From W. E. Darwin to Emma Darwin 5 January [1877]

My dear Mother,

I have had another very long talk with Col. Gordon about his religious opinions which are striking; he seems to me to have escaped from Calvinism into the opposite extreme that everyone is saved & that there is no free will (though he agrees with me that at the present moment it is just the same as if one had free will) without having faith in Christianity; it was very striking the gleam of content that came over his face when he said now perfectly happy his religioun made him; but it is sad to see how indifferent he is to life. I feel sure it is absolutely the same to him whether he is dead or alive, which, whether owing to his religion or constitution is unnatural and somewhat chilling.

He has compelled me to write today to Leonard to this effect to tell him to write to his chief Sir [L]? Simmons a polite note and ask him [illeg] if when peace is declared and we have to lend engineers to open up roads in Bulgaria that Leo. may be appointed.

He says it is extremely likely to happen, and that Simmons would rather like the foresight of the attempt, & would remember his name. Gordon says it would be a fine appointment, good pay, a charming country, and he could come home every winter.

I was surprised Gordon showing he had so much of the serpent in him as when he told me he had got most of his good appointments by that sort of haphazard foresight.

I am going to have a dinner party next week, and think I shall be up to it. I want to hear about the cement—

Your affectionate son | W E Darwin