Surely there must be some misunderstanding between Mr. Haden and his biographer—a misdeal of data—an accident with the anecdotes—because no one was more keenly alive to all relating to these plates and their various states than Mr. Haden himself, whose strong sense of the importance of printing was acquired while watching the progress of these same plates, and the previous French set, as they were proved by me and printed by Delatre, to whom I introduced him.
Far from me to spoil a good story; but for the life of me I cannot see what any sympathizing raconteur will regret in the destruction of this mere jumble of statistics that Mr. Hamerton calls "Mr. Haden's anecdote."
Venice, Aug. 16, 1880.
In Excelsis
Mr. Hamerton presents his compliments to Mr. Whistler, and begs to inform him that he has read Mr. Whistler's very unbecoming and improper letter in the New York Tribune.
Mr. Hamerton in his article in Scribner's Monthly simply quoted a passage from one of Mr. Haden's lectures on Etching, published in Cassell's Magazine of Art; consequently Mr. Hamerton did not offer matter to his readers under any disguise whatever. Mr. Hamerton has answered Mr. Whistler's letter in the same journal in which it appeared.
Pré Charmoy, Autun, Saône et Loire,
Sept. 28, 1880.
A Suspicion
It is possibly too much to expect—upon the principle of "trumps not turning up twice"—but Mr. Whistler does hope that Mr. Hamerton's letter to the New York Tribune will be as funny as his note to Mr. Whistler, which has just been forwarded from London.