Dearest Bro. Perry,
We got your 2nd letter today & forgive me for not writing sooner. Our weather here, as yours is, is turning warmer & maybe I am getting spring fever but I am going to try and do better. Your first letter was very disturbing, as I’m sure you must have suspected but that was not the reason I haven’t written – it’s true the children do keep me busy & it’s hard to find time to sit and concentrate on a letter as I have wanted to write you for some time. Donnie has learned to open the-doors and climb on the chairs & other furniture & he worries me constantly about falling.
I have been able to let the children play in the yard now &then – but I always have to go out with them as they can hurt themselves if I don’t pay attention. But nothing is forever & I know I will be sorry when they start running the block and I don’t know where they’re at. Here are some statistics if you’re interested –
Height Weight Shoe Size Freddie 36-1/2″ 26-1/2 Ibs. 7-1/2 narrow Baby 37-1/2″ 29-1/2 Ibs. 8 narrow Donnie 34″ 26 Ibs. 6-1/2 wide
You can see that Donnie is a pretty big boy for 15 months with his 16 teeth and his sparkling personality – people just can’t help loving him. He wears the same size clothes as Baby and Freddie but the pants are too long as yet.
I am going to try & make this letter a long one so it will probably have a lot of interruptions such as right now it’s time for Donnie’s bath – Baby & Freddie had theirs this a.m. as it’s quite cold today & I have had them inside. Be back soon –
About my typing – First – I cannot tell a lie! I am not a typist, I use from 1 to 5 fingers & although I can manage & do help Big Fred with his business affairs, what it takes me 1 hr. to do would probably take someone with the Know How – 15 minutes – Seriously, I do not have the time nor the will to learn professionally. But I think it is wonderful how you have stuck with it and become such an excellent typist. I do believe we all were very adaptable (Jimmy, Fern, you and myself) & we had all been blessed with a basic flair for the artistic – among other things. Even Mother & Dad were artistic.
I truthfully feel none of us have anyone to blame for whatever we have done with our own personal lives. It has been proven that at the age of 7 most of us have reached the age of reason – which means we do, at this age, understand & know the difference between right & wrong. Of course – environment plays an awfully important part in our lives such as the Convent in mine & in my case I am grateful for that influence. In Jimmy’s case – he was the strongest of us all. I remember how he worked & went to school when there was no one to tell him & it was his own WILL to make something of himself. We will never know the reasons for what eventually happened, why he did what he did, but I still hurt thinking of it. It was such a waste. But we have very little control over our human weaknesses, & this applies also to Fern & the hundreds of thousands of other people
including ourselves – for we all have weaknesses. In your case – I don’t know what your weakness is but I do feel – IT IS NO SHAME TO HAVE A DIRTY FACE – THE SHAME COMES WHEN YOU KEEP IT DIRTY.
In all truthfulness & with love for you Perry, for you are my only living brother and the uncle of my children, I cannot say or feel your attitude towards our father or your imprisonment just or healthy. If you are getting your back up – better simmer down as I realize there are none of us who take criticism cheerfully & it is natural to feel a certain amount of resentment towards the one giving this criticism so I am prepared for one or two things – a) Not to hear from you at all, or b) a letter telling me exactly what you think of me.
I hope I’m wrong & I sincerely hope you will give this letter a lot of thought & try to see -how someone else feels. Please understand I know I am not an authority & I do not boast great intelligence or education but I do believe I am a normal individual with basic reasoning powers & the will to live my life according to the laws of God & Man. It is also true that I have “fallen” at times, as is normal – for as I said I am human & therefore I too have human weaknesses but the point is, again, There is no shame – having a dirty face -the shame comes when you keep it dirty. No one is more aware of my shortcomings and mistakes than myself so I won’t bore you further.
Now, first, & most important – Dad is not responsible for your wrong doings or your good deeds. What you have done, whether right or wrong, is your own doing. From what I personally know, you have lived your life exactly as you pleased without regard to circumstances or persons who loved you – who might be hurt. Whether you realize it or not – your present confinement is embarrassing to me well as Dad – not because of what you did but the fact that you don’t show me any signs of SINCERE regret and seem to show no respect for any laws, people or anything. Your letter implies that the blame of all your problems is that of someone else, but never you. I do admit that you are intelligent and your vocabulary is excellent & I do feel you can do anything you decide to do & do it well but what exactly do you want to do & are you willing to work & make an honest effort to attain whatever it is you choose to do? Nothing good comes easy and I’m sure you’ve heard this many times but once more won’t hurt.
In case you want the truth about Dad – his heart is broken because of you. He would give anything to get you out so he can have his son back – but I am afraid you would only hurt him worse if you could. He is not well and is getting older &, as the saying goes, he cannot “Cut the Mustard” as in the old days. He has been wrong at times & he realizes this but whatever he had and wherever he went he shared his life & belongings with you when he wouldn’t do this for anyone else. Now I don’t say you owe him undying gratitude or your life but you do owe him RESPECT and COMMON DECENCY. I, personally, am proud of Dad.
I love him & Respect him as my Dad & I am only sorry he chose to be the Lone Wolf with his son, or he might be living with us and share our love instead of alone in his little trailer & longing & waiting & lonesome for you, his son. I worry for him & when I say I, I mean my husband too for my husband respects our Dad. Because he is a MAN. It’s true that Dad did not have a great extensive education but in school we only learn to recognize the words and to spell but the application of these words to real life is another thing that only LIFE & LIVING can give us. Dad has lived & you show ignorance in calling him uneducated and unable to understand “the scientific meaning etc” of life’s problems. A mother is still the only one who can kiss a boo-boo and make it all well – explain that scientifically.
I’m sorry to let you have it so strong but I feel I must speak my piece. I am sorry that this must be censored [by the prison authorities], & I sincerely hope this letter is not detrimental towards your eventual release but I feel you should know & realize what terrible hurt you have done. Dad is the important one as I am dedicated to my family but you are the only one Dad loves – in short, his “family.” He knows I love him, of course, but the closeness is not there, as you know.
Your confinement is nothing to be proud of and you will have to live with it & try & live it down & it can be done but not with your attitude of feeling everyone is stupid & uneducated & un-understanding. You are a human being with a free will. Which puts you
above the animal level. But if you live your life without feeling and compassion for your fellowman – you are as an animal – “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” & happiness & peace of mind is not
