From Thomas Maston   5 February 1879

Dear Sir/

I hope you will not think me to bould in taking upon myself to write to you, beging of you a favour.

I am a stone Mason, and about 2 years ago I bought two of your works the “Origin of Species”, and the “Descent of Man” and I have read them, and studied them the most of this time, and strugled, in my humble way, to defend the theory tharein enunciated, against that un-holy cant, which as been risen against it by a certain class of desprate theological thinkers in the hope of provoking ignorant laughter, to shame honest men into silence on this subject, chosing in this way to show their weakness, and to exibite the truth strength of your concloustions.

I should like your later work ie., the “Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals”, but through slack trade for this last 2 years, and this most sevear winter it is out of my reach now.¹

I should be very thankfull for any help you can give me,

hoping will not forget me | I am Yours most | respectfully | Thomas Maston

M^r. Charles Darwin, | M.A., F.R.S.