The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-02-23
Abraham Lincoln.

The originals of the following let
tiers are held Ivy Mr.. B. l.. Worth, of
st. Louis, and came into his posses
sion through the purchase OF the ofFTe
fixtures of ex-mnyor John Howe:
WASHINGTON, Dec. "a. 184S.
MY DEAR FATHER: Your letter |
Of the 7th was received night before i
last. l very cheerfulfy send you the
$40, which sam you say is necessary
to save your land frnm sale. 1t is
singular that yms sHould hssve forgot.
ten a jlrfgH emf against yoG. and it is
more singular that the plaintiffshould
have let you forget it so long, par
ticularly, as I suppose you have al
ways had property enough to satisfy
a Judgment Of that amount. Before
you pay it IT would he we'll to be sure
you have not paid IL, or at least that
you cannot prove that you haye paid
it. Give my love to mother and all
the connections. Affectionately, your
son. A. LINCOLN.
DEAR JOHNSTON Your request
for $40 l do not think 1t hest to com.
ply with just now. AT the various
times when have helped You little
you have saftl 10 me, 1--WE can get
along very we'll now.' hut in short
time / find you In the same difficulty
again: Now this can only happen by
some defect in your conduct. What
the defect Is / think / know. You
are not Tazy; and still you are an
idler. / doubt whether, since saw
you, you have done good whole
days work in any one day. You do
not very much dislike to work, and
still you Go not work much. merely
because it does not seem to you that
you should get much for it. This
habit of uselessIy wasting time is the
whole difficulty, and il is vastly im-
portant to you and still more to your
children. that you should break this
| tioolts H 10 luill w
because they have longer to live and
keep out of idle habit before they are
in it easier than they can get out after
they are in.
You are now in need of some ready
money, and what l propose is that
you shall 60 to work, "tooth and
nail,' for somebody who Will give
you money for it. Let father and
your boys have charge of things al
home-prepare for a crop and make
the crop-and 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 l now promise You
that for every dollar you will. be-
tween now and the 1St 0f May, get
for your labor. either in money or on
your own Indebtedness, | will give
you one other dollar. BY thi-, if you
hire yourself at SO a month, from
me you will get $40 more, making 500
n month for your work. In this ] do
not mean you shall go off to Louis,
or the lead mines. or the gold mines
in California, hut / mean for you ia
go at it for the hest wages sou can
get close to hnme-in Coles county,
Now, IfyOu will do this you will soon
he out of debt, and, what is better,
you will have habit that will keelI
you from getting in debt again. But
if J should now clear YOU out. next
year you will he just as deep in as
ever. You say you would almost
give your place in heaven for $40 or
$50. Then you value your place in
heaven very cheap, tor am sure you
can, with the offer l make you, get
the $40 or $50 with four or nve
months work. You say if | furnish
you the money you will deed me the
land, and if you don't pay the money
hack, you will deliyer possession.
Nonsense If you cannot now live
with the land, how will you live
without it? You have always been
kind to me, and do not now mean
to he unkind to you. On the con-
trary, if you will nut follow my adj
vice you will find it worth more than
lightly times $50 to you. Affection
ately, your brother,
A. LINCOLN.