Editing James G. Blaine (section)

=== Private life ===
[[File:Blaine Mansion - Washington, D.C..jpg|thumb|left|[[James G. Blaine Mansion|Blaine's mansion]] in Dupont Circle]]

Blaine began the year 1882 without a political office for the first time since 1859.{{sfn|Muzzey|p=225}} Troubled by poor health,{{efn|The exact state of Blaine's health is debatable; many of his biographers believe him to have been a [[Hypochondriasis|hypochondriac]].{{sfnm|Summers||1pp=62, 125|Muzzey||2pp=225–227}}}} he sought no employment other than the completion of the first volume of his [[memoir]], ''Twenty Years of Congress.''{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=226|Russell||2p=390}} Friends in Maine petitioned Blaine to run for Congress in the [[1882 United States House of Representatives elections|1882 elections]], but he declined, preferring to spend his time writing and supervising the move to the new home.{{sfn|Muzzey|pp=228–232}} His income from mining and railroad investments was sufficient to sustain the family's lifestyle and to allow for the construction of a vacation cottage, "Stanwood" on [[Mount Desert Island]], Maine, designed by [[Frank Furness]].{{sfn|Muzzey|pp=232–237}} Blaine appeared before Congress in 1882 during an investigation into his War of the Pacific diplomacy, defending himself against allegations that he owned an interest in the Peruvian [[guano]] deposits being occupied by Chile, but otherwise stayed away from the [[United States Capitol|Capitol]].{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=242–246|Crapol||2pp=71–73}} The publication of the first volume of ''Twenty Years'' in early 1884 added to Blaine's financial security and thrust him back into the political spotlight.{{sfn|Muzzey|pp=253–255}} As the 1884 campaign loomed, Blaine's name was being circulated once more as a potential nominee, and despite some reservations, he soon found himself back in the hunt for the presidency.{{sfnm|Crapol||1p=91|Muzzey||2pp=263–265}}
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