a Visit
In today's world of electronic and digital communication, one wonders what traces of our daily lives will remain for future generations. Modern technology lets us stay almost constantly connected, but will our emails and texts survive a hundred years from now?
For many decades, letter writing was a common habit. Staying in touch meant sitting down with pen and paper, and receiving a letter was often a cherished event, especially from someone far away. For families like Alexander Graham Bell's, these letters were carefully preserved rather than discarded.
The Bells were avid correspondents, and as a result, their story is told through thousands of surviving letters. Born in Scotland in 1847, Alexander Graham Bell lived a remarkable life shaped by his father Melville, a professor of elocution; his deaf mother, Eliza; the loss of two brothers to Consumption; and his marriage to his deaf pupil, Mabel Hubbard. Bell left a legacy that changed the world.
The story of their lives and achievements is best told through their letters. Below is an excerpt from a letter Mabel wrote from Washington to her mother-in-law about Alec's cousin's arrival.
From Washington, Mabel wrote to her mother-in-law, informing her of the arrival of Alec’s cousin, Mary, from Brantford.
Author's summary: The preserved letters of Alexander Graham Bell and his family vividly reveal their personal lives and historic legacy amid a changing age of communication.