Their family was not well-off, and at this time there was no universal secondary education, and to move from a background such as that of the Bells to university was exceptionally unusual.
Kani-kanilang mga pamilya ay hindi well-off, at sa oras na ito wala ang pandaigdig na sekundaryong edukasyon, at upang lumipat mula sa isang tulad ng mga background na ng Bells sa unibersidad ay iba ng di-pangkaraniwang.