you　go　to　work　for　the　best　money　wages；　or　in　discharge　of　any
  debt　you　owe；　that　you　can　get；　and；　to　secure　you　a　fair　reward
  for　your　labor；　I　now　promise　you；　that　for　every　dollar　you
  will；　between　this　and　the　first　of　May；　get　for　your　own　labor；
  either　in　money　or　as　your　own　indebtedness；　I　will　then　give　you
  one　other　dollar。　　By　this；　if　you　hire　yourself　at　ten　dollars　a
  month；　from　me　you　will　get　ten　more；　making　twenty　dollars　a
  month　for　your　work。　　In　this　I　do　not　mean　you　shall　go　off　to
  St。　　Louis；　or　the　lead　mines；　or　the　gold　mines　in　California；
  but　I　mean　for　you　to　go　at　it　for　the　best　wages　you　can　get
  close　to　home　in　Coles　County。　　Now；　if　you　will　do　this；　you
  will　be　soon　out　of　debt；　and；　what　is　better；　you　will　have　a
  habit　that　will　keep　you　from　getting　in　debt　again。　　But；　if　I
  should　now　clear　you　out　of　debt；　next　year　you　would　be　just　as
  deep　in　as　ever。　　You　say　you　would　almost　give　your　place　in
  heaven　for　seventy　or　eighty　dollars。　　Then　you　value　your　place
  in　heaven　very　cheap；　for　I　am　sure　you　can；　with　the　offer　I
  make；　get　the　seventy　or　eighty　dollars　for　four　or　five　months'
  work。　　You　say　if　I　will　furnish　you　the　money　you　will　deed　me
  the　land；　and；　if　you　don't　pay　the　money　back；　you　will　deliver
  possession。　　Nonsense！　If　you　can't　now　live　with　the　land；　how
  will　you　then　live　without　it？　　You　have　always　been　kind　to　me；
  and　I　do　not　mean　to　be　unkind　to　you。　　On　the　contrary；　if　you
  will　but　follow　my　advice；　you　will　find　it　worth　more　than
  eighty　times　eighty　dollars　to　you。
  Affectionately　your　brother；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  TO　C。　　HOYT。
  SPRINGFIELD；　Jan。　　11；　1851。
  C。　HOYT；　ESQ。
  MY　DEAR　SIR：Our　case　is　decided　against　us。　　The　decision　was
  announced　this　morning。　　Very　sorry；　but　there　is　no　help。　　The
  history　of　the　case　since　it　came　here　is　this。　　On　Friday
  morning　last；　Mr。　Joy　filed　his　papers；　and　entered　his　motion
  for　a　mandamus；　and　urged　me　to　take　up　the　motion　as　soon　as
  possible。　　I　already　had　the　points　and　authority　sent　me　by　you
  and　by　Mr。　Goodrich；　but　had　not　studied　them。　　I　began　preparing
  as　fast　as　possible。
  The　evening　of　the　same　day　I　was　again　urged　to　take　up　the
  case。　　I　refused　on　the　ground　that　I　was　not　ready；　and　on　which
  plea　I　also　got　off　over　Saturday。　　But　on　Monday　（the　14th）　I
  had　to　go　into　it。　　We　occupied　the　whole　day；　I　using　the　large
  part。　　I　made　every　point　and　used　every　authority　sent　me　by
  yourself　and　by　Mr。　Goodrich；　and　in　addition　all　the　points　I
  could　think　of　and　all　the　authorities　I　could　find　myself。　　When
  I　closed　the　argument　on　my　part；　a　large　package　was　handed　me；
  which　proved　to　be　the　plat　you　sent　me。
  The　court　received　it　of　me；　but　it　was　not　different　from　the
  plat　already　on　the　record。　　I　do　not　think　I　could　ever　have
  argued　the　case　better　than　I　did。　　I　did　nothing　else；　but
  prepare　to　argue　and　argue　this　case；　from　Friday　morning　till
  Monday　evening。　　Very　sorry　for　the　result；　but　I　do　not　think　it
  could　have　been　prevented。
  Your　friend；　as　ever；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  TO　JOHN　D。　　JOHNSTON。
  SPRINGFIELD；　January　12；　1851
  DEAR　BROTHER：On　the　day　before　yesterday　I　received　a　letter
  from　Harriet；　written　at　Greenup。　　She　says　she　has　just　returned
  from　your　house；　and　that　father　is　very　low　and　will　hardly
  recover。　　She　also　says　you　have　written　me　two　letters；　and
  that；　although　you　do　not　expect　me　to　come　now；　you　wonder　that
  I　do　not　write。
  I　received　both　your　letters；　and　although　I　have　not　answered
  them　it　is　not　because　I　have　forgotten　them；　or　been
  uninterested　about　them；　but　because　it　appeared　to　me　that　I
  could　write　nothing　which　would　do　any　good。　　You　already　know　I
  desire　that　neither　father　nor　mother　shall　be　in　want　of　any
  comfort；　either　in　health　or　sickness；　while　they　live；　and　I
  feel　sure　you　have　not　failed　to　use　my　name；　if　necessary；　to
  procure　a　doctor；　or　anything　else　for　father　in　his　present
  sickness。　　My　business　is　such　that　I　could　hardly　leave　home
  now；　if　it　was　not　as　it　is；　that　my　own　wife　is　sick　abed。　　（It
  is　a　case　of　baby…sickness；　and　I　suppose　is　not　dangerous。）　I
  sincerely　hope　father　may　recover　his　health；　but　at　all　events；
  tell　him　to　remember　to　call　upon　and　confide　in　our　great　and
  good　and　merciful　Maker；　who　will　not　turn　away　from　him　in　any
  extremity。　　He　notes　the　fall　of　a　sparrow；　and　numbers　the　hairs
  of　our　heads；　and　He　will　not　forget　the　dying　man　who　puts　his
  trust　in　Him。　　Say　to　him　that　if　we　could　meet　now　it　is
  doubtful　whether　it　would　not　be　more　painful　than　pleasant；　but
  that　if　it　be　his　lot　to　go　now；　he　will　soon　have　a　joyous
  meeting　with　many　loved　ones　gone　before；　and　where　the　rest　of
  us；　through　the　help　of　God；　hope　ere　long　to　join　them。
  Write　to　me　again　when　you　receive　this。
  Affectionately；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  PETITION　ON　BEHALF　OF　ONE　JOSHUA　GIPSON
  TO　THE　JUDGE　OF　THE　SANGAMON　COUNTY　COURT；
  MAY　13；　1851。
  TO　THE　HONORABLE；　THE　JUDGE　OF　THE　COUNTY　COURT　IN　AND　FOR　THE
  COUNTY　OF　SANGAMON　AND　STATE　OF　ILLINOIS：
  Your　Petitioner；　Joshua　Gipson；　respectfully　represents　that　on
  or　about　the　21st　day　of　December；　1850；　a　judgment　was　rendered
  against　your　Petitioner　for　costs；　by　J。　　C。　　Spugg；　one　of　the
  Justices　of　the　Peace　in　and　for　said　County　of　Sangamon；　in　a
  suit　wherein　your　Petitioner　was　plaintiff　and　James　L。　　and　C。
  B。　　Gerard　were　defendants；　that　said　judgment　was　not　the　result
  of　negligence　on　the　part　of　your　Petitioner；　that　said　judgment；
  in　his　opinion；　is　unjust　and　erroneous　in　this；　that　the
  defendants　were　at　that　time　and　are　indebted　to　this　Petitioner
  in　the　full　amount　of　the　principal　and　interest　of　the　note　sued
  on；　the　principal　being；　as　affiant　remembers　and　believes；
  thirty…one　dollars　and　eighty　two　cents；　and　that；　as　affiant　is
  informed　and　believes；　the　defendants　succeeded　in　the　trial　of
  said　cause　by　proving　old　claims　against　your　petitioner；　in　set…
  off　against　said　note；　which　claims　had　been　settled；　adjusted
  and　paid　before　said　note　was　executed。　　Your　Petitioner　further
  states　that　the　reasons　of　his　not　being　present　at　said　trial；
  as　he　was　not；　and　of　its　not　being　in　his　power　to　take　an
  appeal　in　the　ordinary　way；　as　it　was　not；　were　that　your
  Petitioner　then　resided　in　Edgar　County　about　one　hundred　and
  twenty　miles　from　where　defendants　resided；　that　a　very　short
  time　before　the　suit　was　commenced　your　Petitioner　was　in
  Sangamon　County　for　the　purpose　of　collecting　debts　due　him；　and
  with　the　rest；　the　note　in　question；　which　note　had　then　been
  given　more　than　a　year；　that　your　Petitioner　then　saw　the
  defendant　J。　L。　Gerard　who　is　the　principal　in　said　note；　and
  solicited　payment　of　the　same；　that　said　defendant　then　made　no
  pretense　that　he　did　not　owe　the　same；　but　on　the　contrary
  expressly　promised　that　he　would　come　into　Springfield；　in　a　very
  few　days　and　either　pay　the　money；　or　give　a　new　note；　payable　by
  the　then　next　Christmas；　that　your　Petitioner　accordingly　left
  said　note　with　said　J。　C。　Spugg；　with　directions　to　give
  defendant　full　time　to　pay　the　money　or　give　the　new　note　as
  above；　and　if　he　did　neither　to　sue；　and　then　affiant　came　home
  to　Edgar　County；　not　having　the　slightest　suspicion　that　if　suit
  should　be　brought；　the　defendants　would　make　any　defense
  whatever；　and　your　Petitioner　never　did　in　any　way　learn　that
  said　suit　had　been　commenced　until　more　than　twenty　days　after　it
  had　been　decided　against　him。　　He　therefore　prays　for　a　writ　of
  Certiorari。
  HIS
  JOSHUA　x　GIPSON
  MARK
  TO　J。　D。　JOHNSTON。
  SPRINGFIELD；　Aug。　　31；　1851
  DEAR　BROTHER：
  Inclosed　is　the　deed　for　the　land。　　We　are　all　well；　and　have
  nothing　in　the　way　of　news。　　We　have　had　no　Cholera　here　for
  about　two　weeks。
  Give　my　love　to　all；　and　especially　to　Mother。
  Yours　as　ever；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  TO　J。　D。　JOHNSTON。
  SHELBYVILLE；　Nov。　4；　1851
  DEAR　BROTHER：
  When　I　came　into　Charleston　day　before　yesterday　I　learned　that
  you　are　anxious　to　sell　the　land　where　you　live；　and　move　to
  Missouri。　　I　have　been　thinking　of　this　ever　since；　and　cannot
  but　think　such　a　notion　is　utterly　foolish。　　What　can　you　do　in
  Missouri　better　than　here？　　Is　the　land　richer？　　Can　you　there；
  any　more　than　here；　raise　corn　and　wheat　and　oats　without　work？
  Will　anybody　there；　any　more　than　here；　do　your　work　for　you？　　If
  you　intend　to　go　to　work；　there　is　no　better　place　than　right
  where　you　are；　if　you　do　not　intend　to　go　to　work　you　cannot　get
  along　anywhere。　　Squirming　and　crawling　about　from　place　to　place
  can　do　no　good。　　You　have　raised　no　crop　this　year；　and　what　you
  really　want　is　to　sell　the　land；　get　the　money　and　spend　it。
  Part　with　the　land　you　have；　and；　my　lif