Today is April twenty-eighth, nearly two weeks after the time set for our Cousins Letters to have been in hand, and we are, therefore, closing the book this afternoon, and hope that within another week or ten days the bound volume will be ready for mailing to all the cousins.

I cannot resist the temptation to add just a few words at the close of our third volume of the Campbell Cousins Correspondence and to express the sincere hope that each of the Cousins will be very much pleased with the book. We are to be congratulated on having the hearty cooperation of Cousin George Buck in helping us out this year. Cousin George is in the book publishing business and the suggestions made by him have been most helpful. It is through his influence that we are this year able to have a regularly bound book which, of course, is the very best way for our combined letters to appear.¹ The entire credit for editing and compiling the book this year belongs to Cousin George.

We have delayed sending the sheets to the bindery until the very last moment, hoping that each mail might bring in some additional letters which could be included in the book. A total of sixty-five letters have been accounted for up to date, which exceeds the number of letters last year. However, it was our hope and ambition that at least seventy-five letters might have appeared in the 1925 volume. By reviewing the list of delinquents again this morning we find that twenty-five of the Campbell Cousins will not have their letters in this volume. Ten of these cousins were kind enough to write letters last year and, of course, we had every reason to expect their letters this year. However, sickness or pressure of business will oftentimes change plans and we believe that each of the delinquent Cousins has a good reason for not writing a letter.

In the matter of publishing a book of letters which come from so many different points in the United States and abroad, each cousin must understand that we, who are endeavoring to publish the book, are entirely dependent up on the material we receive and the time at which we receive it. Our work would be reduced at least fifty percent if we could be sure of having letters from all the cousins between April 1st and April 15th of each year. Will not all the Cousins please keep this thought in mind and help us just as much as possible in this matter?

Our 1925 volume contains one letter from a third cousin.² This letter was especially requested, and was received this morning from Cousin Faith Jean Kimball, all the way from Eugene, Oregon. Cousin Faith, we congratulate you on such a fine letter. As a third cousin you have the honor of being the first one to write a letter for the Cousins Book, and as a small reward for your prompt response for a letter I have ordered one of the books sent to you, direct at your University, and would ask that you accept same with my compliments and very best wishes. Next year we confidently expect to have a goodly number of other third cousins who will contribute a letter for our book, as, for example, Cousin Dora Seely and a number of others whose names might be mentioned.

Now, cousins, how does the following slogan for 1926 appeal to you? "ONE HUNDRED COUSINS' LETTERS FOR 1926". I know where to find the one hundred cousins, and if each one of you reading this sentence will just help a little bit and do a little boasting throughout the year, we will agree to do our part and in 1926 will publish a book containing letters from one hundred Campbell Cousins. This will certainly be a big increase over our first exchange of letters two years ago which comprised only twenty-three letters.

In closing, we are very glad indeed to note that the Cousins Letters are proving to be more and more interesting each year - so much so that your officers are encouraged to keep up the good work, believing as we do that in the great majority of cases the yearly Cousins Book is highly appreciated and treasured.

Again wishing you health, happiness and prosperity, I am,