(MONEY Magazine) – THANK YOU FOR JULY'S "TWO Dogs, Three Cars, 12 Kids and One Paycheck," the story of how the Lathers' family of 14 from Grass Lake, Mich. is thriving on one $40,000 salary. I had never heard of them, but shortly after reading your article I had the pleasure of sitting behind them in church. The children were some of the best behaved and well mannered I have ever seen. I guess the lesson we can all learn is that it doesn't take a lot of money to instill morals,respect and discipline in children -- just an abundance of patience, kindness and love. Chris Desnoyer JACKSON, MICH.

AS A BIOLOGIST, I HAVE SOME advice for the Lathers. I admire these people for having a large, loving family. But the father needs to do something about smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. Statistically, this will shorten his life 12.2 years -- and if, like most people, he is unable to work the last 10 years of life, he can count on a disability retirement when he's 55 and still has kids at home. As a smoker he doubles his chances of a heart attack and increases the probability of lung cancer by more than 10. He is also more likely than nonsmokers to develop other forms of cancer, ulcers and emphysema. Smokers average more days lost from work than nonsmokers do because of illness. Moreover, his two packs of cigarettes a day cost about $3 -- that is about $1,100 a year, approximately 3% of his gross annual income. And a life insurance policy will cost him 10% to 20% more than it will cost a nonsmoker. Smoking is not good for your health. Smoking is not good for your pocketbook. James L. Botsford LAS CRUCES, N.M.

OUR PLANET IS IN DIRE TROUble owing to overpopulation. If the Lathers had adopted unwanted children, that would be fine; but to deliberately have 12 of their own is wrong. What's more, Mindy and Chubby (the dogs) should be spayed. M.D. Carter LANDRUM, S.C.