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