Dec.241848

DearJohnston

YourrequestforeightydollarsIdonotthinkitbesttosatisfynow.AtthevarioustimeswhenIhavehelpedyoualittleyouhavesaidtome“Wecangetalongverywellagain”butinaveryshorttimeIfindyouinthesamedifficultyagain.Nowthiscanonlyhappenbysomefaultinyourbehavior.WhatthatfaultisIthinkIknow.Youarenotlazyandstillyouareanidler(游手好闲).IdoubtwhethersinceIsawyouyouhavedoneagoodwholeday’sworkinanyotherday.Youdonotverymuchdisliketoworkandstillyoudonotworkmuchmerelybecauseitdoesnotseemtoyouthatyoucouldgetmuchforit.

Thishabitofuselesslywastingtimeisthewholedifficulty;itisvastlyimportanttoyouandstillmoresotoyourchildrenthatyoushouldbreakthishabit.Itismoreimportanttothembecausetheyhavelongertoliveandcankeepoutofanidlehabitbeforetheyareiniteasierthantheycangetoutaftertheyarein.

Youarenowinneedofsomereadymoney;andwhatIsuggestisthatyoushallgotoworkhardforsomebodywhowillgiveyoumoneyforit.

Letfatherandyourboystakechargeofyourthingsathome-prepareforacropandmakethecropandyougotoworkforthebestmoneywagesortopaybackanydebtyouowe.AndtosecureyouafairrewardforyourlaborInowpromiseyouthatforeverydollaryouwillbetweenthisandthefirstofMaygetforyourownlaborIwillthengiveyouoneotherdollar.Bythisifyouhireyourselfattendollarsamonthfrommeyouwillgettenmoremakingtwentydollarsamonthforyourwork.

Nowifyouwilldothisyouwillsoonbeoutofdebtandwhatisbetteryouwillhaveahabitthatwillkeepyoufromgettingindebtagain.ButifIshouldnowclearyououtnextyearyouwillbejustasdeepinasever.YousayyouwouldalmostgiveyourplaceinHeavenfor$70or$80.ThenyouvalueyourplaceinHeavencheaplyforIamsureyoucanwiththeofferImakeyougettheseventyoreightydollarsforfourorfivemonths’work.YousayifIfurnishyouthemoneyyouwilldeed(抵押)methelandandifyoudon’tpaythemoneybackyouwilldeliverpossession-Nonsense!Ifyoucan’tnowlivewiththelandhowwillyouthenlivewithoutit?YouhavealwaysbeenkindtomeandIdonotnowmeantobeunkindtoyou.Onthecontraryifyouwillbutfollowmyadviceyouwillfinditworthmorethaneighttimeeightydollarsto