From Leonard Darwin to Emma Darwin 1 December [1875]

Dear Mother

I am going to come out in quite a new line for me.—amateur theatrical, but as you may guess my part is rather a sinecure. They wanted it to be an RE affair and as there was no one else who could look the part I could hardly refuse. I am to be the old and gouty father of a young lady, several years older than myself in reality I expect. The worst thing about the piece is that it is written by one of our lieutenants, but I am nearly sure it will go off well and it is very short. The story is a very good one for amateur theatricals as there is no love making. The father of the young man of the play, dies and leave the money to the son on condition that he marries my daughter, and to my daughter if he does not. He, after being fearfully rude to her, proposes, with the hope of being refused. She accepts with the hope of being so uncommonly disagreeable that she may induce him to break off the engagement. They could not find an RE young lady but have luckily got a very good amateur actress a Miss Tompson who is visiting here. We are going to lose one of our lieuts from the House and a married man is coming out in his place, which is a misfortune for us if only for making the house bills larger  The work here has been getting much pleasanter lately; all the estimates are finished and they are the things I hate; besides which I have got two bits of work to look after, both of them rather interesting. They are both buildings with great iron shields to hold these 38 ton guns, and I shall learn a good deal from them I expect. I have just received Retta's letter enclosing one from Jane Norton. It is rather dismal letter chiefly about M^r. Ch. Wright's death which I had not heard of. I fancy that it will be a great blow to them as he was far the most intimate friend they had as far as I could see.

Your affec son. | Leonard Darwin