Cream of the Crop

Vol. 27, No. 6-A [Howard Hackley] 

Washington 16, D.C. 
June 29, 1947 

Dear O’Connors— 

It has been over a year since the idea of allowing each in-law the honor a adding a note to you chain letter was put into effect. At that time I was all enthused and impatient to contribute my letter—I swore that I would frankly state my personal opinion of each and every one of your family. Unfortunately (or perhaps most fortunately) I married a younger member of the family—and now my enthusiasm has cooled somewhat. Moreover, I didn’t anticipate that when my turn finally came around I would be reminded of it by my wife at 10 p.m. on a hot, stifling, sultry, oppressive Washington night—when my thoughts are marvelously uncollected. However—there are a few things I must say while I have an opportunity which may never come again. 

I have been an associate member of your family long enough (nearly 6 years) to appreciate all of your qualities—good and bad—and the good ones far exceed the bad ones— I won’t go into that. What I really want to say is that I’m glad it’s a big family—you cannot know what it means to be an only child—and not to have brothers and sisters to grow up with—to fight with—and to commune with. 

Don’t misunderstand me—an only child is not to be pitied—I mean simply that the bigness of your family helps to compensate for what I had missed in mine. More than that, yours is an interesting family—and it’s rather exciting to be mixed up with you. 

One thing more— I applaud the idea of the chain letter and I sincerely hope that it will go on until the two hoary, hobbling, senile survivors will write childish (second-childish) and undecipherable notes to each other and still call those notes “the chain.” 

I could say a lot more—but Rose advises me that strict rules limit my letter to a single sheet—and how can anybody express an adequate opinion of O’Connors within that limit! I only wish it were possible to see you more often—and I am looking forward to your next reunion. Thanks for the privilege of writing this—for being admitted to your family. I have Luck to thank for that I got in by marrying the very cream of the crop—the flower at the top. 

Love to all of you— 
Howard