"Mrs. Hamerton's 'Golden Mediocrity' has passed through a second edition; the first was 1,000 copies."
This last book was a novelette that I had written at the instigation of
Roberts Brothers, and which had been corrected by my husband.
The illustrations needed for the completion of "The Saône" took a great deal of Mr. Hamerton's time in 1886. Early in January he went to Chalon to take several sketches, which he worked out afterwards in pen-and-ink. We took the opportunity of this journey to see a few houses which had been recommended to us as possible future residences, La Tuilerie requiring expensive repairs that we were not inclined to undertake, because every time we made any our rent was raised,—no doubt because it was thought that just after a fresh outlay we should not be disposed to leave. But we found the house-rents much higher about Chalon than in our neighborhood, and although Gilbert was fond of the Saône—particularly for boating—he was far from admiring the landscape as much as that of the Autunois, from a painter's point of view. After much consideration we decided to go through the unavoidable repairs, and to renew our lease.
I suppose that the Saône voyage had directed my husband's thoughts towards boats more than ever, for his diary is full of notes about them. I shall only give a few to show the drift of his mind.
"Made a sketch for a possible triple catamaran.
"Made an elevation of hull for the 'Morvandelle,' using an elevation of a quickly turning steamer in 'Le Yacht,' and improving upon it.
"Made a new balancer for canoe.
"Began to prepare pirogue with marine glue before putting the rudder-post.
"Lengthened cross-pieces; completed beam for catamaran, adding details of ironwork.
"Demolished old balancer log of canoe, and began to saw it to make a little bridge.