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.