Glorious Silence

"Her face was the last he saw,
her hand the last he touched,
her voice the last he heard."

-from Alexander Graham Bell
and the Conquest of Solitude
by Robert Bruce


In my zeal to track down historical Canadian women of note, I now find myself searching diligently on line, in used book stores and in libraries. I uncovered a biography of Mabel entitled "Mabel Bell-Alexander's Silent Partner" written by Lilias M. Toward during one of my forays which delighted me to no end. It is taken from family letters and papers and switches from information to straight letter quotes almost seamlessly. The information I obtained however, showed Mabel to be an amazing woman in her own right and just not a shadowy figure standing 'silently' beside her husband.
Mabel was born in 1857, and when she was just five, she lost her hearing to scarlet fever. Her father must have loved her dearly because he spared no expense educating her in both the States and in Europe which was quite amazing, given the time in which they lived. Most deaf children were taught sign language in that era but Mabel was taught to lipread and it was her father's efforts in that regard which was to bring her into contact with her father's business partner - Alexander Graham Bell. Not many people are aware that Aleck was a teacher to the deaf and that was to be what he considered his life profession. Although it is Alexander Graham Bell that is remembered in history, I firmly believe that it was only through the efforts of Mabel and her equally remarkable father that he was able to achieve the lofty heights he did.
Not only was Mabel the heart and soul of her family, but I find her accomplishments to border on the extraordinary. I loved that people could remember her on the porch reading to her children . . . and then you remember she was deaf. The love for her family was such a big part of who she was. It was she who managed the family finances and urged her husband to complete his work on the telephone. It was Mabel who insisted on her husband dropping the 'k' in Aleck and using his full name on signing all documents simply because she had an ear for oral rhythm, the flow of syllables(4-2-1).It is hard to imagine a hearing person able to tackle the projects that Mabel so flawlessly executed.
Alexander Graham Bell and his father in law were the co-founders of The National Geographic Magazine along with another partner in the venture. Mabel had a keen interest in geography and I am almost certain that the magazine was created with her in mind. When Alexander assumed control of the publication upon the death of his father in law, the magazine had lost almost 33% of their subscribers. It was Mabel who suggested that they put pictures in along with the articles . . . can you picture that venerable magazine without it's amazing photography? Me neither.
Although she was American by birth, the home of their heart was Beinn Bragh. Located in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, the translation is Gaelic for 'beautiful mountain'. They spent part of every year there for the last 35 years and Alexander Graham Bell worked on many inventions there, including his work on the hydrofoil and biplanes. The Wright Brothers may have won the race but not by much. The work that Alexander Graham Bell completed showed him to be a man ahead of his time. The death of a young son shortly after birth from respiratory complications spurred Alexander on to invent a machine that would help this problem - the forerunner of the iron lung. Many people had written Alexander off as being a one hit wonder but he proved them wrong. It is highly doubtful whether he would have accomplished these achievements though without the guidance of Mabel. It was she who persuaded him to answer his higher calling when he was so committed to teaching the deaf. A practical man he was not. It was she who believed that he could accomplish so much more and invested in his inventions with her own money so as to allow him the time to commit to his projects. Many of these inventions would be developed in Canada.
Mabel became interested in the suffragette movement and campaigned vigourously for women's rights to vote and work by attending meetings and marching in parades along with her daughters. She was also interested in a new kind of education and she became president of the Montessori Society. The first Canadian Montessori school opened it's doors in 1912 and later she opened up another in the States. The press was critical and the schools would close their doors in 1919 but the Montessori system came back with a vengeance later on in the century.
Scotland, Canada and the States all claim Alexander Graham Bell to be their 'native son' but I believe that it is Canada that held their hearts and is therefore the true holders of that title. The Bells loved their adopted land so much that they chose to be buried there. Mabel and her husband had become such a beloved part of this community. They employed a great many of the locals and their home became the local meeting place. It was Mabel that developed a thriving rug hooking industry for which Cheticamp is still well known for. When Alexander developed diabetes and died from complications, Mabel followed him a mere five months later. The tale of the Bells reads like this wonderful love story that just begs to be told. Full of tiumphs and heartbreak, the amazing journey this couple took together influenced an entire world. Not only was she an amazing woman in her own right, but she inspired a man to achieve the lofty heights of true genius with her love. That was her gift to the world. Mabel Bell should be remembered as the extraordinarily accomplished woman she was and not just as the woman who was married to Alexander Graham Bell.