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 life upon it, you will never after own a spot big enough to bury you in.  Half you will get for the land you spend in moving to Missouri, and the other half you will eat and drink and wear out, and no foot of