From Leonard Darwin to Emma Darwin 27 August 1876

Dear mother.

I have had a regular bad cold in my head all last week, which has made me feel rather seedy; a great many people seem to be having them now, which is very curious. It is has made me rather idle as far as work goes, my French degenerating into reading a French novel which I have just finished. It is nearly the last of the French books that I have got; I think I must look out for some more as I must do a little French reading. The only thing that we have been talking about is the new army retirement scheme which the commission has just published, and which is sure to be accepted; they are going to turn every one out of the army on £250 a year after 20 years service, who has not become a major; this will come very hard on some people but it is the right plan, as it is no use having captains older than that. Being near the head of a batch makes it much less likely that I shall be turned out as the 16 men below me on the list will reach 20 years service on the same day, and if I go, they all go too. Almost every one here is troubled with prickley heat, a most troublesome sort of rash  At one period it is like a concentrated attack of fleas, and then it prickles all over but it has the reputation of being very healthy; perhaps that is the reason I have got it all over me. My only other grievance is that I trod on the top of a sea egg bathing the other day, which stung me like anything; and next day I sat on the top of some rocks when it was rather rough and got washed clean off and scraped my ankle. The two last grievances are only put in to fill up the list. Our colonel comes back in a day or two, as he is so tired of his leave that he gives it up before his time; he is so attached to his work that I believe that every thing else is pain and misery to him.

Your affec son | L Darwin